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
Gillette’s Toxic Sanctimony
One of the world’s most successful brands committed ideological hara-kiri this week. Recognized around the world as a symbol of manly civility for more than a century, Gillette will now be remembered as the company that did itself in by sacrificing a massive consumer base at the altar of progressivism. To which I say: R.I.P.-C…. -
opinion
New Study Dispels Misconceptions About ‘Motherhood Penalty’ and ‘Fatherhood Premium’
When a couple has a child, the woman’s earnings tend to decrease, while the man’s increases. This is known as the "motherhood penalty” and “fatherhood premium.” Economists have pegged the resulting gap at about 20 percent of earnings over the long run, due to changes in labor force participation, hours of work, and wage rates…. -
opinion
Dear Gillette: Ads About ‘Toxic Masculinity’ Won’t Get Men to Buy Your Blades, or Be Better Men
For some reason, one of the world’s largest razor companies decided to air a commercial chastising “toxic masculinity.” Gillette’s commercial, which debuted on Sunday, begins with the flimsy premise that traditional masculine culture promotes unrestrained violence and sexual urges, while other men condone it by shrugging and saying, “Boys will be boys.” The commercial’s solution… -
news
7 Big Takeaways From William Barr’s AG Confirmation Hearing
William Barr told the Senate Judiciary Committee he wouldn’t be intimidated by anyone, including President Donald Trump, who nominated him to serve as attorney general. “I am not going to do anything that I think is wrong, and I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong. By anybody. Whether it be… -
opinion
The Left, the Wall, and the Truth
Democrats and others on the left offer three reasons for their opposition to building a wall on America’s southern border. A wall is ineffective. A wall is too expensive. A wall is immoral. Each one is false, so false as to constitute lies. So, the only question is: Do Democrats and others on the left… -
news
EPA’s Andrew Wheeler to Face Tough Confirmation Hearing
Environmental Protection Agency acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the agency, is preparing for what could be the toughest congressional hearing of his life Wednesday. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold Wheeler’s confirmation hearing as Democrats and environmentalists push for a delay. Committee Democrats tried to derail Wheeler’s hearing… -
opinion
Memo to Liberals: Higher Taxes Have Already Been Tried
When you receive your paycheck and look at the withholding for federal, state, and sometimes city taxes, along with Social Security and Medicare, you probably don’t think you’re underpaying governments and want them to take more. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio believes that if you have played by what used to be called… -
opinion
Podcast: Reaching Minority Students
In our abbreviated episode today due to the snowstorm that hit the Washington, D.C., area, we feature an interview with C.J. Sailor of the Gloucester Institute, a nonprofit that works to engage minority students on campus.’ The Daily Signal podcast is available on Ricochet, iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play, or Stitcher. All of our podcasts can be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts. If you… -
opinion
Cohen’s History of Falsehoods Makes His Upcoming Congressional Testimony Worthless
Update: Michael Cohen’s testimony before the House Oversight Committee is now scheduled for Feb. 27. Before he begins a three-year prison sentence for lying to the Internal Revenue Service about the taxes he owed, lying to financial institutions, and lying to Congress, Michael Cohen—President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney—is scheduled to testify about Trump at… -
opinion
Pompeo in Cairo: ‘The Age of Self-Inflicted American Shame Is Over’
It’s a new day in American foreign policy. On Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a forceful speech in Cairo, Egypt, in which he stated that the Trump administration had learned from the mistakes of the Obama administration and has reasserted the traditional U.S. role as a “force for good” in the Middle East… -
opinion
Equal Rights Amendment Advances Pro-Choice Agenda in Virginia
The deadline for ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment passed back in 1982. But that hasn’t deterred its latest crop of activists. Down in Virginia, a tag-team of liberal extremists and feminists are joining forces to bring the famous piece of ’70s propaganda back from the grave. And this time, they’re making it quite clear that… -
news
Democrats’ New House Rules Stifle Conservatives, Critics Say
Conservatives say Democrats’ new rules, pushed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will stifle conservative lawmakers. “House Democrats are using parliamentary rules to consolidate power in Speaker Pelosi’s hands, push forward a liberal agenda, and deny conservatives an equal voice in what is supposed to be a legislative body that represents all Americans,” Jessica Anderson, vice… -
opinion
No, the Electoral College Is Not a ‘Shadow of Slavery’s Power’
“There you go again,” Ronald Reagan famously joked in 1980 when President Jimmy Carter painted an inaccurate picture of one of his policies. Perhaps he’d say the same of those who are distorting the history of the Electoral College today. New York’s newest congresswoman, Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has been quick to jump onto this bandwagon,… -
news
21 Policy Groups Back Lawsuit to End Forced Union Representation
In what could be the largest labor-related case since Janus v. AFSCME, policy groups from around the country are expressing support for a lawsuit that would prohibit forced representation from public-sector unions. The lawsuit, litigated by the Ohio-based, free-market Buckeye Institute, received support from 21 different policy groups who filed a joint amicus brief with the… -
news
Sen. Steve Daines Introduces Bill Withholding Pay From Congressmen During Government Shutdowns, Others Join
Republican Montana Sen. Steve Daines introduced a bill on the Senate floor Thursday that would withhold the pay of members of Congress during future government shutdowns. Daines’ introduction of the bill, sponsored by Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn, comes hours after Daines announced he sent a letter requesting the secretary of the U.S. Senate withhold… -
opinion
Podcast: House Conservatives Weigh in on the Wall, Shutdown, and National Emergencies
Does President Donald Trump have the authority to declare the situation at the border a national emergency? What should happen at the border? Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Mark Green of Tennessee, and Chip Roy of Texas join to share their views. We also cover these stories: Trump again suggested he might declare a “national… -
opinion
These 2 Democrats Are Finally Standing Up to Anti-Christian Bigotry in Their Party
Democrats pride themselves on “diversity.” With the new Congress, they’ve hailed two new Muslim House members, made accomodations for religious headwear on the House floor, and celebrated record numbers of minorities in their freshman class. This penchant for diversity makes their growing blind spot all the more glaring. That blind spot is anti-Christian bigotry, seen… -
opinion
CNN Accidentally Proves Why Walls and Fences Work
In the span of less than 24 hours, CNN inadvertently helped President Donald Trump make his case for funds to build a new barrier at the southern border not once, but twice. On Thursday, the network’s chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, posted a video showing viewers how an already-walled section of the border is… -
opinion
US Must Take Action on Venezuela’s Humanitarian Crisis as Maduro ‘Wins’ Second Term
On Thursday, Nicolas Maduro will be sworn in for his second term as Venezuela’s president, but the election was anything but free and fair. Opposition politicians were imprisoned and/or barred from running. Meanwhile, his socialist party cronies controlled the entire electoral system. Far from democracy, this is a criminal syndicate of government kleptocrats in action. And 20… -
opinion
Media Misses: Peddling a ‘Manufactured Crisis’ Narrative
The mainstream media has done it again. If you watched President Donald Trump’s Oval Office address to the nation, you might be wondering: “Is there a crisis at the southern border?” But if you tuned into the news media’s coverage, you were led to believe that it’s a “manufactured crisis.” First, networks debated whether to…