Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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news
Ivanka Trump’s Personal Email Use Could Be a Gift to Democrats Looking to Investigate White House
Ivanka Trump used a private email account in 2017 to conduct official government business, according to a White House review. The news gives incoming House Democrats another potential opening for congressional oversight hearings. The first daughter’s email use included exchanges with Cabinet secretaries, among other forms of correspondence, The New York Times reported Monday night, citing sources… -
opinion
How This Criminal Justice Reform Bill Could Make Our Neighborhoods Safer
Do you want the federal inmates released in your neighborhood to be better people, or the same, or possibly worse, than when they entered prison? That’s the key question to ask yourself as you weigh the First Step Act, a bill that would attempt to reduce the currently high rates at which federal inmates reoffend… -
opinion
Podcast: The White House vs. CNN’s Acosta
President Barack Obama was no fan of Fox News—and he didn’t hide that fact. And there’s no requirement for the White House to call on every reporter with press credentials. But is it a good idea for the White House to fight with CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta? And how should the White House… -
opinion
The Florida Fiasco Ends
After two recounts—one by machine, the other by hand—after a concession speech by Andrew Gillum, the Democratic candidate for governor, which was withdrawn and then re-delivered; after hordes of lawyers descended on the state to argue that “every vote should be counted,” including mail-in ballots with faulty signatures that were rejected the first time around,… -
opinion
In Saying the ‘American Dream’ Is Alive in China, New York Times Shows Its Misunderstanding of Our Nation
Most Americans are innately offended by authoritarian regimes. But not The New York Times—the newspaper of record, once again, has painted a glorified picture of a communist dictatorship. The latest example is a series of interactive articles that praise and celebrate the rise of China. One piece was actually titled “The American Dream is Alive. In… -
news
‘A Little Bit of Hope’: Volunteers Help Rebuild Homes, Lives After Hurricane
SOCASTEE, South Carolina—Carol Nash had lost her husband just months before Hurricane Florence hit, flooding and wrecking her home of 25 years. “I think we're going to show her a little bit of hope as she rebuilds this house,” Howard Carter, a Samaritan’s Purse volunteer leader from Tennessee, told The Daily Signal in an interview… -
news
Trump Calls for ‘Great Climate’ and ‘Safe Forests’ While Surveying California Wildfire Wreckage
President Donald Trump doubled down on his call for better forest management while surveying wildfire damage in Northern California with Gov. Jerry Brown and other officials. “Other countries do it differently. It’s a whole different story,” Trump said Saturday, mentioning that Finland manages forests by “raking and cleaning things, and they don’t have any problem.”… -
news
DeSantis Cheers Brenda Snipes’ Resignation, Says Broward County ‘Dropped the Ball’
Republican Florida Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis appeared on “Fox & Friends” Monday to applaud the resignation of Broward County Election Supervisor Brenda Snipes and said there was “no way as governor that [he] was going to let her preside over another election.” “Obviously we’re going to have to address some of the problems with the election… -
news
DC’s Ban on Plastic Straws Extends Beyond Restaurants and Bars to Churches and Day Care Centers
The District of Columbia is set to implement a new ban on single-use plastic straws and coffee stirrers. Poised to take effect Jan. 1, the prohibition is not limited only to restaurants and bars, but also churches, day care centers, and other entities in the city. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is recommending the use instead… -
opinion
Podcast: How to Tell If the News Is Reliable
On today’s show, we feature an interview with the founders of NewsGuard, a journalism project that applies nutrition labels to media outlets. Steve Brill and Gordon Crovitz, the co-CEOs of NewsGuard, speak to The Daily Signal about its mission and how their rating system works. Earlier this year, NewsGuard gave The Daily Signal a rare… -
opinion
Media Misses: Coverage of Melania vs. Michelle
This week we examine the media coverage of current first lady Melania Trump and former first lady Michelle Obama. We’re dedicated to calling out double standards, hypocrisy, and media bias every week—and there is a lot of it. But sometimes it’s important to shine a light on positive examples. Congressman-elect Dan Crenshaw, a veteran, was… -
opinion
Capping Off the Year With More Impartial Judges
Rumors swirl that the Senate, originally set to adjourn on Dec. 14, may pack it up a week earlier. Since Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said after the election that confirming judges would be his “top priority” for the rest of the 115th Congress, let’s take stock. We are in the longest period of triple-digit… -
news
5 Things to Know About the Democrat Considering Challenging Pelosi for the Speaker’s Gavel
Democrats will retake the majority in—and control of—the House of Representatives on Jan. 3, and a Democratic congresswoman is considering challenging House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for speaker. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, has said she is open to the idea of challenging Pelosi, who wielded the speaker’s gavel from 2007 to 2011, and hopes… -
news
As CNN’s Acosta Returns, White House Seeks ‘Decorum’ for Press
CNN reporter Jim Acosta is back in the White House, and the Trump administration is working on rules for “decorum” during press conferences. “People have to behave. We’re writing up rules and regulations,” President Donald Trump told reporters Friday afternoon, when asked about the court ruling. He said other reporters were treated unfairly, “because you… -
opinion
She Opposes Israel at Every Turn. Now, She’s Going to Congress.
Ilhan Omar, one of the first two Muslim women to be elected to Congress, is a new kind of politician. She’s telegenic, ideologically progressive, widely celebrated by a media that’s obsessed with identity politics. She’s the kind of politician who can openly side with Hamas against Israel or spread “Protocols of the Elders of Zion”-style… -
news
22 Photos of California’s Devastating Fires
California continues to be ravaged by wildfires. In Northern California, 63 have died and as many as 600 are missing due to the Camp Fire, which isn't close to being contained. Meanwhile in Southern California, two-thirds of the Woolsey Fire is now contained, but three have died as a result. Here's a look at the…