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
On California Border, Trump Examines Wall Prototypes, Favors ‘See-Through’ Model
President Donald Trump examined border wall prototypes in San Diego on Tuesday, saying they would block 99 percent of illegal immigrants from entering the country. “If you don’t have a wall system, we’re not going to have a country,” said Trump, standing alongside Rodney Scott, the chief U.S. Border Patrol agent for the San Diego… -
opinion
The Crisis of Fatherless Shooters
In the wake of the Parkland massacre, the age-old question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” has a newfound relevance. As another mass school shooting stuns Americans, it is time to talk about not just how to protect students from shooters, but also about what must happen so that fewer students become shooters in the first… -
opinion
Mike Pompeo Is an Excellent Choice for Secretary of State
The announcement of Mike Pompeo as the next secretary of state, subject to Senate confirmation, sends a firm signal that the Trump presidency is committed to ensuring robust U.S. leadership on the world stage. Pompeo is a very strong pick for the position, replacing Rex Tillerson at Foggy Bottom. He has done an outstanding job… -
opinion
Tax Cuts Already Have America’s Small Businesses Moving Again
Talk about the tax cuts continues to dominate conversations across the country months before the midterm elections. For conservatives, the argument is simple: The president worked hard with Congress to pass tax relief for small businesses, and we’re already seeing the fruits of those labors. Small businesses aren’t just the backbone of our national economy…. -
opinion
Sen. Ben Sasse: Let’s Celebrate the Dignity of All Human Beings
For the past couple weeks, and especially this weekend, [my wife] Melissa and I have thought of this little guy, Lucas, Gerber’s famous “Spokesbaby” for 2018. He’s all the things we know and love about babies—sweetness, joy, and undeniable cuteness. But Lucas is something more: a vivid picture of the dignity of all human beings…. -
news
White House Releases New Details on School Safety Agenda
President Donald Trump will push states to make it easier to seize weapons from people a court finds dangerous, hold federal agencies more accountable for background checks, and promote arming teachers. The White House’s formal release of a school safety agenda is an early step, as the president is also naming a commission to come… -
news
Bill That Protects Freedom of Those for and Against Same-Sex Marriage Angers Some on Left
Sen. Mike Lee has introduced a religious freedom bill that is designed to protect Americans who believe in traditional marriage from punishment by the government. “What an individual or organization believes about the traditional definition of marriage is not—and should never be—a part of the government’s decision-making process when distributing licenses, accreditations, or grants,” Lee,… -
opinion
How ‘American Idol’ Helped Christians Overcome the Music Establishment
By 2009, the impact of "American Idol" on the Christianization of American pop music was crystal clear, even to the most casual observer, when it produced a showdown between two artists, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert. Allen, it turns out, was a “worship leader” at his church, which in non-evangeli-speak roughly translates to “guy who… -
news
California Coffee Shop Doubles Down on Refusing Service to Cops
Owners of a California coffee shop doubled down on their refusal to serve police officers, claiming cops threaten their “physical and emotional safety.” The Hasta Muerte Coffee owners refused service to a Latino police sergeant March 8 and are now defending that decision despite growing outrage, KTVU reported. The shop is a worker-owned collective with a mural… -
opinion
Planned Parenthood Rakes in Taxpayer Dollars
Breaking the law doesn’t help your chances for earning federal dollars—but apparently, it doesn’t hurt them either. If there’s one thing Planned Parenthood’s learned over the last few years, it’s that crime does pay. A lot, according to the Government Accountability Office. Despite piles of evidence (some of it from the group’s own mouth) that Cecile… -
opinion
Middle East Drone Wars Heat Up
A Feb. 10 military fracas that involved Syria, Iran, and Israel yielded an impressive amount of destruction: An Iranian drone and command center, Syrian anti-aircraft batteries, and even an Israeli F-16 fighter jet were lost in the escalating clashes. The implications of these hostilities are expansive, but it’s worth narrowing in on the impetus for… -
opinion
New Report Shows Planned Parenthood Raked in $1.5 Billion in Taxpayer Funds Over 3 Years
A recent government report has revealed that Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, received over $1.5 billion in taxpayer funds from 2013 to 2015. In 2016, over 120 House and Senate members sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office requesting information on federal funding for certain organizations involved in health-related activities. The report… -
opinion
Why We Must Be Bold on Welfare Reform
Washington is in a unique position to solve America’s welfare crisis for a very simple reason: Washington created it. The policy and programs it established a half-century ago have depleted people, obstructed their purpose, and extinguished their extraordinary possibilities. The evidence of this failure is all around us. Being black and the daughter of a… -
opinion
Even Under Right to Work, This Union Bullies Workers Into Submission
MADISON, Wis.—The United Auto Workers Local 833 chapter is worse than an unwanted house guest: It can’t take a hint, and it won’t take no for an answer. In a burst of big labor thuggery, Local 833 has treated employees who decline union membership to a steady stream of harassment punctuated by not-so-subtle threats. The… -
opinion
The Day I Had to Call a Fallen Marine’s Mother
When I lost my first Marine in Echo Company, I was 36 years old. We’d been battling in Ramadi, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006. Echo Company was made up of 248 men. But they were my men. Each of them was my watch, my responsibility. I trained them hard hoping that… -
opinion
Curtain Call for the Aircraft That Helped Eliminate Terrorists
March 9 marks the end of an incredible run for one of the most ground-breaking and successful aircraft ever to take to the sky. It is the day when the United States Air Force will fly the last combat sortie for the iconic unmanned aircraft system known as the MQ-1 Predator somewhere in the Middle… -
opinion
Sex Reassignment Doesn’t Work. Here Is the Evidence.
Sex “reassignment” doesn’t work. It’s impossible to “reassign” someone’s sex physically, and attempting to do so doesn’t produce good outcomes psychosocially. As I demonstrate in my book, “When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment,” the medical evidence suggests that sex reassignment does not adequately address the psychosocial difficulties faced by people who identify as… -
opinion
When Did Broward Sheriff Scott Israel Know the Truth About His Cowardly Deputy?
Across the United States, the latest revelations related to the Parkland high school massacre truly shock the conscience. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel dropped the bombshell that his deputy, whose job it was to defend the kids at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, chose instead to save himself as the murderous gunmen armed with an…