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
I’m Black and I Think US Flag Stands for Freedom, Not Racism
A new Gallup poll shines a spotlight on the deep political divide in America and surely points to what the upcoming presidential election will be about. Gallup asked, “How proud are you to be an American?” Seventy-six percent of Republicans said “extremely proud,” compared with 22% of Democrats. Broken down by age, 63% of those… -
opinion
This Gay Dad Lost Custody of His Own Kids. His Case Matters for All Children.
Last month, I submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court on behalf of twin 9-year-olds who had been separated from their dad, Frank. Frank is gay. He lived in New York with his partner, Joseph, for four years. During that time, Frank had twin children conceived through in vitro fertilization, and Joseph’s sister carried… -
opinion
This Christian Student Group Was Discriminated Against. It Could Soon Be Vindicated.
A Christian student group at Wayne State University will ask a federal court on Wednesday to require public universities to treat religious student groups equally to other campus groups. This particular case, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship v. Wayne State University, demonstrates the many ways progressives twist the concept of discrimination to serve their own purposes. In… -
news
Labor Secretary Feeling Heat as He Defends Plea Deal in 2008 Epstein Prosecution
Amid Democratic congressional leaders demanding his ouster, and a leading Senate Republican suggesting the need for hearings, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta addressed the plea agreement he made as a federal prosecutor in 2008 with billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump called Acosta a “great” labor secretary, but said his administration will “look… -
news
Organizations for Journalists Largely Quiet on Andy Ngo Attack
Multiple organizations that aim to protect freedom of the press and journalists have not released statements on the Andy Ngo attack in Portland, Oregon, more than a week ago. The Voice of America, Committee to Protect Journalists, and The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press have yet to publish press statements or articles on… -
news
California Implements Extreme New Sex Ed Curriculum
The California Board of Education implemented progressive sex and gender education curriculum in public schools across the state, regardless, in some cases, of parental knowledge or consent. Progressive groups, including Planned Parenthood, collaborated on AB-329 in 2016 and the recently introduced Health Education Framework in May as highlighted by a video created by the conservative group Our Watch. Both these… -
news
Ross Perot Dead at 89
Texas billionaire and two-time independent presidential candidate Ross Perot died Tuesday at 89 after a five-month battle with leukemia. Perot is probably best known for his presidential runs in 1992 and 1996, reported the The Dallas Morning News. Perot garnered 19% of the popular vote but no Electoral College votes in 1992 and was viewed… -
opinion
7th Circuit Court Reminds Purdue, Other Colleges That Due Process Matters
We forget things all the time—where we put our keys, whether we turned the oven off, anniversaries, our due process rights. You know, little things. Due process rights were important 200-plus years ago, when the Framers drafted the Constitution and were worried about the unlimited power of England’s Star Chamber. That court did whatever it… -
opinion
Podcast: Her Think Tank Helped Forge the Texas Miracle
In the last 15 years, Texas has led the way among red states showing how small government is the path to prosperity. But the Texas economic miracle can’t be told without mentioning the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the leading conservative think tank in the Lone Star State. Brooke Rollins built that foundation up to become… -
opinion
Uzbekistan Is Making Healthy Strides Toward Good Governance
While some countries like Venezuela remain stuck with socialism, others are quietly transitioning from repression to openness. Uzbekistan is one of those countries. Though it still has a very long way to go, it is now transitioning from a command-and-control economy to a market-based economy, propelled by a wide range of reforms. To be clear,… -
news
Pompeo Taps Panel to Promote US-Style ‘Unalienable Rights’ Globally
The State Department is rolling out a new Commission on Unalienable Rights to focus on human rights worldwide from the perspective of the nation’s founding. The commission’s focus on natural rights comes in response to what the State Department says are some of the world’s most repressive regimes hijacking the term “human rights” while infringing… -
opinion
Antifa Is Dangerous and It’s Time for the Feds to Step In
Enough is enough. The U.S. Justice Department needs to immediately open a criminal civil rights investigation of Antifa, an affiliation of radical activists and left-wing groups whose name, ironically enough, is short for “anti-fascists.” Its attack on journalist Andy Ngo was beyond the pale. Federal law enforcement has an obligation to stop any extremist organization that is… -
opinion
We Fought the Transgender Activists, and Lost. Here Are 5 Lessons for Every Parent.
Our defeat was all but inevitable, yet the transgender activists still showed up in matching shirts and waved multicolored flags. Their speakers outnumbered ours 4 to 1, but they still hissed and muttered ugly names at our side while we spoke. We had gathered for the Arlington County School Board’s meeting on June 18. For… -
opinion
Big Government Is Not the Answer to Climate Change
In the 1970s, Americans were told we were in a global cooling crisis and if something wasn’t done, we’d enter a new ice age. When that didn’t happen, a few decades later we were told that entire nations could be wiped off the face of the Earth by rising sea levels if the global warming… -
opinion
Podcast: A July Fourth Show Like No Other
Thanks for joining us this Independence Day! We hope you’re enjoying the barbecue and fireworks. President Donald Trump has said the fireworks display in D.C. will be “the show of a lifetime,” but of course, it hasn’t come without controversy. Some have knocked the idea of a “military parade.” Today we’ll consider what kind of… -
opinion
The Most Problematic Women in American History
On a special Independence Day edition of “Problematic Women,” we team up with Jarrett Stepman and Fred Lucas, co-hosts of The Daily Signal’s “Right Side of History” podcast, to discuss some of the most problematic women throughout American history. We begin by honoring the legacy of Betsy Ross after Nike pulled its latest USA-themed sneaker… -
opinion
What Those Decrying America’s ‘Endless Wars’ Are Really Talking About
From the presidential candidate debate stage to new think tanks, voices from both left and right are demanding an end to America’s endless wars. Only one problem: We’re not fighting any endless wars. No matter. The endless-war warriors want us to do less on the world stage. Even in this age of great power competition, these “new” isolationists would… -
opinion
A Nation Worth Lauding
This week, as Americans commemorate Independence Day and the creation of the most free, most prosperous nation on earth, we will inevitably hear from those who say there’s no reason to celebrate a country where not everyone gained their freedom or their equality in 1776. They will say that a nation stained with the evil of slavery,… -
opinion
Debate Over July Fourth DC Festivities Shows How Out of Touch Elites Are
With the upcoming White House-sponsored ceremony honoring the U.S. military on the National Mall, this Independence Day will look a little different in Washington, D.C. A quick scan of headlines, opinion columns, and social media shows this is apparently quite upsetting to many in the political class. But to borrow the oft-used social media exclamation,… -
opinion
‘Real America’ Inside the Beltway
WASHINGTON—It is often said our nation’s capital is filled with wealthy college-educated elites operating in a company town where everything is transactional. They are a clubby set of folks who can “fail up” in their profession and rarely interact meaningfully with anyone who isn’t part of their peerage. They have lost touch with whomever they…