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
Why the Left Is Wrong About Jefferson’s ‘Wall of Separation Between Church and State’
April 13 marks the 275th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson’s birthday. A renaissance man with a long and accomplished legacy, Jefferson played a major role in the founding of the United States of America—and establishing its strong protections for religious freedom for all. There can be no better way to celebrate one of America’s greatest statesmen… -
opinion
Why the US Must Befriend Hungary’s Populist Leader
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a convincing majority in Sunday’s parliamentary election. Even the day before the election, The Guardian was all too pleased to showcase the left’s apoplexy by running the headline “Hungary’s war on democracy is a war on democracy everywhere.” This has it exactly backward, of course. Liberals may have a thousand… -
news
White House Insists Trump Not Telegraphing Next Move in Syria
After President Donald Trump tweeted about “smart” missiles to strike Syria that Russia couldn’t shoot down, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders sounded more nuanced. “That’s certainly one option, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only option or the only thing that the president may or may not do,” @PressSec says. “We are maintaining… -
news
White House Bides Time on Paul Ryan’s Successor
President Donald Trump had laudatory comments Wednesday about House Speaker Paul Ryan after the Republican congressional leader announced he would not run for another term. “The president has given us a chance to get a lot done, and we’ve gotten a lot done,” @SpeakerRyan says. But as the scramble begins for the GOP leader who… -
opinion
A Negotiated Settlement in Afghanistan Is Ideal, Yet Remains Distant
The Afghan government announced recently that it wants to close the Taliban’s office in Doha, Qatar. The Taliban representative’s presence in Doha dates to 2011, with the formal office being established in 2013. The office was originally established to give the Taliban a permanent location in a neutral country where Afghan government officials and the… -
opinion
Students Partake in National Walkout for the Unborn
America’s most pro-life generation is at it again. Pro-life students across the country partook in a planned school walkout on Wednesday morning. After a California high school history teacher was suspended for talking with students about whether pro-life students would receive the same support for their human rights concerns as those who engaged in the gun violence… -
opinion
Freedom of Speech Is the Antidote to Division
In 2016, Chike Uzuegbunam attempted to share his faith in a public area of campus at Georgia Gwinnett College. His spontaneous speech was in violation of the campus free speech policy requiring him to register in advance and to use the free speech zone set aside for such activity. He left, made the necessary arraignments, and on the… -
news
House Speaker Paul Ryan to Say Goodbye to Congress
House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election, shortly after telling confidants and then the House's Republican conference. The news came months after rumors first surfaced that Ryan would retire, and continued to resurface. The Wisconsin Republican, speaker since 2015, told House members close to him as well as his staffers Wednesday morning that he… -
opinion
Black Political Success Isn’t the Key to Black Empowerment
It’s often thought to be beyond question that black political power is necessary for economic power and enhanced socio-economic welfare. That’s an idea that lends itself to testing and analysis. Between 1970 and 2012, the number of black elected officials rose from fewer than 1,500 to more than 10,000. Plus, a black man was elected… -
news
Tweens Tell First Lady About Trials, Triumphs
First lady Melania Trump hosted a listening session Monday with a group of 13 middle school students in the White House’s Blue Room with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. “I’m very excited that you’re here today with me, and thank you in advance for sharing your stories and your thoughts about your struggles and triumphs. I… -
opinion
Whatever the Left Touches, It Ruins
The only way to save Western civilization is to convince more people that leftism—not liberalism—is a nihilistic force. Quite literally, whatever the left touches it ruins. So, here is a partial listing of the damage done by the left and the Democratic Party: The most obvious—and, therefore, the one more and Americans can resonate with—is… -
opinion
Nation’s ‘Report Card’ Shows Federal Intervention Has Not Helped Students
When President Lyndon Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act into law in 1965, he vowed the unprecedented new federal intervention in K-12 education would “bridge the gap between helplessness and hope” for “educationally deprived children.” When President Jimmy Carter signed the Department of Education Organization Act into law in 1979 creating the Department… -
opinion
Chemical Attack in Syria Demands Stiff Response From US, Allies
For the past few months, Syrian forces have been trying to take control of Eastern Ghouta, an opposition-controlled city outside the capital of Damascus that is densely populated. The fighting has been fierce, but the forces of President Bashar al-Assad have made huge advances against rebel forces. All that was left of the opposition-controlled territory… -
opinion
‘Pay Gap’ Myth Ignores Women’s Intentional Job Choices
Tuesday is supposedly “Equal Pay Day,” but what does that mean? Well, according to outdated, flawed, and incomplete statistics that say women make only 82 cents on the dollar, compared with men, Equal Pay Day signifies how long into the new year women have to work just to catch up to the earnings of their… -
opinion
Podcast: What It’s Like to Be a ‘Birth Mommy’
? The Daily Signal’s Kelsey Harkness joins us today to discuss her documentary video about Kelly Clemente, a now 28-year-old who at the age of 18 placed her son with an adoptive family. Plus: We chat about Facebook’s deeming two black female Trump supporters “unsafe” for the community and The Atlantic’s firing of Kevin Williamson…. -
opinion
10 Questions Mark Zuckerberg Should Answer When He Testifies Before Congress
When Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before Congress Tuesday and Wednesday he will have plenty of explaining to do to answer a torrent of criticism that has been leveled at his company in recent weeks. We’ve compiled a list of 10 of the most important questions we think lawmakers should ask Zuckerberg when… -
news
She Got Pregnant at 18 and Did Something That Today, Few Teens Do
Kelly Clemente found out she was pregnant when she was 18. She had just finished her first semester of college, and up until then, described herself as your typical “all-American girl.” She got good grades, was a member of a sorority, and ran on the track team. When she saw that pregnancy test, “My life… -
opinion
We Hear You: Progressives’ Sour-Grapes Assault on the Electoral College
Editor's note: As usual, we're playing catch-up on mail. This time we kick off with comments from The Daily Signal's audience on liberals' post-Trump storming of the Electoral College. Remember to write us at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Regarding Jarrett Stepman’s commentary, “Progressive Activists Look to Courts to Undermine the Electoral College," perhaps a countersuit… -
opinion
Voices in Support of Scott Pruitt’s ‘Deweaponization’ of the EPA
Editor’s note: As the left presses its demands that President Donald Trump sack Scott Pruitt as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, we recalled that we had a batch of unpublished letters about an on-camera interview that Pruitt did with The Daily Signal’s Rob Bluey. It’s instructive to read how much these correspondents like and… -
news
Prison Reform Rally Urges Second Chances for Ex-Offenders Re-Entering Civil Society
Hundreds are expected to gather Saturday in Washington for a community walk to raise awareness about the need for prison reform. Sponsored by Prison Fellowship, a Christian nonprofit that advocates prison reform and helps former inmates integrate back into society after they’ve served their time, the event will host a number of speakers, ranging from…