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
‘Prosper Africa’ Promises Long-Overdue Change in US Approach to Continent
American policymakers have long talked about reorienting U.S. policy toward Africa to “trade, not aid.” Yet, despite the rhetoric, the U.S.’ Africa policy has remained stuck in an aid-focused rut for decades. However, there was another encouraging sign last week that the Trump administration is serious about changing that. In remarks at a Corporate Council… -
opinion
Sorry, Media, Talking to Foreigners Does Not Violate Federal Campaign Laws
It was a hypothetical question about getting information on a political opponent from a foreign national. Yet President Donald Trump’s response sparked a furor—one that was long on accusations and short on the actual law governing federal campaigns. Here’s the bottom line: A federal candidate who is freely given information is not receiving a “contribution”… -
opinion
LGBT Activists Could Be to Blame for Falling LGBT Acceptance
In a recent hit single, “You Need to Calm Down,” Taylor Swift mocks people who stand firm in their beliefs about sexuality, asking that they stop their bigotry and “calm down.” The music video, which went viral, depicts conservatives as ignorant hicks who reject gays and are driven by animus. They are ugly, dated, and… -
opinion
As Tensions Between Iran and US Rise, What You Need to Know
Today Daniel Davis sits down with The Heritage Foundation’s Jim Phillips, an expert in Middle Eastern affairs, to discuss what’s going on with Iran. Is war on the horizon? Why is Iran suddenly so aggressive? And what’s driving the conflict? Read the interview, posted below, or listen on the podcast: We also cover these stories:… -
news
Freshman Congressman Receives High Praise for Accountability Amid Border Crisis
A memo released late last week by the Conservative Action Project recognizes freshman Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and “other House conservatives” for holding all House members accountable for their voting record and pressuring members to address the border crisis. “During efforts to consider spending bills that collectively total over a trillion dollars, Rep. Roy rejected… -
opinion
The Urgent Need for Disaster Relief Reform
Since the passage of the Budget Control Act, disaster and emergency spending has nearly doubled compared to the five years prior to the law’s enactment. Earlier this month, Congress and President Donald Trump agreed to a massive disaster relief package, adding $19.1 billion to the national debt. Classified as “emergency” spending, much of the funding… -
opinion
Why the Housing Lobby’s Average Prime Offer Rate Solution is Deeply Flawed
One of Congress’ main responses to the 2008 mortgage crisis was Title XIV of the Dodd-Frank Act, a section known as the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act. This title was based on the narrative that a primary cause of the crisis was creditors knowingly steering customers into high-risk mortgages. Thus, Title XIV purported to… -
opinion
The US Can Afford to Stay Calm With Iran
President Donald Trump recently ordered and then called off a retaliatory strike against Iran for destroying a U.S. surveillance drone. The U.S. asserts that the drone was operating in international space. Iran claims it was in Iranian airspace. Anti-war critics of Trump’s Jacksonian rhetoric turned on a dime to blast him as a weak, vacillating… -
news
Twitter Lays Groundwork for Potentially Down-Ranking Some of Trump’s Tweets
Twitter announced Thursday the company will begin labeling and down-ranking politicians’ most vitriolic tweets, a move that could affect how President Donald Trump promotes his message. The new label applies to all verified political candidates and officials with more than 100,000 followers, Twitter noted in a blog post. Users who want to view flagged content… -
opinion
Why Iran’s Aggression Won’t Succeed
President Donald Trump’s new round of sanctions against Iran is the latest salvo in a wide-ranging effort to pressure the regime in Tehran. The goal is to halt Iran’s exportation of terror and subversion and force Iran to accept tighter restrictions on its nuclear program. The sanctions announced Monday add to an already extensive set… -
opinion
Syrian Refugee Planned to Attack a Pittsburgh Church
Authorities last week arrested Mustafa Alowemer, a Syrian refugee who was planning a terrorist attack against a church in Pittsburgh in accord with his allegiance to ISIS. Thankfully, the FBI had been monitoring his behavior for months and was able to arrest him before the public was put in any danger. This plot is the… -
opinion
Podcast: Rep. Paul Gosar, a Dentist-Turned-Lawmaker, Discusses True Health Care Reform
Health care reform isn’t moving in Congress, but for Americans overall, it still registers as a top issue. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., a former dentist whose time in the practice has given him unique insights into health care reform, joins the podcast to discuss. Plus: A U.S. soccer player won’t visit the White House, and… -
opinion
Problematic Women: Fox News Host Shannon Bream on ‘Finding the Bright Side’
Shannon Bream, host of “Fox News @ Night” and author of the new book “Finding the Bright Side: The Art of Chasing What Matters,” joins us to talk about her time at Fox News. Bream discusses Roger Ailes’ sexual harassment scandal, her decision not to have children, her experience with chronic pain, and whether or… -
news
GoFundMe Removes Rugby Star’s Donation Page After He’s Fired for His LGBT Views
When Australian rugby star Israel Folau’s team contract was terminated after he voiced the principles of his Christian faith, he turned to GoFundMe Australia to crowdsource funds for his legal action against Rugby Australia. Three days later, the popular fundraising platform took down his page with plans to refund all donors. “As a company, we… -
opinion
Freedom From Consequences Isn’t Freedom
On Monday, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., desperate to revive his flagging campaign, proposed a far-reaching plan to wipe out all student debt. That plan falls hard on plans by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., his chief far-left rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, to make college “free” moving forward. Sanders’ justification for allocating over $1 trillion… -
opinion
It’s Time to Empower Police to Stop Drone Threats
State and local law enforcement agencies urgently need the tools and legal authority to identify and stop reckless or malicious drones that endanger the public. That was the message delivered to Congress last week during a hearing on the challenges of drone security—and it cannot come soon enough. Unmanned aircraft systems, commonly referred to as… -
opinion
Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Ideological Attacks on 2 Christian Pastors
Congressional hearings are a fixture in Washington and are supposedly a tool for investigation by the nation’s lawmaking body. Unfortunately, too often when Democrats are in charge, it’s not the case. Rather than hearings being a means for seeking facts and information, they become just a platform for politicking by members of the majority party… -
opinion
Forget Reparations. Money Won’t Solve Black Community’s Problems.
Several Democratic presidential hopefuls are calling for Americans to make reparations for slavery. On June 19, the House Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution, civil rights, and civil liberties held a hearing. Its stated purpose was “to examine, through open and constructive discourse, the legacy of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, its continuing impact on the community… -
opinion
4 Years On, ‘Marriage Equality’ Slogan Still Doesn’t Add Up
Most everyone in America was and is in favor of marriage equality. Most everyone was and is in favor of marriage equality because most everyone wants the law to treat all marriages equally. The debate in the United States in the decade and a half before Obergefell v. Hodges wasn’t about equality. It was about… -
news
Mentally Disabled Woman Will No Longer Be Forced to Abort Her Child, After Court Reverses Ruling
An appeals court in the United Kingdom has overturned a previous ruling from a British court that ordered that a pregnant developmentally disabled woman have an abortion contrary to her own wishes and and her mother’s. Justice Nathalie Lieven of England’s Court of Protection ruled that the woman must have a an abortion Friday. Lieven…