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
Why Welfare Hasn’t Cured Poverty
When President Lyndon Johnson launched his War on Poverty in the 1960s, he pledged to eliminate poverty in America. More than five decades, several welfare programs, and $25 trillion later, the welfare system has utterly failed the poor. The poverty rate remains mostly unchanged, and tens of millions of Americans are dependent on government assistance…. -
news
Prosecutors Treat El Paso Shooting as Domestic Terrorism
Federal prosecutors are treating the shooting in El Paso, Texas, which left 20 dead Saturday, as an act of domestic terrorism and possible hate crime that could carry the death penalty. “We’re also treating it as a domestic terrorism case, and we’re going to do what we do to terrorists in this country, which is… -
news
‘Hispanic Invasion’: Alleged El Paso Shooter’s Manifesto Reads as Call to Arms
The man who police say committed the deadly shooting spree in El Paso, Texas, is believed to have published an anti-immigrant manifesto minutes before the attack. Law enforcement officials said they were confident that an anti-immigrant screed posted online belongs to Patrick Wood Crusius, 21, who they said is responsible for Saturday’s mass shooting at a Walmart in… -
opinion
When Farm Investigators Are Cowed and Gagged
Recording events from public land shouldn’t be a crime. Yet when a woman in Utah, standing by a public road, filmed farmworkers pushing a cow with a bulldozer, the farmer drove up to her and said, “You cannot videotape my property.” Soon the police came and local prosecutors charged her with “agricultural operation interference.” They… -
news
Man Says Teens Beat Him for Wearing MAGA Hat
A New York City man says he was beaten by a group of teenagers in Manhattan for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. Jahangir “John” Turan, an art gallery owner, purchased a MAGA hat Tuesday after visiting Trump Tower, Fox 5 reported. Turan told reporters Thursday that he was attacked by a group of about 15 “kids” on Canal… -
opinion
When My College Art Class Became a Political Ambush
One afternoon during my sophomore year at the University of Virginia, I had to attend a presentation from the college’s residential artist for an art class that I was taking. As I sat down in the auditorium, I listened intently to the artist, hoping to gain some insight into his creativity. Instead, the situation quickly… -
news
Judge Blocks New York From Turning Over Trump Tax Returns to Congress
A federal judge has blocked New York state from turning over President Donald Trump’s tax returns to Congress. The order from U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, came Thursday in agreement to a proposal from the state that would allow it to challenge Nichols’ jurisdiction over the issue, Politico reported. The order will block… -
opinion
EPA’s Reversal on Alaska’s Pebble Mine a Victory for Regulatory Process
For more than a decade, the owners of Alaska’s Pebble Mine just wanted a shot at going through the permitting phase of the project. But before the mine’s owners could even submit a permit application, the federal government in effect said, “Don’t bother.” The Environmental Protection Agency, however, announced last Wednesday its intention to withdraw… -
opinion
What We Lose When We Erase Thomas Jefferson
A college history professor once told me that rarely do we find historical figures that are all evil or all good. Most are a mix. It’s a thought that has stuck with me, one seemingly self-evident and yet easily overlooked in these days of excessive labeling and pigeonholing of everyone. I believe it’s a sentiment… -
opinion
How Cutting the Corporate Tax Rate Is Helping Everyone
You won’t find the global competition to cut taxes reported on the front pages of The New York Times or The Washington Post, but that competition has been happening right under our noses for decades. It’s increasing economic freedom, and persuasively demonstrating its importance and influencing decisions made by individuals and entrepreneurs every waking moment…. -
opinion
This 113-Year-Old Law Is Hurting American Ports
Imagine you had a leaky roof and you found a company that could fix the problem for less money and more efficiently. But the federal government said you couldn’t use them. That’s what’s going on with America’s ports. The Foreign Dredge Act of 1906 prohibits any foreign-built or chartered ships from dredging in the U.S…. -
opinion
If Medicare Is for All, Why Not Chevrolets for All?
America suffers from a grave societal ill that somehow has been totally ignored. As debate rages about health care (among other hot-button issues), no one is discussing a very alarming statistic: As of 2015, nearly 10% of U.S. households didn’t have a car. That’s a severe problem, because affordable transportation is a basic human right,… -
opinion
Osama bin Laden’s Son Is Likely Dead. Here’s What It Means.
Hamza bin Laden, the son and heir of Osama bin Laden, is almost certainly dead. While his demise has not yet been confirmed by al-Qaeda, U.S. officials have felt confident enough to brief media outlets that the younger bin Laden was killed at some point after January 2017. It’s unclear to what extent the U.S…. -
opinion
‘Fixing’ Our Democracy Would Only Make Matters Worse.
During Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate, Pete Buttigieg proposed a raft of supposed “reforms” that have, until recently, been the provenance of fringe groups and politicians such as D.C.’s nonvoting Democratic congresswoman, Eleanor Holmes Norton. The South Bend, Indiana mayor said: When I propose the actual, structural, democratic reforms that might make a difference—end the… -
news
How Faulty Assumptions in Climate Predictions Could Mean Big Costs for Americans
Family incomes will take a severe hit and household electricity prices will jump rapidly if policymakers use the “social cost of carbon” to justify new environmental regulations, a Heritage Foundation statistician warned during a climate change conference in Washington. Since computer climate models are grounded in assumptions about the impact of carbon dioxide emissions, the… -
news
Mario Lopez Vilified for Comments on Parenting, Gender Identity, and Believing Women
Actor and entertainment journalist Mario Lopez suddenly is receiving pushback for an appearance on conservative Candace Owens' podcast where he said he was “blown away” by the trend to let young children pick their own gender. “When you’re a kid … you don’t know anything about sexuality yet. You’re just a kid,” Lopez told Owens on "The… -
opinion
Video of Cocaine Bust at Sea Shows Importance of Coast Guard Funding
A dramatic video depicting the Coast Guard’s seizure of a drug-smuggling semi-submersible vehicle back in June has since gone viral. The operation resulted in the confiscation of more than 16,000 pounds of cocaine after a Coast Guardsman leaped onto the submarine in choppy eastern Pacific Ocean waters. Vice President Mike Pence applauded the success of… -
news
Ocasio-Cortez: Some People ‘Have No Choice but to Riot’
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in an interview that marginalized communities in the U.S. and across the globe “have no choice but to riot” under certain conditions. “I believe that injustice is a threat to the safety of all people, because once you have a group that is marginalized and marginalized and marginalized, then you… -
news
ACLU Blames ‘Inaccurate Stereotypes’ for Opposition to Male Athletes in Girls Sports
The American Civil Liberties Union blames “inaccurate stereotypes” for opposition to biological male athletes competing in female athletics, despite scientific research showing transgender athletes have advantages. The ACLU is leading a petition campaign in support of two male athletes, Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood, who are dominating high school girls track in Connecticut. “While Andraya and…