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
Pastor Rebukes ‘SNL’ Comic for Calling Trump’s White House Guests ‘House Negroes’
A black pastor condemned a "Saturday Night Live" comedian’s sketch about President Donald Trump and black leaders as “racist commentary disguised as humor.” Pastor Marc Little spoke out after "SNL" cast member Chris Redd mocked a group of black leaders who visited the White House Feb. 27 and prayed over Trump. The group included former… -
news
Governor Signs ‘Born Alive’ Bill Into Law in West Virginia
The governor of West Virginia signed a bill into law that protects babies born alive in botched abortions and penalizes doctors for allowing these babies to die. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, on Monday signed House Bill 4007 into law to require medical practitioners to use “the same degree of reasonable medical judgment… -
opinion
Reassessing Stop, Question, and Frisk
Before former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg threw his hat into the 2020 presidential race, he defended the New York Police Department’s use of “stop, question, and frisk” policing. At the U.S. Naval Academy’s 2019 Leadership Conference, Bloomberg said: “We focused on keeping kids from going through the correctional system … kids who walked… -
news
4 Keys to Understanding History of Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday is typically the closest thing to a national primary election in the United States. It got the “super” name with as many as 24 state contests and as few as three in a single day. On March 3 this year, it falls somewhere in between as 14 states and American Samoa hold presidential… -
news
8 From Gen Z Share Why They Went to the Nation’s Biggest Annual Conservative Gathering
Why do young people flock to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference just outside the nation’s capital? Here’s what eight young Americans in Generation Z told The Daily Signal during this year’s CPAC, held Thursday through Saturday in National Harbor, Maryland. Kate Farmer, 18, and Virginia Warren, 16 Hometown: Richmond, Virginia School: Maggie Walker Governor’s… -
opinion
EPA Needs to Finalize Rule Rejecting Past Regulatory Abuses
When the Environmental Protection Agency issues a regulation, the rule should do more good than harm. That hasn’t always been obvious to the EPA, and to some, it still isn’t obvious. In 2012, the Obama administration finalized the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (the “MATS” rule), allegedly to reduce emissions of mercury and other… -
news
Illegal Alien Released in Chicago Charged With Sexually Abusing 3-Year-Old
An illegal alien accused of sexually abusing a 3-year-old child would have been in federal custody had the Chicago Police Department honored an immigration detainer on him last year and not released him back into the community. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, lodged an immigration detainer with Chicago police for Christopher Puente, 34,… -
news
Appeals Court Rules Against House Democrats in Fight for Don McGahn’s Testimony
A federal appeals court dealt House Democrats a heavy blow on Friday, ruling in favor of President Donald Trump in his efforts to prevent former White House counsel Don McGahn from complying with a congressional subpoena for his testimony. In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned a lower… -
news
Mark Levin Aims Sharp Words at the American Left
Radio and TV host Mark Levin had typically strong words Saturday for the American left and its embrace of socialism during his segment at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington. The popular conservative author and commentator took the CPAC stage hours before President Donald Trump’s scheduled remarks for an informal conversation with his wife,… -
news
White House Talks Up Economic, Environmental Renewal to Replace Blight
Entrepreneurs have been unleashed inside blighted communities to bring economic opportunity where it is needed most, thanks to President Donald Trump’s deregulation and revitalization initiatives, administration officials said Friday. Scott Turner, executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, discussed such progress with Andrew Wheeler, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, during a… -
news
House Democrats Block Resolution Condemning Bernie Sanders’ Praise of Fidel Castro
Democratic lawmakers Thursday successfully blocked a GOP resolution condemning Sen. Bernie Sanders’ laudatory comments about the Castro regime. By a vote of 224-189 that fell along party lines, the House of Representatives voted to block Republicans' resolution, which not only condemned numerous human rights abuses that took place under the Castro regime, but recent instances… -
news
2 Cabinet Secretaries Tout Jobs, Wage Hikes Spurred by Deregulation
Two Cabinet secretaries promoted President Donald Trump’s deregulatory agenda and innovation Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference, saying lower-wage workers are earning more. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia cited Trump’s reference to a “blue collar boom” during his State of the Union address early this month. “Wages are rising and they are rising more quickly… -
opinion
A Whole Lot of Problematic Women in 1 Place
We’re at the Conservative Political Action Conference, known as CPAC, and we’ve got the rundown on everything you need to know from the first day on. We also have an exclusive interview with a major problematic woman: Mallory Quigley, vice president of communications for the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List. Plus: Our intern talks feminism… -
news
How Sens. Ernst, Blackburn Met Poverty, Tyranny Outside America
A pair of female Republican senators shared eye-opening, firsthand encounters with authoritarianism and socialism in their travels abroad—including grinding poverty and lack of freedom—for an appreciative audience Thursday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. The theme of this year’s gathering of conservative activists is “America vs. Socialism,” which many of the speakers—including Sens. Joni… -
opinion
What Bernie Sanders Isn’t Telling You About Canadian Health Care
All Americans, regardless of political party, want access to timely, high-quality health care. The question is how to get there. Do we harness the power and innovation of the private sector, or do we hand it to the government and hope for the best? Canada has chosen the latter route, and at one of the… -
opinion
HBO Comedian’s Ill-Informed Support of ‘Medicare for All’ Is No Laughing Matter
John Oliver, on a recent edition of his HBO show “Last Week Tonight,” gave me an unexpected cameo appearance, courtesy of an old Fox News Channel clip. In the clip, I commented on the defects of “Medicare for All,” the big proposal for total government control over American health care. The majority of House Democrats… -
opinion
Out of Africa Not for US
Defense Secretary Mark Esper drew fire from Congress and elsewhere when it was reported that the Pentagon was downsizing its commitments to Africa. It would indeed be wrong-headed for the U.S. to walk away from the continent. But Esper’s actions reflect a sad reality: The U.S. footprint in Africa isn’t right. The problem is, Esper… -
opinion
Union Boss’ Quid Pro Quo Threat to Lawmakers Reveals a Cause of Unions’ Decline
Before the House approved a sweeping union-boss wish list that attempts to send workers back into the 20th century, AFL-CIO union leader Richard Trumka warned lawmakers that “Those who would oppose, delay, or derail this legislation, do not ask us—do not ask the labor movement—for a dollar or a door knock. We won’t be coming.”… -
opinion
How the 1960s and the ‘Great Society’ Are Still Shaping America Today
“When you compare the two progressive impulses of our past, the 1930s New Deal, 1960s Great Society, which costs us more? … People think New Deal was so socialist, but Great Society costs us more,” says Amity Shlaes, author of the new book, “Great Society: A New History.” “Why does it matter? Because even a… -
opinion
My Family Came From Cuba. Sanders Should Educate Himself on Cuban Suffering.
In a “60 Minutes” segment that aired Feb. 23, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., once again praised the supposed achievements of the Castro family’s communist rule over Cuba since 1959. His remarks were ill-informed, as I can attest. “We’re very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba but you know, it’s unfair to simply say everything is bad. You…