Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
-
news
Here Are 6 Republican Women to Watch in 2019
2018 was a year with plenty of firsts for Republican women—Marsha Blackburn became the first woman to represent Tennessee in the Senate, Kristi Noem was elected South Dakota’s first female governor, and the list goes on. Republican women will be carrying that momentum into 2019. Here are six GOP women to watch in the coming… -
news
New York Rings in New Year by Offering Gender-Neutral Birth Certificates
New York City residents may now change their birth certificates to reflect a neutral gender identity after an October bill took effect after the new year. The New York City Council first passed the bill in September allowing any adult living in the city to change his or her gender to “X” on their birth certificate. The… -
opinion
Why America Cannot Afford to Pull Out of Afghanistan
While the White House and U.S. military commanders insist no decision has been made, Washington is alive with speculation that President Donald Trump intends to order the withdrawal of half of the 14,000 U.S. military personnel currently operating in Afghanistan. The president, who has been critical of the Afghan war in the past, made an… -
opinion
What Both the Left and Right Miss About Work in America
I believe that growth can benefit all Americans, yet while our gross domestic product has tripled in size from 1975 to 2015, average wages have barely risen. The response from both political parties has been to double down on policies that have failed to address this reality. Maybe they’re missing something crucial in their economic calculations. A… -
opinion
Resolved: To Speak English
“Why can’t the English teach their children how to speak?” asked professor Henry Higgins in the musical “My Fair Lady.” It’s a good question for Americans, especially millennials. On a recent flight two young women sat behind me, chattering away rather loudly. In just one minute I counted 16 “likes” and “you knows” from just one of them…. -
news
Florida Newspaper Publishes Exhaustive Parkland Report: Sheriff’s Office ‘Cost Children Their Lives’
Authorities and school officials either failed to act or were unclear about procedures when confronting the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Feb. 14, 911 logs, surveillance videos, and interviews show. The South Florida Sun Sentinel released a minute-by-minute rundown of the Parkland, Florida, shooting in “Unprepared and Overwhelmed.” The Sentinel acknowledged many teachers and… -
opinion
14 Books to Add to Your 2019 Reading List
The new year is here, so why not start it off right with a new book? Here are 14 books that our friends at The Heritage Foundation think you might enjoy reading in 2019. Current Affairs 1) “Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America” by Jill Leovy Have you ever wondered why children and… -
opinion
We Hear You: Checking the Rise of Identity Politics
Editor's note: Thinking about the ties that bind us is a good way to ring out the year, so such thoughts lead off this week's mailbag. Be sure to write us at [email protected]. Happy New Year.—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: My response to Jarrett Stepman’s commentary on identity politics is that the America of the… -
opinion
Remembering the ‘Problematic’ Bre Payton
Bre Payton, a writer for The Federalist, was a longtime collaborator with and friend of The Daily Signal. Bre, who died Friday, was in and out of the Daily Signal offices on a near-weekly basis, as the co-host of "Problematic Women" podcast, which she worked on with our Kelsey Harkness, Lauren Evans, and more recently,… -
opinion
Plot Against Toledo Synagogues Is the 105th Islamist Terror Plot or Attack
In early December, an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Ohio arrested 21-year-old Damon Joseph for planning an attack on a synagogue in Toledo, Ohio. Joseph was inspired by ISIS, making this the 105th Islamist terror plot or attack since 9/11 against the U.S. homeland. Law enforcement first located Joseph on social media where he… -
news
Federal Workers to Keep Their Paychecks for Weeks Under the Government Shutdown
Federal employees will not necessarily feel the effects for weeks after the partial government shutdown went into effect Saturday, according to the Office of Management and Budget. Federal workers are still set to receive their holiday paychecks for the Dec. 9 to 22 biweekly pay period on time, no matter what happens in Congress. Holiday… -
opinion
Osama Bin Laden Was Right
Osama bin Laden predicted it and his prophecy appears to be coming true. In his book, “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11,” Lawrence Wright quotes bin Laden as saying: “Look at Vietnam, look at Lebanon. Whenever soldiers start coming home in body bags, Americans panic and retreat. Such a country needs only to be confronted with two or three sharp blows,… -
opinion
Mueller Investigation Stirring Up More Trouble Than It’s Finding
After 19 months, special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation has charged a number of targets with almost every conceivable sin—except collusion with Russia to throw an election. Yet suspicion of collusion was the reason that Mueller was appointed in the first place. President Donald Trump’s former consigliere, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to lying to Congress. But as part of his plea deal, Cohen… -
opinion
The Cure for Republican ‘Shutdown-ophobia’ Is Forceful Messaging on the Wall, Not Surrendering
Supporters of border security can only hope that, over the Christmas recess, Santa gifted congressional Republicans with a crash course in effective messaging on the need for funding for President Donald Trump’s border wall. They will need it when Congress reconvenes Thursday amid the partial government shutdown caused by Democratic intransigence over funding the border… -
news
Mick Mulvaney Says ‘Very Possible’ Partial Government Shutdown Goes Into New Year
Incoming White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney warned that it is “very possible” the partial government shutdown will run into 2019, as President Donald Trump insists funding for the border wall must be included. “It’s very possible this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress,” Mulvaney said on "Fox News… -
news
How He’s Beating Homelessness Without Government Help
George Opudo used to drive for Uber. Picking up and dropping off customers at Union Station in Washington, just steps away from the U.S. Capitol, he’d look at homeless people and think: “That’d never be me.” But in September 2017, Opudo lost his car, his job, and all of his worldly possessions. With no place… -
news
Chuck Schumer: Republicans Must ‘Abandon’ Wall in Order to Reopen Government
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans need to “abandon” border wall funding if they want the government to reopen, just less than 24 hours into the partial shutdown. Schumer, who has strongly opposed funding President Donald Trump’s border wall, said this on the Senate floor Saturday afternoon as the federal government is officially in a partial shutdown after… -
opinion
We Hear You: Bringing Back Values That Made America Great
Editor's note: We're leading off this week's mailbag with hopeful observations from Missouri resident Ben Wearp that suit the season. Be sure to write us at [email protected]. Merry Christmas.—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: First off, thank you for the high quality content that you publish. In the last eight months or so that I have… -
opinion
Media Misses: CNN’s ‘Journalist of the Year’ Reported ‘Fake News’
It’s no secret that President Donald Trump frequently calls out “fake news.” Does he have a point? Fake news is no joking matter, and recent revelations have proven that to be true even internationally. Claas Relotius, a now former reporter at German leftist news outlet Der Spiegel, resigned after suspicions of fraudulent news information. It…