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
Let’s Review Lessons From Trump’s Second First Week
WASHINGTON—What did President Donald Trump learn during his four-year hiatus from the White House? For one thing, he seems to have learned how to listen. But also, to judge by the first week of his second term, Trump 2.0 seems more focused, mission-driven, and prepared to get things done at warp speed. Here’s a short…Debra Saunders -
- News
Trailblazing CEO Tracie Sharp, Who Built 50-State Policy Powerhouse, Stepping Down at SPN
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Tracie Sharp, the longtime president and CEO of State Policy Network, announced Monday she will step down from her leadership position after greatly expanding the organization’s reach and influence over the past 25 years. State Policy Network, or SPN, grew from 22 members to more than 62 state-based organizations and 100…Rob Bluey -
- Opinion
The Ludicrous Reason Hollywood Barred ‘Reagan’ From a Best Picture Nomination
No conservative could honestly have expected the 2024 biopic “Reagan” to be a viable contender for Best Picture at the 2025 Oscars. Ultraliberal Hollywood could never honor a film that dares to depict our 40th president as a hero. But the fact that it’s officially ineligible for nomination because it doesn’t meet new diversity requirements?…Ed Feulner -
- Opinion
The Left’s Sin Is of Omission and Lost Opportunity
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Over these first few days of the Trump administration, we’ve seen these bold measures. And it’s starting to incur a big backlash, or anger, or…Victor Davis Hanson -
- Opinion
The Alarming Rise of Stakeholder Capitalism: Andrew Puzder Exposes the Threat
President Donald Trump appointed Andrew Puzder ambassador to the European Union this past week. But before he heads to Brussels, Puzder is warning about the left-wing scourge of stakeholder capitalism. As the former chief executive of CKE Restaurants, a major fast food corporation operating Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, Puzder knows what it takes to run…Rob Bluey -
- Opinion
The Cold Civil War Is Over. We Won.
The civilizational inflection point in our cold civil war happened sometime between Donald Trump’s second inaugural address on Monday and the end of his new presidency’s second day on Tuesday. At some indeterminate moment between Monday’s soaring midday speech, in which the first nonconsecutive two-term president in over 130 years artfully took a sledgehammer to…Josh Hammer -
- Opinion
Debunking 4 Big Errors Made in Lawsuit to Stop Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order
One of the most controversial of the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump in the hours after being sworn in was his order on birthright citizenship. That order directed federal agencies to stop issuing citizenship documents for children born in the United States unless at least one parent was a citizen or lawful permanent…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
Unlikely Bedfellows, DeSantis and Teachers Union Agree on Smartphones
What do the nation’s largest teacher union and the country’s most conservative governor agree on? Smartphones—specifically, keeping them out of the classroom. In 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made his state the first to prohibit students from using cellphones during instructional time. Policymakers in other states quickly followed, including South Carolina, Indiana, and California. Now,…Jonathan Butcher -
- News
47 of the Best Signs at the 52nd March for Life
Thousands of Americans rallied in support of the unborn Friday, marching from the National Mall to the Supreme Court in the 52nd annual National March for Life in Washington, D.C. Students, families, and church groups from across the country braved the cold for the third march since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Vice President…Moira Gleason -
- News
A New Age Begins
Donald Trump is now officially the 47th president of the United States. Trump’s first inauguration in 2017 was marred by violence from the Left; it was also surreal. The media were utterly shocked by Trump’s victory—Trump himself seemed shocked, too—and that disbelief translated into four years of extraordinary efforts to deny that Trump had indeed…Ben Shapiro -
- Opinion
‘Dark Money Cabal’: Pulling the Tentacles of Wealthy Woke Off Your Government
“Follow the money.” It’s one of the age-old principles of investigative journalism because it can lead to the discovery of a “dark money cabal,” as it did for author Tyler O’Neil. After years of reporting on the organizations and people who funnel money into leftist causes, O’Neil determined that “their nefarious influence” needed to be…Virginia Allen -
- News
How Biden’s Pardons Normalize Abuse of Power
As expected, Joe Biden handed out 10-year blanket pardons to his corrupt family, which had profited in the millions from influence-peddling schemes. The venality is breathtaking. The corruption is one thing. But pardons he gave government officials like Mark Milley, Anthony Fauci, Bennie Thompson, Liz Cheney, and others have created an unprecedented moral hazard that…David Harsanyi -
- Opinion
New Year, New President Bring New Opportunities as Americans Gather for Annual March for Life
This year, the thousands of Americans flooding Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life have a lot be excited about. And for good reason: The Biden-Harris administration is out and the Trump-Vance administration is in. On Thursday, President Donald Trump pardoned 23 pro-life activists who had been imprisoned due to the Biden administration’s aggressive…Melanie Israel -
- Opinion
The Unhinged, Petty, and Vindictive Left
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Donald Trump won the 2024 election in part because the Left’s hysterical style of attacking him no longer worked. After a decade of this unhinged…Victor Davis Hanson -
- News
‘Strong and Clear Message’: Illegal Aliens Deportation Flights Begin
“Deportation flights have begun,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X Friday morning above two photos of a line of illegal alien men preparing to board a large military plane. “President [Donald] Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of…Virginia Allen -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ricketts to Introduce Bill to Protect Dignity of Aborted Unborn Babies
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Sen. Pete Ricketts will introduce a bill to require abortionists to treat deceased unborn babies with dignity. “A few years ago, the remains of over 2,200 aborted babies were discovered at an Indiana abortionists’ home,” Ricketts, R-Neb., told The Daily Signal. “It’s horrifying that human remains would be treated like common medical…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- News
New Bill Would Codify Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Executive Order Into Law
Rep. Brian Babin has introduced a bill that would end automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents of illegal aliens. Automatic birthright citizenship, regardless of parent’s legal status, is “one of the abused aspects of our immigration system,” Babin, R-Texas, told The Daily Signal. Babin introduced the bill Tuesday, just one…Virginia Allen -
- News
Judge Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Executive Order
THE CENTER SQUARE—A federal judge Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s recent executive order ending birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants. Trump signed the executive order earlier this week, and almost immediately a coalition of nearly two dozen states filed a series of lawsuits to block the order. “The president’s executive order attempting…Casey Harper -
- News
Can Brent Bozell and Kari Lake ‘Make Media Great Again’ at Broadcast Agencies?
Four years ago, immediately upon taking office, President Joe Biden told the CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media to resign or be fired. Biden’s request, which Michael Pack honored at 2 p.m. Jan. 20, 2021, demonstrated his administration’s urgency to reassert control over the federal agency that operates government-funded media outlets broadcasting internationally. …Fred Lucas -
- News
New Policy Bars Pride, BLM Flags From US Embassies
President Donald Trump hasn’t wasted any time implementing his agenda. Since Day One, he’s signed numerous executive orders, and he continues to take action that fulfills promises he made during his campaign. An example of this momentum is the “One Flag Policy,” which has been adopted by the U.S. Department of State. A notable aspect…Sarah Holliday