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
Florida Man Held, Van Searched in Case of 12 Suspicious Packages Sent to Public Figures
Law enforcement officials on Friday arrested a Florida man identified as Cesar Sayoc Jr. in connection with 12 suspected mail bombs sent to Democratic politicians and other public officials in the past few days. Sayoc, who resides in Aventura, Florida, north of Miami, is suspected of sending at least 12 potential explosive devices to Democrats… -
news
14 Young Conservative Professionals Awarded New Fellowship in DC
A group of 14 “promising young professionals” has completed three days of meetings and events in the nation’s capital as the initial recipients of a fellowship to study the conservative movement that was initiated by a Texas couple. The Conservative Partnership Institute announced the inaugural class for its Ryan & Regan Haggerty Family Fellowship, which… -
news
More Political Figures Targeted as Manhunt Intensifies in Mail-Bomb Case
The search for suspects in the attempted delivery of packages resembling bombs to prominent Democratic political figures continues as investigators try to figure out who sent the suspicious packages and why. The number of potential crime scenes reached 10, as law enforcement officials found more packages addressed to high-profile figures, including former Vice President Joe… -
opinion
Before Jim Jones’ Followers Drank the Kool-Aid, San Francisco Did
Forty years ago this November, the Reverend Jim Jones orchestrated the murders and suicides of 918 people at his jungle commune, Jonestown. It marked the largest loss of civilian life in American history until 9/11. Since the Jonestown massacre, the phrase “drinking the Kool-Aid” has become a popular term for blind trust in bizarre or… -
opinion
Podcast: A Widow Explains Why Her Husband, Diagnosed With Terminal Cancer, Opposed Assisted Suicide
One out of four deaths in America are from cancer, and every year, over half a million of our citizens lose their battle with cancer. Terminal illness has provoked a debate over assisted suicide: whether it should be allowed, and what it means to truly protect human dignity. We speak to Kristen Hanson, who lost… -
opinion
How Trump’s New Rule Aims to Expand Health Coverage and Lower Costs
The Trump administration just announced a major regulatory change, effective Jan. 1, 2020, that could significantly expand access to affordable health coverage and increase the choice of health plans, particularly among workers and their families in small businesses. The proposed rule, jointly developed by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Treasury Department,… -
opinion
How Congress Can Build on the President’s Work to Cut Health Care Costs
President Donald Trump, in a recent op-ed for USA Today, argued against the left’s Medicare for All idea. The president highlighted administration efforts to expand choices in health care and lower premiums. The president’s Cabinet also is doing much to use its authority to advance these goals. These are good incremental improvements, but more needs… -
news
More Than Half a Million People Try to Cross the Border Illegally in 1 Year
More than a half million people tried to cross the nation's southwest border without authorization in fiscal year 2018, an increase of about 100,000 over the previous year’s total that was spurred by a surge in family migration from Central America. A total of 521,090 either were arrested or deemed inadmissible at U.S. ports of… -
opinion
Environmental Overreach Gave This Home Builder a 12-Year Legal Nightmare
John Gallagher grew up on construction sites. In 1954, his father, a buyer for a Chicago fruit market, and his uncle, a bricklayer, began building modest homes part-time, responding to the region’s post-war housing crunch. “I was at the job sites at six years old, and on my 10th birthday, I started working in the… -
opinion
5 Reasons to Pursue a US-Swiss Trade Agreement
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer recently informed Congress that the United States would like to pursue trade talks with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and the Philippines. Another country that merits such consideration for a bilateral trade pact is Switzerland. There are five reasons for that. The United States and Switzerland have a… -
opinion
Podcast: What Do Drag Queens Want With Your Kids?
On today’s Daily Signal Podcast, we look at a school controversy over what’s appropriate for kids, and what’s not. And yes, believe it or not, it involves drag queens. We also cover these stories: Vice President Mike Pence called journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s death a “brutal murder” and said those who carried it out will be… -
news
What I Learned About Young People While Trying to Buy a Car
This past week, I went to five car dealers in an upper-middle-class suburb of Los Angeles to see what SUV I’d like to lease. I wanted to patronize local car dealers because I want them to stay in business. In each case, I experienced the following: I was greeted pleasantly upon entering the dealership. A… -
news
Legal Watchdog Files Complaint Against Christine Blasey Ford’s Lawyers
A legal complaint against Christine Blasey Ford’s lawyers could come down to how Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser understood a question during her dramatic appearance before a Senate committee considering the judge’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. The media widely reported that Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, offered on multiple occasions to Ford’s lawyers to have… -
opinion
The Enduring Influence of Bill Buckley
Last week was a homecoming for me. But it was something more. On Oct. 18, I was in Chicago to receive the annual William F. Buckley Prize for Leadership in Political Thought. On the occasion of this great honor, I couldn’t help reflecting on the fact that we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone… -
news
Tax-Cut Repeal Could Cost Americans $27K in Pay Over 10 Years, Study Says
A new report from The Heritage Foundation shows that if tax reform were to be repealed or expire, the average American would have $26,906 less in take-home pay over the subsequent 10 years. “After 2025, most of the individual tax cuts revert to prior law. The tax cuts expire,” Adam Michel, a policy analyst at… -
news
Those With One Sexual Partner in Their Lifetime More Likely to Have Happy Marriage
It may not be the ideal found in our popular culture, post sexual revolution, but a new data analysis finds that having just one sexual partner makes for happier marriages. New research published Monday by the Institute for Family Studies reveals that married couples who have only had sex with their spouse throughout their lifetime… -
opinion
Podcast: The Importance of US-Saudi Relationship
The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is raising new questions about the U.S.-Saudi alliance. We talk to Jim Phillips of The Heritage Foundation about what the U.S. should do, now that the Saudis have admitted Khashoggi is dead. Plus: We debate whether buying a lottery ticket is a good life decision. Listen below, or… -
opinion
What to Make of Trump’s Remarks on the Proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear-Waste Repository
More Americans should care about nuclear-waste management than actually do. That’s because it’s an issue that has cost taxpayers more than $6 billion in court battles and is on track to cost tens of billions of dollars more. But for many Nevadans and the wonky few outside of the Silver State who follow nuclear-waste politics,… -
news
6 Things That British Thinker Roger Scruton Has to Say About Conservatives and Freedom
Sir Roger Scruton has described himself as a “reluctant capitalist,” but when asked why in a recent appearance at The Heritage Foundation, he jokingly answered: “Because I’ve never had the chance to make money for myself.” Scruton spoke as part of a Heritage lecture series called “Free Markets: The Ethical Economic Choice.” David Burton, a… -
opinion
The Origins of ‘Hate Speech’
Intolerance and illiberalism, nakedly defined as abstractions or principles, are seldom if ever outwardly embraced by progressives. None but the most extreme will argue that intolerance and censorship are good things in themselves. Normally the preferred course is more subtle. >>> Buy the full book:"The Closing of the Liberal Mind: How Groupthink and Intolerance Define…