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
Heritage’s Ed Feulner Awarded National Review Institute’s Buckley Prize
The National Review Institute presented its 2018 William F. Buckley Jr. Prize for Leadership in Political Thought to Edwin J. Feulner, the founder and former president of The Heritage Foundation, at the institute’s fifth annual dinner Thursday in Chicago. The late William F. Buckley, an icon of the conservative movement, was the founder of National… -
opinion
We Hear You: The President, the Electoral College, Transgender Suicide, and Podcast Feedback
Editor's note: So how did President Trump do in the big "60 Minutes" interview? You told us, plus a thing or two about our podcasts and issues we've covered lately. Drop us a line at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Frankly, I could think of better responses than President Trump's on some of those issues,… -
opinion
Our Modern World’s Inability to Understand Fairy Tales
It’s not fair. This refrain—so quick to be invoked by young children, who seem to develop a thirst for justice very young indeed—may seem like a curious place to begin in defense of fairy tales. But let me explain. But to backtrack a little further first—well, the latest salvo against fairy tales comes from two… -
opinion
Why the Indo-Pacific Is a Critical Region for US Engagement
Vice President Mike Pence has unambiguously stated that the U.S. “will continue to assert American interests across the Indo-Pacific.” In a powerful speech on China at the Hudson Institute in Washington on Oct. 4, Pence made a concrete case for America’s proactive engagement in the region. [T]o advance our vision of a free and open… -
opinion
How California Became Exhibit A for a Self-Inflicted Housing Crisis
The California tech boom should have been the engine for widely shared prosperity and renewal. Instead, contrary to the state’s uber-progressive reputation, California has the highest real poverty rate in the nation. One-fifth of the population of the state falls below the poverty line when the cost of living is taken into account. That dire… -
opinion
The Calls for Violence Must Be Denounced
Of all the voices being raised against the specter of mob rule in this country, few carry more weight than that of Steve Scalise. That’s because Scalise, a Republican congressman from Louisiana, knows first-hand what happens when violent words turn into violent action. In June 2017, he was shot and seriously wounded by a man… -
opinion
Full Investigation Needed Before US Takes Action on the Khashoggi Crisis
The disappearance and suspected murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi threatens to derail Washington’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, a key Middle Eastern ally. The Trump administration is under mounting pressure to take action to punish the Saudi government, despite continued uncertainty about what transpired when Khashoggi disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey,… -
opinion
Mob Rule or the Rule of Law? Lindsey Graham Says America’s Future Is at Stake
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., spoke to The Daily Signal this week about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the left's embrace of mob rule. He also addressed the disappearance of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi and Sen. Elizabeth Warren's DNA test results. An edited transcript of the interview is below. Full audio of the interview is… -
opinion
Problematic Women: Teen Vogue Wants to End Capitalism
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., takes a DNA test proving she’s not really Native American, Teen Vogue publishes an article worshiping socialism, Hillary Clinton is still in denial about about the problematic nature of her husband’s affair with a White House intern, 20 years later, and Disney princesses are under attack. All that and more in… -
opinion
Fabricating Hate Crimes Is a Byproduct of Victimhood Ideology on College Campuses
Anna Ayers, a student government leader at Ohio University, reported finding threatening messages in the drawer of her desk a few weeks ago. Ayers, an LGBT student, said the three notes were “hateful, harassing,” according to The Post Athens, a student-run news outlet, and made specific attacks on her sexual identity. “Senate will never be… -
opinion
Those Coal and Nuclear Bailouts Aren’t Coming. Here’s Why That’s Good News.
It seems the possibility of the Trump administration bailing out coal and nuclear plants has been put to rest for now. This is good news for electricity customers, the integrity of competitive markets, limited government fans, states, and in the long term, the coal and nuclear industries as well. The Trump administration had originally proposed… -
opinion
Caravan Activists Are Weaponizing Poor Central Americans
For the second time this year, a caravan of Central American migrants is headed to the United States. The group took off from San Pedro Sula earlier this week, a city located in the northern part of Honduras. The caravan crossed into Guatemala on Wednesday and is expected to cross into Mexico as they travel… -
opinion
The Myth of ‘Mainstream’ Judges
A common criticism of Supreme Court nominee (now Justice) Brett Kavanaugh was that he is “outside the judicial mainstream.” While that epithet has a long history in judicial confirmation fights, no one really knows what it means. And if Kavanaugh’s approach to judging is outside the mainstream, America is really in trouble. As an accusation… -
opinion
Nearly Half Of American Children Don’t Have Married Parents. Here’s Why It Matters.
Unmarried couples are having roughly 40 percent of all births in the U.S., marking a trend that may be detrimental to the upbringing of those children. For the first time in U.S. history, out-of-wedlock births in America are largely a result of cohabitation, according to the United Nations Population Fund 2018 State of World report released Wednesday. Single… -
opinion
Former Missouri Law, Which Required 1,000 Hours of Training to Legally Braid, Shows Problem With Occupational Licensing
The U.S. Supreme Court wrote a fitting conclusion last week to a four-year challenge to Missouri’s licensing requirements for braiding hair. The high court’s order, in the case of Niang v. Tomblinson, directed the district court to dismiss the case, recognizing that the Missouri General Assembly effectively resolved the challenge when it passed new, less… -
opinion
‘My Family Is Not the Product of Ignorance’: Harvard Grad and Mom of 8 Takes on French President
The president of France shouldn’t speak for women—and certainly not on how many children they decide to have. French President Emmanuel Macron recently said, “I always say: ‘Present me the woman who decided, being perfectly educated, to have seven, eight, or nine children.” “Please present me with the young girl who decided to leave school… -
opinion
Kosovo Should Get the Coal Plant It Needs
Consider the World Bank’s allegedly nuanced ban on coal absolute now. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim stated last week the organization has “made a very firm decision” to not extend partial risk guarantees for the construction of a new 500-megawatt coal power plant in Kosovo. This new coal plant is to replace the older… -
news
4 Things to Know About Trump’s Deregulation Agenda
President Donald Trump’s deregulation agenda has meant $23 billion in savings for businesses across the country over the last year—leading to more economic growth, according to an administration report. The president held an Oval Office event Wednesday titled “Cutting the Red Tape, Unleashing Economic Freedom,” which included business and government leaders across the country as… -
news
American Firefighter on Way Home After Ordeal in Mexican Hospital
A Colorado firefighter and Army veteran with a diagnosed brain bleed is coming home from Mexico after five days in a hospital that his family and friends say was charging thousands of dollars in cash but unwilling to release him. The news follows pressure from the U.S. government and inquiries from The Daily Signal and… -
opinion
Killing the Electoral College Would Alienate Half the Country
Democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, seeking to represent New York’s 14th Congressional District, has called for the abolition of the Electoral College. Her argument came on the heels of the Senate’s confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. She was lamenting the fact that Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, nominated by President George…