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
The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., 50 Years Later
Fifty years ago today, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The Daily Signal’s Jamie Jackson talks to a panel of guests about the legacy of King, and where progress has (and hasn’t) been made since his death. Watch the video above to hear from: Roland Martin, TVOne Host and vice president–digital with National Association of… -
news
Exclusive: Ben Carson Says He’s Not ‘Going Anywhere’
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, who has faced intense scrutiny and even calls for his ouster over a furniture order, said in an interview with The Daily Signal that his reforms at the agency prompted such pushback. “I have no intention of going anywhere,” @SecretaryCarson says. “When you go about change, some people… -
news
Left-Leaning States and Cities Sue to Stop Citizenship Question in Census
A coalition of Democratic cities and states led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman sued the Trump administration Tuesday, claiming the addition of a citizenship question in the decennial census survey violates federal law and the Constitution. The lawsuit says the inclusion of a citizenship question violates both the Constitution’s command to count all persons… -
opinion
This Failed Tax Subsidy Should Have Been Ditched. Instead, Congress Expanded It.
Hidden among the budget-busting provisions of the last omnibus spending bill is an example of the swamp at its worst. It’s a renewal of a failed tax credit program that purports to subsidize low-income renters while mostly benefiting wealthy investors. The low-income housing tax credit is one of those federal programs that sounds on its… -
news
Exclusive: EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Says Media Reports About Him Don’t Tell True Story
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt defended his living arrangement in Washington during the presidential transition, noting that career ethics officials at the EPA found no problems with his choice of where to sleep. “This was an Airbnb-type situation where I rented literally one room that was used in a temporary status until I found… -
opinion
There Is No Solid Evidence of Genetic Basis for Trans Identity
A new study into the genes of those who identify as transgender has picked up decent amount of media attention. The Times in the United Kingdom hailed what it called a genetic “discovery” with the headline “Science pinpoints DNA behind gender identity.” LGBTQ Nation ran a more inconclusive headline: “Scientists discover DNA that could be… -
opinion
Prison Is the Price of Protectionism for Arizona Hairstylists
Arizona lawmakers and cosmetologists argue that an acceptable cost for a new-age hairstyle is imprisonment. And you can chalk that up to old-school protectionism. But fortunately, state Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita is trying to cut costs for consumers. Ask yourself, would you pay someone just to wash, dry, and style your hair for you? Many people… -
opinion
US Must Tread Carefully in Engaging Robert Mugabe’s Successor
A dictator leaving office is always cause for celebration. So when a November 2017 coup unseated Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe after he had spent 37 years blighting that country, it was impossible not to cheer. However, as I wrote last year after the coup, that elation should not tempt the U.S. into prematurely… -
opinion
Martin Luther King Jr. Dreamed of Realizing America’s Promise
“There is division in the American house,” President Lyndon B. Johnson told the nation on March 31 of that year, just before announcing that he would neither seek nor accept his party’s nomination for another term as president. Americans were deeply and angrily divided both over U.S. military involvement in Vietnam and over domestic race… -
news
London Logs More Homicides Than New York for First Time
London had more homicides in the past two months than New York City did—for the first time on record. In February and March, London recorded 37 slayings compared with 35 in the Big Apple, The Sunday Times reported. March alone saw 22 homicides occur in London and 21 in the Big Apple. The two cities… -
opinion
Kenyan Forces Are Allowing Money to Flow to a Terrorist Group in Somalia
The Kenyan Defense Forces have been deployed in Somalia conducting counterterror operations since 2011. Yet a recent United Nations report accuses the Kenyans of continuing their yearslong practice of enabling the trade of charcoal in Somalia—a trade banned by the U.N. in 2012 because it profits al-Shabab, the Islamist terror group with which Kenya is ironically… -
news
Fox News Stands by Laura Ingraham, Slams ‘Agenda-Driven Intimidation Efforts’
Laura Ingraham isn’t going anywhere. That’s the message Fox News Channel is sending amid a left-wing boycott campaign meant to oust the conservative talk radio veteran and host of the cable network's "The Ingraham Angle" over a tweet. “We cannot and will not allow voices to be censored by agenda-driven intimidation efforts,” Fox News Co-President Jack… -
opinion
Conservatives, Too, Have Been Compromised by Secularism
Many years ago, I attended a dinner at a wealthy man’s New York City condo with, among others, one of the most prominent and influential conservatives in American life. I admired this man then and I admire him now (he has since passed on). He was a major force for good in America. At one… -
opinion
America Is Competitive Again, Thanks to a Lower Corporate Tax Rate
Welcome to the new post-tax reform world where the U.S. again can compete for global business. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowered the federal corporate tax rate to 21 percent. The combined federal and state U.S. corporate tax rate fell from almost 40 percent, the highest rate in the developed world, to 24.9… -
opinion
The Omnibus Bill Was a Fiscal Disaster. Here’s How to Make Sure It Doesn’t Happen Again.
Our national debt continues to balloon out of control, growing larger than the size of our entire economy. This trend has been accelerated by Congress’ two most recent pieces of budget legislation: the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which obliterated the previous discretionary spending caps, and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, which followed through… -
news
5 Questions for Martin Luther King Jr.’s Niece, 50 Years After His Murder
Longtime pro-life activist Alveda King, a niece of Martin Luther King Jr., spoke recently with The Daily Signal about her uncle’s legacy in advancing civil rights for black Americans as the nation marks the 50th anniversary of his assassination April 4. Alveda King, 67, is the first of five children of King’s younger brother, A.D…. -
opinion
Podcast: Pulling Back the Curtain on EPA’s ‘Secret Science’
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is ending the practice of “secret science” at the EPA, bringing one of the most controversial federal agencies into the limelight. Daren Bakst, senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, joins the podcast to discuss Pruitt’s latest move and why it’s creating such an uproar among environmentalists. Plus: A… -
opinion
Americans Grapple With Evil Amid Decline in Religious Faith
Blaise Pascal once described a “God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man.” But in modern-day America, few statements can raise eyebrows more swiftly than expressing faith in the transcendent. From Joy Behar mocking Vice President Mike Pence as mentally ill for believing that God guides him, to former President Barack Obama ridiculing “bitter” people… -
opinion
3 Steps Congress Can Take to Ensure Better Disaster Preparedness
Every four years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency produces an updated strategic plan. Last week, the agency released its plan for 2018-2022. Taking lessons learned from hurricane-heavy 2017, the plan laid out FEMA’s three main goals for the future: building a culture of preparedness, readying the nation for catastrophic disasters, and reducing the complexity of…