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
A Well-Deserved Takedown of the California Political Class
Actress Sara Foster captured the rage of many Angelenos who have watched their city burn from the Palisades to Altadena in one social media post: “We pay the highest taxes in California. Our fire hydrants were empty. Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared. Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted…Debra Saunders -
- Opinion
States Should Conduct Their Own Censuses, Count Citizens Only for Redistricting. Here’s How.
The inclusion of aliens, legal or illegal, in the population used for apportionment of the U.S. House of Representatives and for redistricting (i.e., drawing new boundary lines for congressional, state legislative, and local city council and county commission offices) unfairly dilutes the votes of U.S. citizens and distorts their representation and political power within legislative…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
Corporate Media Outlet Has Reportedly Shed Nearly 90% of Digital Readership in Only 4 Years
DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—The Washington Post’s web traffic has taken a nosedive since 2021, with its digital readership declining by nearly 90%. The outlet, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, had around 22.5 million daily active users in January 2021, according to Semafor. As of the middle of 2024, however, that number had fallen to just 2.5 million-to-3…Owen Klinsky -
- News
LA Locals Urge Leaders to Prioritize Public Safety, Not Climate Agenda
As many Democrats seek to use the California wildfires to push their “climate change” agenda, the Los Angeles Fire Department and locals say the city and state should instead prioritize saving as many lives and as much property as possible. “For us, it doesn’t get very political at all,” Los Angeles County Fire Department Public…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- News
Family Who Sang Hymn in Midst of California Wildfire Rubble Praises God for 36 Years in Home
When Peter and Jacqueline Halpin evacuated the home they lived in for 36 years due to the Eaton wildfire, they had no idea they would never see it again. The Halpins evacuated their Altadena, California, home on Jan. 7 due to the incoming Eaton fire with nothing but the clothes on their backs, some paperwork,…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- Opinion
Climate Change Isn’t Responsible for Disastrous Wildfires
Extended periods of hot weather and drought create ideal conditions for hard-to-fight forest fires. Although climate models predict that such weather conditions generated by human-caused global warming will increase the incidence of wildfires, recent wildfires cannot be blamed exclusively—or even primarily—on global warming: Weather-driven conditions conducive to forest fires have existed for millennia as a…Susan Crockford -
- News
Report: 1 in 8 Christians Worldwide Is Persecuted ‘Because of Faith in Jesus’
One in every eight Christians around the world faces persecution, ranging from imprisonment and censorship to extra-judicial and government-sanctioned martyrdom, according to a new report. “Each year, an estimated 300 million Christians around the world are persecuted because of their faith in Jesus. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are beaten, imprisoned, and even killed…Ben Johnson -
- Opinion
Confirm Patel, Capsize the FBI
Kash Patel, President reelect Donald Trump’s nominee for FBI chief, heads into Senate confirmation hearings next week. His critics will warn ominously that Patel would turn the FBI upside down. As well he should. The FBI’s decent, diligent field agents might be the people most betrayed by their bosses in Washington, D.C. The bureau’s leftist command…Deroy Murdock -
- Opinion
Andrew Breitbart, Mark Zuckerberg and the Two-Way Street of Politics and Culture
The late, great Andrew Breitbart was one of the most quotable conservatives of his era. “Walk toward the fire,” he exhorted his fellow activists. “Don’t worry about what they call you. All those things are said against you because they want to stop you in your tracks.” It was good advice when Breitbart said it…Josh Hammer -
- Opinion
An Ideological Agenda Leaves Californians Vulnerable to Wildfires
While California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass blame this week’s devastating wildfires on climate change or claim that they did all they could to prepare, the evidence tells a different story. Their focus on a woke, climate-driven agenda has come at the expense of practical, effective wildfire prevention measures. The result?…Mario Loyola -
- Opinion
A Progressive Hellscape
“February was the wettest month in downtown Los Angeles since 1998. With over 12 inches of rain drenching the city, it was the fourth-wettest February—and the seventh-wettest month overall—in the city’s nearly 150-year recorded history,” said Judson Jones’ report on Los Angeles’ weather on March 2, 2024, in The New York Times. Just under a…Erick Erickson -
- Opinion
Double Standards: Carter’s Kindest Media Eulogists Were Rough on Reagan
In all the somber coverage of Jimmy Carter’s death, the audience could and should expect the tone of kindness that wafts over wakes and funerals. Each president served as leader of our nation, shouldering a great burden over a large country with an ever-enlarging government. But sometimes the tributes grow a little too treacly. CBS…Tim Graham -
- News
DeSantis Tells Media Point-Blank Newsom Would’ve Been ‘Nailed to the Wall’ Over Wildfires If He Was Republican
DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, accused reporters Thursday evening of going easy on California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, over his handling of wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The area around Los Angeles has been hit with multiple wildfires that rapidly spread through Pasadena and other localities, destroying hundreds of buildings and leaving…Harold Hutchison -
- News
Within a Month, 6 Largest US Banks Leave UN Net-Zero Banking Alliance
THE CENTER SQUARE—Within one month of each other, six of the largest U.S. banks left the United Nations Net-Zero Banking Alliance not soon after Donald Trump was elected president. Last month, Goldman Sachs was the first to withdraw from the alliance, followed by Wells Fargo, The Center Square reported. By Dec. 31, Citigroup and Bank of…Bethany Blankley -
- Opinion
One Reason Why Young People Are Delaying Marriage and What You Can Do About It
Why are so many Americans waiting so long to get married? One-third of young adults will likely never marry, according to recent research. Lyman Stone, a research fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, analyzed the data and came to some important conclusions. The Knot, a wedding website, ran a study finding that the average…Timothy Goeglein -
- Opinion
California Inferno Was ‘Preventable.’ Blame Malfeasance of Newsom, Bass for Catastrophe.
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. I'm here in California. I've been a lifelong resident of the state, fifth generation to live in the same house. I had a house in the…Victor Davis Hanson -
- News
Tennessee Judge Blocks Law Requiring Age Verification for Porn Sites
Does protecting kids from being exposed to pornography suppress the free speech rights of adults? According to U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman of Memphis, Tennessee, the answer is yes. But her opinion may be in the minority. In recent months, at least 19 states have passed laws that require age verification on porn sites to help decrease…Sarah Holliday -
- News
After Controversial Raids in 2024, Changes at ATF Are Likely Under Trump
Under the Biden administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives gained new authority, but after a tumultuous year, the agency’s director, Steven Dettelbach, plans to resign before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. In November, the ATF raided the home of Baltimore gun rights activist Mark “Choppa” Manley, but made no arrests or confiscations. Agents…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Remembering Jean-Marie Le Pen, France’s Instrument of Right-Wing Populist Discontent
Jean-Marie Le Pen, erstwhile leader of France’s political party National Front (now National Rally), died on Tuesday at the age of 96. For more than 50 years, Le Pen was a mainstay in French politics, known for his outspoken views on limiting immigration to France and Europe. Quick-witted and incendiary, his surprise elevation to the…Jacob Adams -
- News
Michigan Republicans Vow to Investigate Whitmer Admin Using Panel’s Subpoena Power
Michigan Republicans are seeking accountability for what they consider gross mismanagement and corruption under Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration, taking advantage of their new majority in the state House of Representatives. On Wednesday, Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall gave the Republican-controlled oversight committee broad subpoena power to investigate alleged corruption and incompetence in a state…George Caldwell