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
Rioters Are Seditionists, Not Protesters
The violence perpetrated in the streets of cities across America continues because state and local elected officials (all Democrats) refuse to do what is necessary to stop it. These acts no longer fit the definition of protest. Rather, sedition defines them: “incitement of discontent or rebellion against a government.” President Donald Trump has ordered agents… -
news
14 Images as Body of Rep. John Lewis Returns to Capitol
Rep. John Lewis broke another barrier Monday when, in death, he became the first African American to lie in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. Lewis, who as a young man marched for full civil rights for black Americans with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and championed related causes as a Democratic… -
opinion
Uncovering the Origins of Identity Politics
The following is an excerpt from the introduction to “The Plot to Change America: How Identity Politics is Dividing the Land of the Free,” a new book by Mike Gonzalez, senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for Foreign Policy and Angeles T. Arredondo E Pluribus Unum fellow, published by Encounter Books. Identity politics is all around… -
news
Portland Police Recover Molotov Cocktails, Ammunition During Violent Protests
Portland police officers recovered Molotov cocktails and rifle ammunition late Sunday evening near the U.S. courthouse that has been the site of recent protests. The Portland Police Department recovered the “destructive devices” in a bag in Lownsdale Square Park across the street from the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse while investigating a shots fired call, police… -
opinion
America Both in Crisis and on Trial
Were the Founding Fathers heroes or villains? While this dichotomy perhaps oversimplifies our attitude toward the founding generation, one would imagine that most Americans think that their country’s origin is fundamentally good. Few political movements in the history of the United States have truly distanced themselves from the founding. Many have tried to twist and… -
opinion
The Problem in Portland Isn’t the Law—It’s the Lawlessness
Despite the occasional looting, chaos, property damage, trespassing, rioting, graffiti, assaults, arson, and general mayhem, the media consistently assure us that Antifa “protesters” are “largely peaceful.” And since the majority of buildings in Portland, Seattle, and Denver haven’t been looted yet, who am I to argue? Of course, it takes only a sliver of the… -
news
In Bipartisan Vote, House Decides to Remove Confederate Statues From Capitol
A bill to remove statues of Confederate leaders and figures who advocated for white supremacy from the Capitol passed the House on a bipartisan vote Wednesday, The New York Times reported. The House voted 305-to-113 to remove the statues as part of a broad effort to take symbols of racism out of public spaces, the Times reported…. -
news
4 Resources to Spark Honest Conversations About Race and Racism
Racial tensions are higher than they have been in decades. Peaceful protests have been overshadowed by violent riots and the destruction of historic statues. Americans are asking: Where do we go from here? And how can we have an honest conversation about racism? These questions deserve careful consideration, and they deserve answers. Here are four resources… -
news
‘Fascist’: What Top Democrats Say About Federal Law Enforcement Help for Their Cities
Democratic mayors and other leaders of some large cities have grown edgier in opposing President Donald Trump’s push to use federal agents to quell violence, using terms such as “resist” and “fascist.” Some elected Democrats in affected cities have vowed to sue and even arrest federal agents as they criticize federal action to protect government… -
opinion
Q&A: Here’s What Is Happening on the Ground in Portland
Rioters have had their way in Portland, Oregon, for two months now, sparking the intervention of federal law enforcement to defend government property. Here are answers to some basic questions about what’s going on there. Why are federal agents in Portland? Rioters and criminals have been attacking federal law enforcement officers and the Mark O…. -
news
62% of Americans Afraid to Express Political Views, Survey Finds
Self-censorship is on the rise, according to a new Cato Institute survey that reports nearly two-thirds of Americans are afraid to share their political views. A new CATO Institute/YouGov national survey found 62% of Americans say the political climate today prevents them from saying what they believe. This is up several points from 2017 when 58% of Americans said… -
opinion
New Jersey’s All-Mail Vote Debacle Is a Warning for November
Even as New Jersey voters look to the general election, many are still coping with the aftermath of the state’s first all-mail vote. Paterson, the Garden State’s third-largest city, is mired in a burgeoning election scandal. One in 5 ballots have been rejected. The local NAACP has cried foul. And now, four men—including a councilman and councilman-elect—have been… -
opinion
America Is Hitting the Self-Destruct Button
On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal released the results of a poll performed in conjunction with NBC News. The poll found that 56% of Americans believe American society is racist. Seventy-one percent believe race relations are either very or fairly bad. Most troubling, 65% of black Americans say that racial discrimination is built into American… -
opinion
How Progressive Policies Wreck Everything
I laughed when I saw The Washington Post headline: “Minneapolis had progressive policies, but its economy still left black families behind.” The media are so clueless. Instead of “but,” the headline should have said, “therefore,” or “so, obviously.” Of course, progressive policies failed. They almost always do. “If you wanted a poster child for the… -
opinion
US Role in Human Rights on World Stage Is Constructive Engagement
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has asked us as Americans to take a look at our role in international human rights engagement; specifically, the connection between our nation’s founding principles and the role of the United States on the international stage. Why should we heed his call? After all, the battle lines are clearly drawn. On… -
opinion
It’s Time to Shut Down Judge Emmet Sullivan’s 3-Ring Circus in Flynn Case
Michael Flynn’s attorney has fired another broadside at Judge Emmet Sullivan, the trial judge presiding over his case. Flynn filed a blistering brief opposing Sullivan’s appeal to the entire D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, in which Sullivan is asking the full court to overturn the mandamus order of a three-judge panel telling him to dismiss… -
opinion
She’s Been on the Ground Covering Portland Protests. Here’s What She’s Seen.
Shelby Talcott, a reporter for The Daily Caller, has been covering protests and riots in the weeks since the death of George Floyd, including in Seattle and Washington, D.C. She most recently has spent time in Portland, which has become extremely violent. She joins The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss what she has seen and… -
opinion
Why This Revolution Isn’t Like the ’60s
In the 1960s and early ’70s, the U.S. was convulsed by massive protests calling for radical changes in the country’s attitudes on race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. The Vietnam War and widespread college deferments were likely the fuel that ignited prior peaceful civil disobedience. Sometimes the demonstrations became violent, as with the Watts riots… -
news
Trump Announces ‘Operation Legend’ to Combat Crime in Cities
When he was 4 months old, LeGend Taliferro of Kansas City survived open heart surgery. On June 29, at just 4 years old, he was shot and killed. His killer hasn’t been found. “Children are supposed to be our future and our 4-year-old son didn’t make it to kindergarten,” his mother, Charron Powell, said in… -
news
8 Acts of Vandalism, Desecration at Churches Across Nation
Churches throughout the United States have become victims of vandalism in recent days. In France, police arrested a 39-year-old Rwandan refugee after a cathedral was set on fire Saturday in the city of Nantes. Similar violence and vandalism in the U.S. follow the May 25 death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. Since…