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
Trump’s State of the Union Address Affirms Americanism as Nation’s Guiding Ethos
Patriotism was one of the most important themes of President Donald Trump’s third State of the Union address on Tuesday night. It was a night of high emotion and more than a few theatrics that began with Trump refusing to shake House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s hand and ending with Pelosi tearing up a copy of… -
opinion
6 Ways a Union-Backed Bill Will Upend the Job Market
Despite its congenial acronym, a bill the House of Representatives is about to pass would upend the U.S. labor market as we know it. The Protecting the Right to Organize Act—dubbed the PRO Act—comes at a time when the labor market is stronger than it has been in decades. Unemployment is at a 50-year low…. -
news
‘Ripped Our Hearts Out’: SOTU Guest Whose Brother Was Murdered Reacts to Pelosi Ripping Up Speech
A guest at the State of the Union address whose brother was killed by an illegal alien said it was heartbreaking to watch House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rip up President Donald Trump’s speech. Appearing on “Fox and Friends” Wednesday morning, Jody Jones, whose brother was shot and killed by an illegal alien at a California gas… -
news
Pelosi Rips Trump’s State of the Union Address
Immediately after President Donald Trump finished his State of the Union address, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, standing behind him, tore his speech in half while the eyes of the nation watched. In four separate motions Tuesday night as lawmakers applauded the president, Pelosi tore the pages of her copy of the speech in two. “Speaker… -
opinion
Fact-Checking 11 of Trump’s Claims in State of the Union
In a night of high emotion, President Donald Trump used his third State of the Union address to tout the “great American comeback” during his first three years in office. Before the night was over, Trump had staged the surprise reunion of a soldier deployed to Afghanistan with his family and announced a scholarship for… -
news
Guests at State of the Union Showcase Americans Behind Policy Debates
Recent presidents have used the annual State of the Union address to throw a spotlight on Americans who exemplify the nation’s ideals and help illustrate policy priorities. President Donald Trump’s guests Tuesday night for his third State of the Union address included some of those on the front lines of the border security fight and… -
opinion
What You Need to Know About Trump’s Policy Proposals in State of the Union
President Donald Trump delivered his third State of the Union address Tuesday night. The Heritage Foundation’s policy experts weighed in with reaction and analysis. Economy Defense & Foreign Policy Health Care Education Energy Life Law Infrastructure Immigration Economy Tax Cuts Continue to Boost Jobs and Wages Thanks to the 2017 tax cuts and other pro-growth… -
news
‘Learn Their Issues’ to Engage Minorities, Former Mississippi Governor Advises
Conservatives need to make an effort to be in the spaces of blacks and other minorities to grow their numbers and influence in the movement and the Republican Party, a former governor and party chairman argues. “First, try,” Haley Barbour, former Mississippi governor and Republican National Committee chairman, said Tuesday during an event in Washington… -
opinion
‘Bank’rupt Decision Jeopardizes Opportunity for Disadvantaged Children in Florida
Last week, Wells Fargo and Fifth Third Bank announced they no longer would donate to the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, which enables more than 108,000 low-income children and children in foster care to receive scholarships to attend a safe and effective school of choice. The move comes after the Orlando Sentinel published a piece… -
news
Philadelphia Stands by Sanctuary Policy After Releasing Illegal Alien With Excessive Arrest Record
The government of Philadelphia is standing by its continued release of a criminal illegal alien—ignoring requests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold the individual—arguing that it’s complying with federal law. ICE released a scathing press statement on Friday, slamming Philadelphia for releasing from its custody an illegal alien on three separate occasions, ignoring an ICE detainer… -
opinion
Airline Ends Relationship With Chocolatier Over CEO’s Traditional Values
What does Christianity have to do with the quality of chocolate? A lot, according to Swiss Air. The company just announced that it’s cutting ties with Läderach, one of its high-end sweets suppliers, because the owner happens to be a believer. And not just any believer, but a pro-life, pro-marriage evangelical. According to the international… -
opinion
What Part of ‘Sell By’ Expiration Dates Do ERA Backers Not Understand?
Some things in life are confusing or complicated, but an expiration date shouldn’t be one of them. Milk may not be sold after its “sell by” expiration date. You can’t get the deal on that furniture after the sale ends. Even that special at Olive Garden is available “for a limited time only,” even though… -
opinion
Taylor Swift Is Anything but ‘Miss Americana’ in Her New Netflix Doc
On Friday, Taylor Swift released her highly anticipated Netflix documentary “Miss Americana.” As the title suggests, it begins by telling the story of a small-town girl making it big in the world. With never-before-seen moments and video clips from her early days as a charming country music artist, the film opens by reminding us how… -
news
Disputed New York Times ‘1619 Project’ Already Shaping Schoolkids’ Minds on Race
From the moment Fatima Morrell read The New York Times’ 1619 Project last year, the educator embraced the 100-page magazine special issue on slavery and racism as a professional godsend. Morrell, an associate superintendent in the Buffalo, New York, school district, where 80% of the 31,200 students are non-white, was inspired by the project’s reframing of American history that put… -
news
Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
Swedish lawmakers nominated activist Greta Thunberg for a Nobel Peace Prize on Monday, saying the teenager will help save the Paris climate agreement. Thunberg “worked hard to make politicians open their eyes to the climate crisis,” Jens Holm and Hakan Svenneling, both members of Sweden’s Left Party, told the Associated Press. They said they believe… -
opinion
Compelled Speech Is Hitting Close to Home
George Orwell wrote his dystopian novel “1984” more than 70 years ago. In it, he described a totalitarian state in which “Big Brother” created the language “Newspeak” to control the thoughts of its citizens. “1984” is becoming more and more prescient by the day. Earlier this month, The Denver Post fired one of its… -
opinion
The Path Forward for Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) continue to play a critical role in training and advancing the next generation of leaders. Dr. Wayne Frederick, president of Howard University, joins The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss how HBCUs are advancing higher education. He also shares his personal story of a dual career in medicine and academia…. -
news
Ex-NFL Star Says He’s Grateful to Birth Moms of His 2 Adopted Kids
A former NFL star who shunned an invitation to the White House in 2013 to protest President Barack Obama’s embrace of Planned Parenthood says he’s pro-life in part because of the mothers of his two adopted children. In remarks to the National Pro-Life Summit Jan. 25 in Washington, Matt Birk, who played that year for… -
news
A General’s View of Why US Should Stay in Afghanistan
Despite overtures from the Taliban and declining interest among Americans, it is essential that the United States remain in Afghanistan, retired Army Gen. Jack Keane said this week at a Heritage Foundation event. Over the past 18 years, Keane said, the U.S. has made tremendous progress at preventing another attack on the U.S. from al-Qaeda… -
news
Coming Soon: Emoji Depicting Gender-Neutral Santa, Transgender Flag
A variety of transgender-inclusive emoji will be added to platforms such as Apple and Android this year, including an emoji of a gender-neutral Santa Claus, the Unicode Consortium has announced. The new emoji come as part of the Unicode Consortium’s addition of 117 new emoji for 2020, including a polar bear, bubble tea, a hug, a…