Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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- News
Washington State Sheriff Rips Sanctuary Policies That ‘Shield Repeat Offenders’
Criminal organizations and human traffickers are using liberal cities’ and states’ sanctuary policies to their advantage, says Sheriff Dale Wagner of Adams County, Washington. “While proponents claim sanctuary policies protect vulnerable populations, they also shield repeat offenders who exploit the system,” Wagner said in testimony Wednesday before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity,…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
White House Meme Machine and Strategy Behind It
The Trump White House is using social media unlike any prior administration, capturing the president’s policy agenda through unconventional videos and images. Take the issue of curbing illegal immigration, arguably President Donald’s Trump No. 1 policy priority. The Trump administration has released multiple videos of the deportation of illegal aliens set to popular songs, such…Virginia Allen -
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Treasury Report Exposes How Fentanyl Traffickers Exploit Financial System
The fentanyl trade—which claimed tens of thousands of American lives in 2024 alone—is a multibillion-dollar business supported by sophisticated money laundering schemes, a new report from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed Wednesday. Bessent released the report amid President Donald Trump’s push to use tariffs as a weapon against foreign nations' reputed abuses of their financial…George Caldwell -
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Ethics Complaint Claims Booker Improperly Linked 25-Hour Talkathon With Fundraising
While Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., spoke for 25 hours on the Senate floor last week, a series of emails with contribution links and links to his campaign store was sent out, according to an ethics complaint from the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust. FACT, a conservative nonprofit watchdog group, says that violates Senate ethics…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
What Would It Take to Destroy the United States?
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. I was looking at the news this week and I thought of an experiment. What if…Victor Davis Hanson -
- Opinion
Stop Freaking Out—DOGE Is Exactly What Washington Needs
Judging by the Left’s reactions over the past few months, you would think the Department of Government Efficiency was burning down the federal government. The protests. The headlines. The handwringing. All because someone finally asked the question Americans have been yelling for years: Where is our money going? Let’s set the record straight. President Donald…Sarah Selip -
- Opinion
Farmers, Not Bureaucrats, Deserve Control of California’s Water: A Farmer’s Call for Stability
Farmers are at the heart of California’s water wars, but you wouldn’t know it from reading The New York Times. A recent feature on the removal of dams from the Klamath River highlighted environmental and tribal perspectives—yet it failed to incorporate the perspective of farmers like me who are directly affected by these decisions. This…Rodney Cheyne -
- Opinion
Democrats Are the Seinfeld of Politics: They Are a Party About Nothing
For decades, Democrats have been telling us that the climate apocalypse was just around the corner. If we didn’t adopt renewable fuels and energy sources immediately, we would all bake to death from global warming. Democrats didn’t care about the jobs or economic growth they would destroy to appease their climate gods. “Learn to code,”…Michael Ginsberg -
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Watchdog Presses DOJ to Lift Secrecy on Congressional Spying Documents
The Justice Department’s effort to sweep up phone and email information from congressional staffers during a 2017 investigation into the leak of classified information to the media likely also identified whistleblowers who were reporting problems within the DOJ to congressional overseers. And a federal judge involved in a case where a watchdog group is suing…Fred Lucas -
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After His Shocking Exit From Politics, Nick Freitas Hints at What’s Next
With over 3 million followers between his Instagram “shorts” videos and his “Making the Argument” podcast, other than Virginia’s governor, state Del. Nick Freitas may be the most well-known member of Virginia’s government. On March 27, while a crowd of anti-Donald Trump/anti-DOGE/anti-Elon Musk protesters was marching and chanting outside of a town hall he…Joe Thomas -
- Opinion
AOC Hitched First-Class Ride to ‘Fighting Anti-Oligarchy’ Rally
“If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” is a proverb that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has apparently taken to heart when it comes to the rich in the United States. The New York congresswoman was caught lounging in a first-class seat on a JetBlue flight March 19 to a rally dubbed “Fighting Oligarchy” and headlined…Jacob Adams -
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How Faith Sustained Astronaut Butch Wilmore While Stranded in Space for 9 Months
NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore is revealing more about how his Christian faith strengthened him while spending 286 days on the International Space Station—278 days longer than originally planned. Wilmore also recently shared just how close he and fellow astronaut Suni Williams came to being stranded aboard a malfunctioning Boeing Starliner capsule. During an expansive interview earlier…Dan Hart -
- Opinion
Germany Deploys Troops to Lithuania in First Permanent Foreign Deployment Since World War II
Germany has activated its first permanent foreign troop deployment since World War II, establishing a 5,000-strong armored brigade in Lithuania. This decision follows Defense Minister Boris Pistorius’ announcement in 2023 to bolster troop presence on NATO’s eastern flank in response to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian War. The deployment demonstrates Germany’s willingness to take a leading…Sarah Kuehberger -
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Turley on Republicans’ Response to Liberal Judges: Cool Your Jets
Prominent conservative legal scholars on Monday debated the proper legal response to liberal federal judges’ injunctions against actions by the Trump administration. From legislation that would alter the judiciary’s powers to introducing articles of impeachment, the commentators offered varying solutions to the current controversy over the separation of powers in a panel discussion at The…George Caldwell -
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‘I’m Not on the Left’: Jake Tapper Clashes With Brooke Rollins Over Trump’s Tariffs
DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—CNN’s Jake Tapper denied Sunday that he is “on the left” after Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins called out his “side” for “freaking out” over tariffs. The stock market plummeted for a second straight day on Friday following President Donald Trump’s announcement Wednesday of reciprocal tariffs against nations charging imports from the United States. On “State of…Hailey Gomez -
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Newsmax Takes Center Stage on Stock Exchange
Conservative media outlet Newsmax took center stage last week as CEO Christopher Ruddy rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, marking a major milestone for the news company. In a feature last week, Britain’s Financial Times described Newsmax as a “credible” player with significant potential for growth and “one of the most…R.E. Wermus -
- Opinion
Conservative Group Aims to Countersue After SPLC Dragged It Through 9 Years, Demanded $200B in ‘Frivolous Lawsuit’
A conservative Christian law firm is gearing up to countersue the Southern Poverty Law Center after the left-leaning firm attempted to bankrupt it with a "frivolous lawsuit" that demanded $200 billion in damages. The SPLC represented a woman who dragged Liberty Counsel through nine years of legal purgatory, all based on a lie. The SPLC…Tyler O’Neil -
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House Leadership, Luna End Deadlock Over Proxy Voting
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., has reached a deal with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., to allow new parents to take leave while maintaining their legislative power—a contentious issue that froze activity in the House of Representatives last week. Luna announced that she had come to an agreement with Johnson on Sunday, freeing…George Caldwell -
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For All Its Flaws, American Health Care Gets a Lot Right
We all know the problems with American health care. It costs too much, there are gaps in insurance coverage, health care markets are uncompetitive, provider payments are often incomprehensible, pricing is opaque, bureaucracy is metastasizing, and our citizens face absurd barriers to personal choice of plans and providers. These problems cry for solutions. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., recently restated his…Robert Moffit -
- Opinion
The Dismal Science and the Trumpian Tariff Hullabaloo
Whenever the subject of trade comes up, many right-leaning free traders and left-leaning neoliberals alike trot out the same talking point: “The economists all agree tariffs are terrible!” And perhaps they do—or at least most of them do. Barriers to free and unfettered trade may well appear inefficient as a matter of an economic model’s…Josh Hammer