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
Army Modernization Is Better Late Than Never
The U.S. Army is the world’s premier land force. Its primary role is to defeat enemy forces through conventional warfare, but it can perform an ever-widening range of functions. But these additional capabilities require steady investment and recruitment to be effective. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army engaged in thousands of operations and had to… -
opinion
‘Save Our States’ Is Fighting to Keep the Electoral College Alive
In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote—and lost the election. Cue a renewed interest from the left in demolishing the Electoral College. Now 15 states and the District of Columbia have joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Trent England, director of Save Our States, joins the podcast to discuss what his group is… -
opinion
I Grew Up in West Germany. Here’s How Different Life Was in the East.
On this day 30 years ago, the wall confining East Germans to state surveillance, centralized control, and economic deprivation gave way to freedom. The Berlin Wall offered us a natural experiment—one that showed which political system best enables people to thrive and flourish. East and West Berlin gave us a tale of two cities, made up of similar people… -
news
San Francisco’s New DA: Public Urination ‘Will Not Be Prosecuted’
San Francisco’s pee problem could soon get worse. Chesa Boudin, the urine-and-feces-plagued city’s incoming district attorney, pledged during the campaign not to prosecute public urination and other quality-of-life crimes if elected. Boudin declared victory Saturday night after results showed him winning a plurality of votes in the DA race. “We will not prosecute cases involving… -
opinion
The Day US Troops Saved Me and My Friends From Terror
A hail of bullets rained down from the skies overhead, hitting the ground in front of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The rapid-fire artillery sounds filled my ears as I stood still underneath the small embassy awning. Naively, I didn’t know that bullets fired into the air could travel up to a mile high…. -
news
‘Popular Vote’ Movement Would Shift Power to Big Cities, Experts Warn
The Electoral College is under threat from states looking to enact legislation that ignores local voters in favor of national election results, experts said during a panel Thursday at The Heritage Foundation. Responding to a wave of 15 states that have joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact since the 2016 election, they argued that… -
opinion
Justices Should Reject Criminal Alien’s Appeal of Deportation Order
The Supreme Court on Nov. 4 heard oral arguments in an immigration case that could have a dramatic impact on how many criminal aliens plaguing our communities finally get deported. The case, Barton v. Barr, is complicated, in large part because the statutes involved are vague and subject to various interpretations. That prompted Justice Stephen… -
opinion
6 Things Every American Should Know About Congress’ Bailout for Select Coal Miners’ Pensions
Americans lose when Congress is in the business of picking winners and losers. Just this week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell signed onto a bill, the Bipartisan American Miners Act of 2019, that would bail out one multiemployer, or union pension plan. This Senate bill is similar to the combination of two bills in the… -
opinion
ABC Keeps Covering for Jeffrey Epstein
This week, James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas, a group that has often infiltrated news organizations to uncover liberal bias, released an explosive “hot mic” video of “Good Morning America” co-host Amy Robach venting about ABC’s decision to spike a story about late serial sex predator Jeffrey Epstein’s nefarious activities three years ago. “I had this interview… -
opinion
Lettuce Pray: Climate Change, Neo-Paganism, and the End of the World
The climate change movement has become the “modern world’s secular religion,” declared Wall Street Journal columnist Gerard Baker recently. Climate activists preach a gospel of conservation that aims to redeem humanity’s environmental sins. They counsel us to abstain from eating meat to reduce our “carbon footprint,” and prophesy that Earth will perish unless governments worldwide trust the oracle from whom we… -
news
At the White House, Victims of Communism Share Stories About Finding Freedom in America
Before defecting to the United States, Grace Jo and her mother tried to escape from North Korea to another communist country, China. But Chinese authorities sent them back to the nation where Jo’s brothers had been starved to death and her father had been killed by the regime in Pyongyang. “When I witnessed that, I… -
news
Antifa’s Ultimate Goal Is Communism, Journalist Attacked by Adherents Says
The Portland, Oregon-based journalist who was beaten last summer by Antifa extremists says the violent leftist group’s ultimate goal is to establish a communist state. “Antifa is a far-left ideology and movement which brings together radical communists and anarchists seeking a revolution that would result in communism,” Andy Ngo said Thursday in an appearance at… -
opinion
The Black Regiment That Began an American Tradition
Shakespeare penned the iconic line, “Cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war.” If that war is on history, it seems there’s a lot of folks crying, “Havoc!” As demands increase for the destruction of monuments honoring our Founders, and content like The New York Times’ 1619 Project emerges, one thing is clear—our history… -
opinion
The Importance of ‘No-Men’
Shortly after Jim Bakker’s release from prison in July 1994, I invited the disgraced TV evangelist to my home. There was an important question I wanted to ask him. Some background: Bakker and his “Praise the Lord” associates sold $1,000 “lifetime memberships” to people who were promised annual three-night stays at his Heritage USA luxury… -
opinion
The Left Doesn’t Really Believe ‘No One Is Above the Law’
There is a two-tiered system of justice in America, and it isn’t necessarily defined by rich versus poor, or on racial grounds. Rather, if you’re a Democrat favorite of the deep-state bureaucrats, you will be treated favorably. If you’re a Republican who supports President Donald Trump, or if you’re Trump himself, you will be routed… -
opinion
We Need Steady Leadership, Not Fire-Starters, to Guide a Divided Nation
The current state of American politics is eerily reminiscent of the wildfires that recently engulfed the state of California. The conditions are right, the tinder is dry, the crosswinds are high, and the landscape is ripe for conflagration. This is why it’s incumbent upon our political leadership to refrain from lighting a match at this… -
opinion
Why Peace Through Strength Ensures Our Safety at Home
The America that we cherish and hope to pass on to the next generation depends on the promise that we have a military strong enough to protect it and everything it stands for. Without that kind of military might to defend us from our enemies and to deter potential adversaries, everything that America is and… -
opinion
Pension Bailouts Could Raise the National Debt by $7 Trillion
On Oct. 31, the national debt hit $23 trillion. That’s equivalent to a credit card bill of $178,000 for every household in America. This marks an enormous increase. Even after adjusting for inflation, it’s a jump of $60,000 over just 10 years for the average household. In other words, even after accounting for inflation, the… -
opinion
Laws Like This Play a Terrible Trick on Children
Halloween is the spookiest night of the year, when millions of monsters and supernatural creatures of the night (often accompanied by their parents) stalk peaceful communities and extort candy from good people under threats of mischief. These rambunctious ghouls and goblins are only looking for fun, sweets, and a bit of playful fright. But there… -
opinion
EPA Is Right to Give States More Control Over Coal Ash Regulation
With a set of four new rules, the Environmental Protection Agency is improving regulations for the management of coal combustion residuals, better known as “coal ash.” Coal ash is commonly recycled to make cement, drywall, asphalt, and bricks. It’s processed to make plastics lighter and stronger and as filler in wood products. Coal ash has…