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
Texas Governor Announces Investigation Into Case of Mom’s Transitioning Child Against Dad’s Wishes
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced an investigation into the case of a 7-year-old boy whose mother plans to transition him to a girl against his father’s wishes. Abbott, a Republican, tweeted that the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is looking into details of James Younger’s case. A judge was expected… -
opinion
The Role of ‘Big Data and Big Brother’
The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right of the people to be “secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures.” But as the digital world advances, corporations—including big tech—and the government know more and more about us than ever before, straining traditional notions of privacy. What do big… -
opinion
Not ‘Junk’: Setting the Record Straight on Short-Term Health Coverage Plans
Several Democrats on a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee at a hearing Wednesday derided short-term health-insurance plans as “junk,” accusing the Trump administration of “sabotaging” the health care system with a rule that expanded people’s ability to purchase these plans. The accusations are without merit. While I was at the National Economic Council, I coordinated… -
opinion
A Man Won Gold in Women’s Cycling (Again). When Will We Say ‘No More’?
For the second year in a row, a biological male has won a women’s cycling championship. Rachel McKinnon, who was born male and identifies as a transgender woman, won the Masters Track Cycling World Championships in the female 35-39 sprint category last weekend in Manchester, England. The 37-year-old Canadian, who transitioned from male to female… -
opinion
Why Faith Is Key to Preserving Our Liberty
Attorney General William Barr gave an extraordinary speech at Notre Dame Law School last week, providing one of the most robust defenses of religious freedom in a generation. His remarks—which echoed the stress that both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have placed on religious freedom—could not have come at a more opportune… -
opinion
LGBT Activists Demand Businesses Cut Ties With Church After Sermon on Transgender Issues
The Crossing Church from Columbia, Missouri, has been in the news recently—and for all the right reasons. Just last month, the church garnered national attention when it helped members of its community pay off unpaid medical bills. Through partnership with RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit organization that helps people pay off outstanding medical debt, church… -
opinion
Our Core Cultural Conflicts
Two recent high-profile speeches by Trump administration officials say much—maybe even all we need to know—about the core cultural conflicts in the country and what will define the upcoming election. One speech, titled “Being a Christian Leader,” was delivered by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the American Association of Christian Counselors in Nashville, Tennessee…. -
opinion
US in Moral Decline
Attorney General William Barr last week told a University of Notre Dame Law School audience that attacks on religious liberty have contributed to a moral decline that’s in part manifested by increases in suicides, mental illness, and drug addiction. Barr said that our moral decline is not random but “organized destruction.” Namely: “Secularists and their… -
opinion
7 Leftist Words in a Dictionary Near You
Consider yourself lucky if you started learning English before last year. With Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s addition of 1,373 new words and 4,000 revisions since 2018, you got in on the ground floor. There’s also some bad news. The new words include several additions and definition changes that politicize language and drive it leftward. Here are seven… -
opinion
Breathe Free: Capitalism Helps Protect the Environment
A recent Rasmussen poll found 20% of voters feel we should eliminate capitalism to protect the environment. That’s like saying we should eliminate teachers to improve education. Truth be told, capitalism has helped cleanse our planet—improving living standards while protecting the environment. Rather than eliminate capitalism, policymakers need to unleash it. Markets incentivize efficiency by… -
news
To Preserve American Exceptionalism, Heritage Foundation Launches Edwin J. Feulner Institute
The Heritage Foundation is creating a research institute with a mission to reach new audiences and to inspire in Americans—especially the young—a renewed faith in American exceptionalism. The goal of the new Edwin J. Feulner Institute, announced Tuesday, will be to “define a compelling vision of American exceptionalism and spread that vision to all Americans,”… -
opinion
Air Canada Hurries the End of Western Civilization
Air Canada announced last week that it will no longer use the phrase “ladies and gentlemen” on board its flights. The policy is part of a “commitment to respect sexual identity, diversity, and inclusion,” the company said in an internal memo. Instead of the gender-specific “ladies and gentlemen” (and “mesdames et messieurs”—all announcements on Air… -
news
‘Nonpartisan’ Rock the Vote Goes After Electoral College, Embraces Other Liberal Talking Points
The nonprofit Rock the Vote is sponsoring a petition bashing the Electoral College and pushing the National Popular Vote Compact, though the organization advertises itself as "nonpartisan." Rock the Vote sponsored the petition, which urges voters to “Fix the broken Electoral College with National Popular Vote,” alongside a slew of other groups, including the liberal… -
news
Grassley Suspects ‘Deep State’ Responsible for Delay in FISA Abuse Report
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, expressed frustration Monday at a monthslong delay in the release of the Justice Department inspector general’s report on possible FBI surveillance abuse against the Trump campaign, questioning whether the “deep state” has somehow slowed the release of the document. “All of the delays and excuses why the Horowitz IG FISA report… -
news
Dictators Wrap ‘Evil Behavior’ in Talk of Human Rights, Pompeo Says
Dictators too often pervert the word “right” for nefarious means, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday morning, as the U.S. prepared to assemble a new commission focused on human rights. “When I came to the State Department, it became very clear to me—I had seen this in my time in Congress too—people throw around… -
opinion
Separation of Powers at Stake in Constitutional Challenge to Consumer Bureau’s Structure
The Supreme Court agreed Oct. 18 to hear a case challenging the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The court will decide whether, by sharply curtailing the president’s ability to remove the head of this executive branch agency, Congress violated the Constitution’s separation of powers. Congress created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2010… -
opinion
The Real Collusion, and the Lessons of the Mueller Investigation
Was there ever a valid reason for the Mueller investigation? What are the lessons for the country about this two-year process and how it unfolded? And what about this new impeachment push? We speak about all this with Andrew McCarthy, author of a new book “Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and… -
opinion
This E-Cigarette Tax Could Be Hazardous to Your Health
Sin taxes of all types have unintended consequences. A new proposal in the House Ways and Means Committee to tax electronic cigarettes could harm the health of Americans—and could even be deadly. The tax will slow the decline in traditional smoking-related health complications as fewer adults switch to smokeless alternatives that research has demonstrated to… -
opinion
Democrats Consider Undermining Administration’s Crackdown on Tax Avoidance
Senate Democrats are trying to chip away at critical elements of the 2017 tax cuts. Included in the 2017 tax cuts is the new $10,000 cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, one of the reform’s signature achievements. The cap advanced the bipartisan goal of treating taxpayers across the income scale more fairly… -
news
Biological Male Wins Women’s Cycling World Championship
Biologically male cyclist Rachel McKinnon won a women’s world championship Saturday. McKinnon, representing Canada, won gold for the sprint event in the women’s 35-39 age category at the 2019 Masters Track Cycling World Championships in Manchester, England. McKinnon set a women’s world record in the qualifying event, the BBC reported. McKinnon, a philosophy professor at the…