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 We Don’t Need Libel and Blackmail Laws
President Donald Trump said, “We are going to take a strong look at our country’s libel laws so that when somebody says something that is false and defamatory about someone, that person will have meaningful recourse in our courts.” The president was responding to statements made in Michael Wolff’s new book, “Fire and Fury: Inside… -
news
California Democrats Want Businesses to Turn Over Half Their Tax-Cut Savings to the State
Democrat state lawmakers in California say they want some businesses to give half their tax-cut savings from congressional Republicans’ tax reform package to the state. That’s no way to create jobs and raise pay, conservatives fire back. “It’s typical that Democrats in California see every dollar back in taxpayers’ pocket as a dollar they can… -
opinion
All 3 NAFTA Countries Have Gained in Prosperity Since 1994
Trade officials from the United States, Canada, and Mexico were set to meet Tuesday in Montreal for the latest round of talks to discuss how to improve the North American Free Trade Agreement, which began in 1994. A year after its signing, The Heritage Foundation published the first edition of its annual Index of Economic Freedom in… -
news
George W. Bush’s Image Has Been Rehabilitated
Former President George W. Bush has seen a dramatic turnaround in his approval rating since leaving office, with over a majority of the country now viewing him favorably. Since departing the White House in 2009, the 43rd president's approval rating has nearly doubled to 61 percent from 33 percent, according to a new CNN poll conducted… -
news
Powerful Republican Caucus Wants Vote on Rep. Bob Goodlatte’s Conservative DACA Bill
An influential caucus of conservative Republicans is pushing House Speaker Paul Ryan to hold a vote on an immigration reform bill that has emerged as a White House favorite. The 150-member Republican Study Committee announced Tuesday that it endorses the Securing America’s Future Act, which gives legal status to certain younger illegal immigrants in exchange for… -
news
Conservatives Urge Ban on Secret Congressional ‘Hush’ Funds in Sexual Harassment Cases
Leaders of conservative organizations are calling on Congress to pass a law to prevent taxpayer funds from being used to pay settlements to alleged victims of sexual harassment and other workplace violations by lawmakers. Their call for congressional action was spurred by the recent revelation that $17 million has gone toward secretly paying off such claims against… -
opinion
Democrats Change Their Tune on Government Shutdowns
The federal government’s three-day closure ended with something of a whimper on Monday. The Senate voted overwhelmingly to reopen the government with a stopgap bill that will fund the government through Feb. 8, according to The New York Times. Now that the shutdown has ended (without the world coming to an end), it’s worth comparing… -
opinion
Drone Rescues Help Show It’s Time to Let Revolutionary Aircraft Soar
In what may be a world first, Australian lifeguards last week used a drone aircraft to rescue two young swimmers trapped in dangerous swells half a mile offshore. The rescue came as lifeguards were testing the new drone. When the lifeguard operating the drone received word of swimmers in peril, he piloted the drone to… -
opinion
Podcast: Conservatives Must Offer Health Care Solutions
The Heritage Foundation’s Marie Fishpaw joins us to discuss why it’s not enough for Republicans to repeal the rest of Obamacare. There’s more to be done—and these solutions would lower health care costs. Plus: we cover the end of the government shutdown, elephants, and Dan Rather’s new gig. -
news
White House Switches Up Voicemail to Blame Democrats for Shutdown
The White House revealed a new voicemail recording Sunday, this one blaming Democrats for shutting down the government over immigration. The public line to the White House that allows the public to leave messages for President Donald Trump now blames Democrats for holding up funding for America’s troops over an “unrelated immigration debate,” reports CNN. “Thank… -
opinion
The Sex-Change Revolution Is Based on Ideology, Not Science
Twenty-eight years ago, the release of “When Harry Met Sally” highlighted one big debate: whether men and women could really be just friends. That question may still be up in the air, but now we are being forced to confront a more fundamental debate: whether men can really become women. America is in the midst of what… -
opinion
Schumer Shutdown Makes Clear Democrats’ Real Priorities
A couple of days before the shutdown, Genevieve Wood recorded this commentary, which you can either watch above or read below. Since then, Senate Democrats, whose leader is Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did indeed refuse to join Republicans to vote for a spending bill, and so the government did shut down. As you may have… -
opinion
Why Pro-Lifers Have Cause for Hope
Forty-five years ago Monday, the Supreme Court issued its decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, inventing a constitutional right to abortion on demand. Since then, over 59 million babies have been lost to abortion, and the U.S. remains one of only seven countries that allows abortions after 20 weeks, the age when… -
opinion
I Went to the Women’s March. Here Are 11 Things I Saw.
Editor's note: This article contains adult content, due to the nature of signs and words used as part of the Women's March. Women wearing pink cat hats descended on the nation’s capital Saturday for a second time to march for women’s rights and protest a president they believe is disrespectful toward women. “There’s a lot… -
opinion
We Hear You: The President’s First Year in Office, and Other Passions
Editor's note: Since President Donald Trump began his second year in office over the weekend, we thought we'd highlight some of your thoughts on how he's doing so far. Keep in touch at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: I was leery and quite critical of Trump initially, but he has won me over. I know… -
opinion
29 of the Best Signs at the March for Life
At the 45th annual March for Life, thousands marched, giving a voice to those too small and vulnerable to speak for themselves. Many of the marchers held signs about their beliefs. Photographer Jeff Malet captured many of those signs, and here are some of my favorites. -
opinion
The Right Side of History: The Media Continues to Whitewash the Legacy of Communism
“The Right Side of History” is a podcast dedicated to exploring current events through a historical lens and busting left-wing myths about figures and events of America’s past. On this week’s episode, hosts Jarrett Stepman, a contributor to The Daily Signal, and Fred Lucas, The Daily Signal’s White House correspondent, discuss the history of communism in… -
news
At March for Life, Pam Tebow Recounts How Super Bowl Ad Saved Baby’s Life
Speaking at the 45th annual March for Life, Pam Tebow shared her story of her pregnancy with Tim Tebow, a former NFL quarterback. “From the beginning, it was a difficult pregnancy,” she said. Tim had a tumor, so the nurse said she needed to abort him “immediately” or she would die in childbirth, Pam Tebow… -
opinion
I Went to the March for Life. Here’s What I Saw.
Thousands of pro-lifers descended upon Washington, D.C., for the 45th annual March for Life. Prior to the march, President Donald Trump addressed it—the first president in history to do so live. The Daily Signal went to the March for Life to find out why people are marching. “It is so important that we make a stand… -
opinion
Licensing Laws Have Long Been a Drain on the Economy. But Florida Could Soon See Reform.
Florida lawmakers are finally addressing the elephant in the barbershop: Floridians must endure 1,200 training hours, pass an exam, and pay a $223.50 fee just to cut hair for money. In the first weeks of Florida’s 60-day legislative session, the state House passed a bill, H.B. 15, to loosen the chokehold that several licensing regulations…