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
At 245 Years Old, the Navy Embodies a Culture of Innovation, Fraternity, and Courage
Our Navy celebrates its 245th year today, Oct. 13. In its long history, its achievements have been remarkable and have embodied the virtues of innovation, fraternity, and courage. Despite the global coronavirus pandemic, the Navy continues building ships, deploying forces in harm’s way, and advancing novel technologies that will assure its maritime leadership for years… -
opinion
We Must Return to Normal as Soon as Possible
All of us are trying to get used to the “new normal.” For some, it may be that be your company issued a work-from-home extension to 2021. Or it could be changing the majority of your medical appointments to use telemedicine or increasing the number of delivery services you use. Many aspects of our lives… -
opinion
Opening Day: Sens. Blackburn, Ernst on Barrett Hearing
In this episode, Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, break down the action of the first day of the Amy Coney Barrett hearings and preview the rest of the process. Listeners will hear about the arguments being made on both sides of the aisle and get an inside look at today’s proceedings. -
news
Man Caught on Video Stealing Mail, Voting Ballots From California Mailboxes
Video captured a man stealing absentee ballots while walking through a neighborhood in Escondido, California, a local news outlet reported. Surveillance cameras from David Sprouse, a local resident, captured a man stealing mail from his home and houses nearby last week, Fox 5 San Diego reported. “It was a younger looking man, [who] happened to come… -
news
‘Natural Inheritor of Justice Scalia’s Legacy,’ Conservatives Say of Barrett
The first day of confirmation hearings for federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the Supreme Court showed clearly how conservative women are treated differently than their liberal counterparts, Sen. Marsha Blackburn said Monday. “You know there is a double standard when it comes to how the left and the media treat… -
news
9 Takeaways From Day 1 of Barrett Confirmation Hearings
The opening day of Senate confirmation hearings for federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett was filled with speechifying, with Democrats on the Judiciary Committee previewing their line of attack on the Supreme Court nominee. In her opening remarks, Barrett, currently a judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, stressed that the role of a… -
opinion
Managing America’s Alliance System
This article is an excerpt from the “2020 Mandate for Leadership: A Clear Vision for the Next Administration.” It looks back at policy decisions made by the Trump administration over the past four years. You can purchase your copy of “Mandate 2020” here. Europe The policies of the Trump administration have significantly enhanced NATO’s capabilities. At… -
news
Former Uighur Detention Camp Teacher Describes Interrogations, Screaming, Imprisonments
A woman who claims she formerly taught in Uighur detention camps in China said she witnessed conditions of the facilities and alleged that she heard screaming during interrogations of prisoners in an interview with Radio Free Asia. Fifty-one-year-old Qelbinur Sidik has told multiple media outlets, including Radio Free Asia, that she was forced to teach classes… -
opinion
How California Is Turning Into a State Governed by Identity Politics
If you thought racial identity politics were just a fleeting flirtation of the radical left, California’s new laws suggest otherwise. On Sept. 30, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into state law a bill setting up a nine-member board to study the amount of reparations that should be owed to black people for slavery and Jim… -
opinion
White House Hits Back on Threat of Court-Packing: ‘A Disaster for Our Country’
Today on the podcast, The Daily Signal’s executive editor, Rob Bluey, interviews Brian Morgenstern, the White House’s deputy communications director. They discuss President Donald Trump’s health; the COVID-19 pandemic; liberals’ threat to pack the Supreme Court; and next week’s Senate confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, the president’s third nominee to the high court…. -
opinion
Ignoring Current Problems, California Comes Up With Illogical Reparations Bill
California’s Legislature just passed, and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed, Assembly Bill 3121 to explore providing reparations to California’s African American population—155 years after the abolition of slavery. Apparently, when California’s one-party government cannot find solutions to current existential crises, it turns to divisive issues that have little to do with the safety and well-being of… -
opinion
How a Historical Novel Can Help Us Navigate This Contentious Moment
It’s no question that we are at a crossroads in the history of America. More than ever, we are failing to acknowledge, learn from, or accept our past, sins and all. We have witnessed this tug-of-war debate about whether Confederate statues, as well as those of presidents and abolitionists, belong in public places or in… -
opinion
Michigan Supreme Court Rightly Rebukes Whitmer Over Endless Emergency Power Grabs
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer got slapped down by the Michigan Supreme Court on Oct. 2 for her unconstitutional assertions of executive power under the guise of protecting Michiganders from COVID-19. Whitmer, a Democrat, is one of several governors who have grossly overstepped their authority by issuing sweeping, draconian lockdown orders across their states. The opinion… -
opinion
Time to Rely on America’s Twin Strengths of Freedom and Free Enterprise
International trade matters more than ever as Americans strive to get back to work after the coronavirus-related shutdowns. A pandemic is not the time, if there ever were one, to dampen the freedom to trade with protectionist policies. America can best reinvigorate economic activity by leveraging its natural strengths of freedom and free enterprise at home and abroad. In the highly complex and interwoven global economic environment, open trade is a constantly evolving phenomenon and process. The… -
opinion
Wisconsin Judge Halts Schools’ Policy Keeping Parents in Dark on Kids’ Gender Identity Issues
A state court in Wisconsin last week issued an order prohibiting a school district from intentionally deceiving parents about what their children are doing at school—especially if a child is struggling with his or her gender identity. Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington intervened and issued an injunction Sept. 28 against the Madison Metropolitan School… -
opinion
Fake Fact-Checking
Recently, I released a video that called California’s fires “government fueled.” A few days later, Facebook inserted a warning on my video: “Missing Context. Independent fact-checkers say this information could mislead.” Some of my viewers now feel betrayed. One wrote: “Shameful, John … what happened to you!!? Your reporting was always fair … [but] your… -
news
Texas Grand Jury Indicts Netflix for ‘Lewd Visual Material’ in ‘Cuties’
A Texas grand jury has indicted Netflix, Inc. for “lewd visual material” in the movie “Cuties,” a Texas state representative said Tuesday. Republican Texas state Rep. Matt Schaefer announced Tuesday afternoon that a grand jury for Tyler County, Texas, indicted Netflix, Inc. for “promoting material in Cuties film which depicts lewd exhibition of pubic area of a… -
opinion
2 Justices Remind Americans About Our Core Values
The Supreme Court released orders Monday granting some petitions that it hear certain legal cases and denying others. One particular denial was unusually interesting. The high court said it won’t hear the petition of Kim Davis, who, while clerk of the court in Rowan County, Kentucky, refused to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples in… -
opinion
Virginia Public School District Wants Teachers to Enforce ‘Woke’ Revolution, or Else
What has gotten into the water in Virginia? The commonwealth has quickly gone from a purple-state battleground to embracing a kind of left-wing extremism that makes California seem almost normal by comparison. The latest insanity comes from Loudoun County, where the school board is set to vote on a radical new code of conduct policy… -
news
‘Religious Institutions Have Been a Problem’: Andrew Cuomo Threatens to Shut Down Churches, Synagogues
Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo threatened Monday to close down religious institutions, specifically Jewish synagogues, if they do not follow his coronavirus restrictions. “We know religious institutions have been a problem,” Cuomo said at a Monday press conference. “We know mass gatherings are the super spreader events. We know there have been mass gatherings…