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
DOGE to the Rescue?
The Department of Government Efficiency has started making moves. The D.C. media are furious about his attempts to cut government agencies. But I take Elon Musk’s side. More efficient government has been promised often. It’s never happened. Instead, government just grew. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., showcases stupid government “investments” like the $118,000 study of finger…John Stossel -
- Opinion
History of Illegal Aliens at Guantanamo Bay
The first military airplane carrying criminal illegal aliens arrived at Guantanamo Bay this week. President Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily house criminal illegal aliens at Gitmo has earned headlines across the media, but the move is not that novel, according to Cully Stimson, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation and an expert on crime…Virginia Allen -
- News
Democrats’ Superlawyer Elias Leads Litigation Fighting Trump’s Buyout of Feds
An organization run by veteran Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias is representing federal unions in a lawsuit aimed at stopping the Trump administration’s buyout of federal employees. U.S. District Court Judge George O’Toole, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, handed the group a short-term victory on Thursday, extending the Feb. 6 deadline to accept a…Fred Lucas -
- News
Democrats Delay Kash Patel’s Confirmation
Democrats have successfully delayed FBI director nominee Kash Patel’s confirmation process until next week. The Democrats’ obstruction is part of a trend of heightened hostility to President Donald Trump’s nominees in the past week, as Democrats have also attempted to delay the confirmation of budget chief nominee Russell Vought. Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa,…George Caldwell -
- Opinion
How to Find Out Who Killed JFK
What actually happened that fall day in Dealey Plaza in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, has turned into a generational question. The full account of events that culminated in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy has been kept hidden from the American public for more than 60 years. Now, however, President Donald Trump is…Bradley Devlin -
- Opinion
Ancora Wants to Make US Steel Great Again
PITTSBURGH—The investment firm Ancora is pushing U.S. Steel shareholders to drop the Nippon Steel merger and oust CEO David Burritt, a move that would align with President Donald Trump’s insistence that U.S. Steel stay in American hands. It is unclear from its statement how big a stake in U.S. Steel the Cleveland-based finance company currently…Salena Zito -
- Opinion
Elon Musk Should Take on Social Security
If I say that Elon Musk is the smartest, boldest, most creative entrepreneur in the world, I don’t think I will get pushback. President Donald Trump’s move to bring him to Washington and put him at the top of a new Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, to do the seemingly impossible—to streamline a vastly outsized…Star Parker -
- News
Most Americans Support Trump’s Use of Tariff Threats Against Colombia in Deportation of Illegals, Poll Finds
Most Americans support President Donald Trump’s recent use of tariff threats to pressure Colombia to accept American deportation flights, a poll by Scott Rasmussen’s Napolitan Institute finds. In late January, Trump successfully persuaded Colombian President Gustavo Petro to accept repatriation flights of Colombian illegal immigrants in the U.S. by threatening 50% tariffs after Petro initially…George Caldwell -
- Opinion
How USAID Damages US Relations With Foreign Countries
The federal government hasn’t just been wasteful. It’s been funding and organizing toxic projects around the world that have damaged the reputation of the United States. That’s what a professor at a university in the country of Georgia said in a letter provided to The Daily Signal on Wednesday that highlights issues at the heart of recent…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
¡No Mas!: Time to Halt Funding of Smithsonian’s Latino Museum
On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump decisively dismantled the Biden administration’s wasteful and immoral “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives. An easy and obvious next step in this bold effort to “dewokefy” federal institutions and cut waste would be to put a halt to the recently established Smithsonian Museum of the American…Alfonso Aguilar -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: Bill Demands Accountability for Universities’ Investments in Foreign Adversaries
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Rep. Burgess Owens introduced a bill on Wednesday to hold private universities accountable for investments they make in entities located in hostile foreign countries. “It is unacceptable for American universities to funnel millions to foreign adversaries without transparency or accountability,” the Republican congressman from Utah told The Daily Signal. The Reporting…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- News
Ted Cruz Rips Into USAID Partnership With George Soros
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, slammed the U.S. Agency for International Development after The Daily Signal highlighted its longstanding partnership with the leftist funding network established by Hungarian American billionaire George Soros. “It is no surprise that the woke leftists running USAID had the same priorities as George Soros and his global…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
TOO GENEROUS? Poll Finds Most Americans Back Trump’s Bureaucrat Buyout Plan, But There’s a Catch
While government unions have been up in arms about President Donald Trump’s off-ramp for federal bureaucrats who may not want to serve in his administration or return to the office in person, a new poll shows that Americans generally support his move. When asked whether they favor the Trump administration’s order that all federal employees…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Trump’s Freeze of USAID Is a Blow to Global Leftist Empire
The Trump administration is putting a stick of dynamite under the deep state, and Democrats are apoplectic. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump put nearly all District of Columbia-based employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on leave. According to Politico, this amounts to about 1,400 people in addition to 600 employees who were put on…Jarrett Stepman -
- News
Birthright Citizenship: The Legal Debate Heats Up
Legal experts are debating the interpretation of the 14th Amendment inside and outside of courtrooms this week. The amendment has often been interpreted to mean anyone born in the United States is automatically a U.S. citizen, and yet its interpretation may not be that simple, according to Kurt Lash, professor at the University of Richmond School…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
What New DNC Leadership Says About Direction of Democratic Party
After bizarre and inadvertently comical candidate forums, the Democratic National Committee elected Kenneth Martin to be its next chairman and gun control advocate David Hogg to be one of its new vice chairs. While the DNC boasted of its racial, sexual, and gender diversity (and its quota system to fill party leadership roles), DNC voters…Jacob Adams -
- News
Venezuela Agrees to Take Back Its Citizens, Releases US Prisoners
THE CENTER SQUARE—Eleven days after President Donald Trump took office, the Venezuelan government agreed to take back its citizens who illegally entered the U.S., including violent members of Tren de Aragua, and released six U.S. citizens who had been held in Venezuelan prisons. Richard Grenell, Trump’s envoy for special missions, went to Venezuela to collect six…Bethany Blankley -
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Can NJ’s Governor Legally Harbor an Illegal Alien Above His Garage?
The governor of New Jersey appeared to admit during recent public remarks that he has an illegal immigrant living above his garage and then proceeded to challenge the federal government to “try to get her.” “I don’t want to get into too much detail,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said Saturday, adding,…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Why Is Left So Upset at Deportation of Criminal Illegal Aliens?
There is no greater love than this: The Democrat-Left’s blistering passion for illegal aliens, even those with yards-long rap sheets choked with violent crimes. President Donald Trump is busy keeping his solemn promise to the American people: Mass deportation of illegal aliens, starting with “the worst first.” He has placed dangerous thugs at the head of a reverse invasion across the…Deroy Murdock -
- Opinion
In New Record Low, Unionization Rate Falls to Single Digits in 2024
Despite the Biden-Harris administration’s “whole of government” attempt to increase unionization, the percentage of American workers belonging to unions notched down each of the past four years of their administration. Marking yet another record low, 9.9% of American workers belonged to unions in 2023. This follows a steady decline from 13.4% at the turn of…Rachel Greszler