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
I’m a Mormon, and The New York Times Needlessly Defamed My Church’s Leader
Thomas S. Monson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died last week at the age of 90. Revered as a prophet by the approximately 16 million Mormons scattered across the globe, Monson devoted his life to serving God and his fellow men. So it was with great sadness that I read… -
news
Arizona Governor Says ‘Cut It Out’ to Ban on Unlicensed Haircuts for Homeless Vets
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey wants one occupational licensing rule to get a trim after Juan Carlos Montes de Oca was ordered to stop giving haircuts to homeless veterans by the state cosmetology board. Montes de Oca, a cosmetology student from Tucson, was inspired by a man in London who helped the homeless on his days… -
news
Rate of Imprisonment for Black Adults Falls 29% Over Decade
The rate of imprisonment for black adults fell almost 30 percent over a decade, according to a Wednesday report from the Department of Justice. The Bureau of Justice Statistics released its statistics on the United States prison population and the rate of imprisonment among different groups, according to a release from the bureau. Among its… -
opinion
I Was Denied Service Because of the Company’s Values, and I’m OK With That
This week, I was denied a service because the company’s values are at odds with the values that Alliance Defending Freedom stands for—values I personally hold. And guess what? I’m okay with that. Allow me to explain. As a writer, I’m always looking to improve my skills. And working for a no-debt legal service like… -
opinion
Death Threats Against FCC Chairman Are Unprecedented and Must Stop
When the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rolled back President Barack Obama’s “net neutrality” policy, Chairman Ajit Pai told reporters, “It’s not going to kill democracy.” But could it kill him? Federal officials are certainly concerned, now that a flood of death threats has reached a level most insiders say they’ve never seen. This is “routine… -
opinion
Al Gore Blames the ‘Climate Crisis’ for Cold Weather. But Actually, It’s Just January.
Remember when global warming meant the planet was supposed to, well, warm up? Temperatures would rise, and all manner of ecological calamity would ensue? Me too. So it was surprising to find myself shivering, like other Americans, through several days of arctic chill and extreme cold, only to hear Al Gore blame it on global… -
opinion
Here’s the History of the 25th Amendment
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2018. After failing to gather any real momentum to impeach President Donald Trump, some Democrats are now floating the idea of using the 25th Amendment to oust him. This little-known constitutional amendment serves as an escape-hatch measure for removing the president if he is incapacitated. It is… -
news
Google’s New Fact-Check Feature Almost Exclusively Targets Conservative Sites
Google, the most powerful search engine in the world, is now displaying fact checks for conservative publications in its results. No prominent liberal site receives the same treatment. And not only is Google’s fact-checking highly partisan — perhaps reflecting the sentiments of its leaders — it is also blatantly wrong, asserting sites made “claims” they demonstrably never made. When searching for a… -
news
Trump’s EPA Is on Course to Retire Half Its Staff
Due to a series of buyouts and retirements, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could cut its workforce by half by the end of President Donald Trump’s first term in office, The Washington Examiner reports. Several agencies in the Trump administration are focused on a leaner workforce and cutting spending. The EPA is leading the pack…. -
news
Right-to-Work Advocate Blames Unions’ Legal Threats for Loss
GEORGETOWN, Delaware—Officials in one of Delaware’s three counties rejected right-to-work legislation Tuesday, shortly after the county attorney detailed his legal opinion and predicted a thicket of costly court challenges to the law from labor unions. Sussex County Council member Rob Arlett, who has spearheaded the proposal, told The Daily Signal that the council backed down… -
news
How Tax Reform Is Keeping Promise ‘Fight for $15’ Couldn’t
As the union-backed “Fight for $15” movement has sought to enact mandatory minimum-wage increases in states and localities across the country, tax reform seems to have spurred wage growth using a different approach. On the day President Donald Trump signed the sweeping tax-reform law, the New Jersey-based OceanFirst Financial Corp. issued a press release announcing… -
opinion
My Quest to Help Americans Rediscover the Bible
I won’t make any assumptions about how many readers noticed I took a three-month break from column writing. Nevertheless, I want to explain why. I needed the time to finish the first volume of the biggest project of my life as a writer, a commentary on the first five books of the Bible, or what… -
opinion
To the Citizens of Iran: We Stand With You
Nothing is as powerful as the truth. That’s why repressive regimes actively suppress free speech and assembly of their citizens. It’s also why America’s Founding Fathers enshrined these basic rights into our nation’s founding documents. On Dec. 28, 2017, protesters in Iran’s second largest city, Mashhad, took to the streets to voice their concerns over… -
opinion
This Case Against Western Ranchers Shows Why Americans Are Right to Fear Government
Governments are prone to abuse, especially when unchecked. Recently revealed actions by the Bureau of Land Management, a federal agency under the Department of Interior charged with managing federal land, are reminiscent of the IRS scandal in which that agency targeted conservative tea party groups for extra scrutiny. A federal judge ruled Dec. 20 that… -
opinion
Must-See Moments: Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Withering Response to the Media
The Daily Signal’s Facebook Live show “Top 10” features the top news stories of the week— many of which went misreported by the mainstream media and some weren’t reported at all. This week, the media has fixated over author Michael Wolff’s new book, “Fire and Fury”—but White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had a… -
news
Analysis Finds 1 Million Americans So Far Getting Pay Raise From Tax Reform
One million Americans are getting pay increases because of the tax reform package signed into law in December. “More than one million hardworking Americans have already received a ‘Trump Bonus’ or ‘Trump Pay Raise’ as a result of the historic tax reform package that President Donald J. Trump signed into law just before Christmas,” @PressSec… -
news
What’s Next for Iran After Protests? 4 Elements to Watch
After backing the protesters standing up to the Iranian dictatorship, President Donald Trump will decide next week on whether to again waive sanctions—part of the Obama-era nuclear deal he has long criticized. “In terms of signing a waiver later in January, the president hasn’t made a final decision on that,” @PressSec says. The peaceful uprising,… -
news
5 Key Numbers From Planned Parenthood’s New Annual Report
Planned Parenthood’s recently released annual report shows the organization is providing significantly more abortions than adoption referrals. According to its 2016-2017 annual report, Planned Parenthood performed 321,384 abortions but only 3,889 adoption referrals. Planned Parenthood also provided 7,762 prenatal services in 2016-2017, down from 9,419 in 2015-2016. The abortion giant’s excess revenue increased from $77.5… -
news
Unions Give More Than $1.1 Billion to Democrats, Liberal Groups
From 2010 to 2016 alone, labor unions sent more than $1.1 billion in member dues to anti-Republican advocacy groups, a nonprofit union transparency organization says. “For decades, union officials have betrayed working Americans by spending their dues dollars to advance a left-wing political agenda—without prior approval,” Luka Ladan, communications director for the Center for Union… -
opinion
As American Women Put Their Pink Hats Back On, Women in Iran Rip Off Their Hijabs
As American women prepare to put on their pink hats for a second time to protest President Donald Trump on the anniversary of his inauguration, women in Iran are taking off their hijabs, protesting an oppressive theocratic regime. For nearly 40 years since the 1979 revolution, Iranian women have been forced to follow the country’s…