Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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opinion
With 2021 Still Young, We Already Have Trouble from Tehran
Iran wasted no time setting a terrible tone for its 2021 foreign policy this week, making it clear that Tehran remains firmly committed to expanding its nuclear program and defeating U.S. sanctions. First, its paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy seized a South Korean-flagged chemical tanker sailing the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz,… -
opinion
Anti-Semitism Is a Problem for Us All
Hating Jews is abhorrent. As revolting as the practice of anti-Semitism is, it’s a problem that lies hidden right in the midst of America—and it’s more widespread than we like to admit. There are countless ways in which Jews are marginalized and persecuted in the United States and abroad. Threats against the freedom of speech… -
news
National Guard to Be Deployed in Kenosha Ahead of Possible Charges in Shooting
The Wisconsin National Guard will support local law enforcement if civil unrest follows a charging decision in the case of the officer-involved, near-fatal shooting last summer of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, state officials announced. >>> Update: No charges will be brought against police officers or Blake in the Aug. 23 shooting, Kenosha County District Attorney… -
opinion
US Contributions to 3 Seas Investment Fund Are Smart, Strategic
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation recently approved a $300 million investment in the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund. That welcome Dec. 10 announcement partially fulfills a U.S. pledge made back in February by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to invest up to $1 billion in the investment fund to finance energy projects via the… -
opinion
How Liberals Will Attack Your Credibility to Control the Narrative
“This claim about election fraud is disputed.” Warning labels like this are growing exponentially at an alarming rate. It seems that every free thought is fact-checked by a third party, oftentimes as justification for censoring content. This tactic, invoked by media outlets and social media platforms, is being used to silence and shut down debate… -
news
In Past 20 Years, Democrats Objected 3 Times to Electoral College Certifications
Recent precedents for challenging Electoral College certification in Congress have come not from Republican lawmakers, but from Democrats. Over the past 20 years, Democrats have on three separate occasions objected to the validity of electoral votes on the floor of Congress. Wednesday, Jan. 6, will mark the first time Republicans choose do so in the… -
opinion
Washington Deserves Its ‘Brutalism’
In his 1981 diatribe against contemporary American architecture, “From Bauhaus to Our House,” Tom Wolfe notes that seemingly every American child “goes to a school in a building that looks like a duplicating-machine replacement-parts wholesale distribution center warehouse.” Anecdotally speaking, this still seems to be the case in East Coast metro areas like Washington and… -
opinion
In New Book, Sharansky Offers a ‘Refusenik’ Perspective on Human Rights, Anti-Semitism
They were called “refuseniks”—Jews in the Soviet Union who wanted to emigrate. They were not just “refused” the right to leave. They were spied on, harassed, and thrown into prison. For Natan Sharansky, the unimaginable abuse was a liberation of conscience. They could take away everything but his passion for freedom. The resilience he showed… -
news
Portland Mayor Vows to Push Back Harder to End Antifa Violence
It took six months of rioting and millions of dollars in property damage for Ted Wheeler, the mayor of Portland, Oregon, to order increased law enforcement action against Antifa. Several businesses were damaged during riots on New Year’s Eve, including two Starbucks shops, a Chase Bank, a Pandora Jewelers, a Ben Bridge Jewelers, and many local businesses,… -
opinion
Why Conservatives of All Stripes Must Unite in 2021
After 2020—a year with a deadly pandemic, a crushing economic shutdown, brutal riots, and a contested presidential election—it often feels as though things can’t get any worse. Yet, the political left sees these very moments when the American people are overwhelmed and exhausted as opportunities to push its destructive agenda. It won’t stop promoting socialist… -
opinion
Here Are 26 Books to Add to Your Reading List for 2021
If you are looking for some exciting book recommendations to help you ring in the new year, look no further. Our friends at The Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action for America have 26 titles that we recommend you check out in 2021. 1. “American Traitor” by Brad Taylor New York Times bestselling author Brad Taylor… -
opinion
History Shows Our Passion for Freedom Runs Deep
Christmas 2020 was a Christmas like no other in our nation’s history. Thousands of churches across the country were shuttered, others had to hold services outdoors or restrict capacity indoors. Families were not allowed to gather for the holiday. Many Americans are rightly upset that the freedom to worship—the foundational American freedom—has been curtailed. For… -
opinion
What Will Historians Make of Our Annus Horribilis?
The year 2020 is now commonly dubbed the annus horribilis—“the horrible year.” The past 10 months certainly have been awful. But then so was 1968, when both Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated. The Tet Offensive escalated the Vietnam War and tore America apart. Race and anti-war riots rocked our major cities…. -
opinion
A Better 2021?
I don’t like making predictions for a new year because they are just guesses and like palm readers, fortune-tellers, and “experts,” guesses are often wrong. The point was proved last year when I predicted Donald Trump’s reelection and could not foresee the COVID-19 virus, as few did, or its impact on the economy and our… -
opinion
Enough Already With Using Cartoons and Cookies to Sell LGBTQ Agenda to Kids
The year 2020 was tough for everyone, children and adults alike. Most school-age kids were forced to attend school virtually, at least for part of the year. This, combined with lockdowns, caused screen time use to surge. More than usual, parents may fear kids aren’t learning well or are being exposed to things they aren’t… -
opinion
Good Things Did Happen in 2020. These 7 Events Prove It.
I don’t need to tell you about all the negative events of 2020, because we all memorized that laundry list months ago. But if you’re anything like me, you’ve had a lot of practice rattling off each doom-and-gloom item of the past year as you vent with friends and family members over Zoom. Yet, at… -
opinion
2020’s Good News
Was 2020 the worst year ever? The media keep saying that. We did have the pandemic, a bitter election, unemployment, riots, and a soaring national debt. But wait, look at the good news, says historian Johan Norberg. His new book, “Open: The Story of Human Progress,” points out how life keeps getting better, even if… -
opinion
Help The Daily Signal Cover the News That Matters
At the end of 2020, one thing is safe to say: This year wasn’t what any of us thought it would be. It’s been a year of hysteria, nonsense, and panic, and the traditional media has done nothing to help. On the pages of America’s major news sources, violent riots became peaceful protests. Lockdowns and… -
opinion
Gabbard’s Exit From House to Leave Democrats With 1 Less Centrist Voice
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard opted not to run for reelection to a fifth term in Congress and will be leaving office when the 116th Congress adjourns this week, but the Hawaii Democrat will be missed. That’s because Gabbard is one of the few remaining voices of moderation in her increasingly left-wing party in Congress. Her recent sponsorship… -
opinion
Honoring How Our Deployed Troops Keep Us Safe
Like a zombie, the notion that America is fighting “endless” or “forever” wars in the Middle East refuses to die. It’s a theme not reserved to a single political party: President Donald Trump, a Republican, in his 2019 State of the Union address stated that “great nations do not fight endless wars” and directed recent Middle…