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
Without These Protections, States Will Tax Small Businesses to Death
Small and midsize online stores are being put out of business one tax bill at a time. The Supreme Court ruled almost two years ago that all 50 states and tens of thousands of local tax jurisdictions are permitted to reach outside their borders and require out-of-state internet retailers to collect and remit local sales… -
opinion
The Quiet Success of Trump’s Politically Appointed Ambassadors in Europe
Article II of the U.S. Constitution states that the executive “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors.” Unlike parliamentary systems where oftentimes civil servants fill the roles of key ambassadorships, (a recent example being the appointment of Karen Pierce as the new British ambassador to the… -
opinion
Liberals’ ‘Medicare for All’ Plans Reject Americans’ Preferences
Democrats are debating among themselves how to massively expand government coverage to all Americans, apparently unaware that a majority of Americans like their current private health care. According to the latest Gallup polling data on health care, 52% of Americans rate the quality of health care overall in America as “excellent” or “good.” When just over half of… -
news
ICE Catches Illegal Alien Accused of Child Rape After His Release by NYC
An illegal alien charged with raping a child was released by New York City authorities because of the city’s sanctuary policies, but federal immigration agents were able to arrest him shortly afterward. Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday arrested Miguel Federico Ajqui-Ajtzalam, 20, an illegal alien from Guatemala, according to a press… -
opinion
Government-Controlled Health Care Won’t Help Us Live Longer
Will government-controlled national health insurance increase Americans’ life expectancy? Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and some of his colleagues in the House of Representatives often claim that “Medicare for All” legislation will improve American longevity and reduce American health care costs. According to a comprehensive 2018 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the… -
opinion
We Don’t Need Divisive Attacks on Legislative Prayer
Opening public meetings with prayer is such a long-standing American tradition that it is puzzling why some continue to seek the demise of the practice based on subjective claims that such prayers are “inappropriate and divisive.” Consider these news reports just since Jan. 26: A newspaper in Venice, Florida, reported that the Venice City Council… -
opinion
Coming Soon Near You: Government-Approved Places to Shoot Drugs
South Philadelphia residents are outraged that a nonprofit called Safehouse had “ambushed” them by announcing, with virtually no warning, that it would open a supervised drug-injection site in their neighborhood this week. One mother, concerned about walking her 6- and 10-year-old children past the injection site every day, called former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, chairman… -
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…