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
House Speaker Wants a New Chaplain for the Chamber
House Speaker Mike Johnson is looking for a new chaplain for the House of Representatives. Johnson, R-La., the leader of the House Republicans, initiated the personnel change last week when the incumbent chaplain, Margaret Grun Kibben, was made acting chaplain, rather than being included in the resolution for new officers of the House. The move…Jacob Adams -
- Opinion
For Republicans, Lots of Work, Little Time to Waste
Luck, the saying goes, is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. That’s good luck. What about bad luck? It’s the opposite. Bad luck is what happens when lack of preparation meets an ongoing threat. We’re watching this play out now as fires tragically turn large swaths of Los Angeles’ most valuable real estate to ashes,…Star Parker -
- Opinion
Anarchists Versus Libertarians
“Donald Trump will be a tyrant!” So my neighbors claim. I live in Manhattan. Feel for me. Yes, Trump says wild things, like riffing about “terminating” parts of the U.S. Constitution. But I don’t think he means it. As Joe Rogan said to Trump when candidate Trump came on his show, “You say a lot…John Stossel -
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The More Democrats Go to Church, the More They Look Like Republicans: Study
The more often Americans attend virtually any Christian denomination, as well as Jewish services, the more likely they are to adopt conservative political views, according to a recent statistical analysis. “The more Democrats go to church, the more they look like Republicans,” states the study. “Being politically liberal and being highly religious are just not…Ben Johnson -
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Washington Reacts to Hegseth Confirmation Hearing
Lawmakers and allies weighed in on Tuesday as the Senate Armed Services Committee held its confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, the former Army National Guard officer, former Fox News host, and President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense. “I’ve known Pete for some time. I was a female in the military. We want to…Jacob Adams -
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‘REPREHENSIBLE’: LA Fire Victims Sick of Democrat Politicians
LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles residents who lost their homes in the ongoings California wildfires are sick of their Democratic leaders dodging responsibility for poor preparation and slow response time. “It feels like the C-team is running the show,” a Democrat who lost his home in the Palisades fire told The Daily Signal. “We don’t have the…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
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Two House Democrats Vote to Pass Bill Protecting Women’s Sports from Biological Male Infiltration
The House passed legislation Tuesday to protect women’s and girls school sports from biological male athletes. “The last time my bill passed the House, not a single Democrat supported it,” bill sponsor Rep. Greg. Steube, R-Fla., told The Daily Signal. “The Democratic Party should listen to the mandate we just received from America: 70% of moderate…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- Opinion
To Stop Wildfires, Burn Wokeism
Wildfires are inevitable. The apocalyptic devastation seen in Los Angeles isn’t. The Palisades Fire started recently in west Los Angeles. Driven by intense Santa Ana Winds, the fire quickly spread into the residential area of Pacific Palisades. That fire, along with others in LA, forced more than 175,000 residents to flee. The fire destroyed more…Victor Joecks -
- Opinion
I Live in Pacific Palisades and I Know Who Caused the Fire
As officials investigate what caused Los Angeles’ devastating fires, I know the answer. It was the homeless. The Los Angeles Fire Department reports that 54% of fires in 2023 were started by homeless. They responded to almost 14,000 fires that year alone related to homelessness. Regardless of whether the Pacific Palisades fire was directly started…James Breslo -
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Heritage Foundation Launches Ad Supporting Former Dem RFK Jr. for HHS Secretary
DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—The Heritage Foundation on Monday launched an advertisement campaign supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to direct the Department of Health and Human Services. The ad, first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, touts Kennedy as “fearless,” and promotes his policy agenda to make America healthier and combat the chronic disease…Ireland Owens -
- Opinion
Newsom’s Governorship Going Up in Smoke
California’s Democrat Party elites are feeling the burn of their own failures to protect their state from devastating, uncontrolled fires. No politician’s reputation has been sullied as much as Gov. Gavin Newsom’s. As the wildfires in Los Angeles continue to rage, Newsom has sputtered and flailed—sometimes literally. He’s becoming the object of ire for appropriately…Jarrett Stepman -
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‘FINAL POTSHOT’: What to Expect From Merrick Garland’s Release of Special Counsel Report
The first volume of special counsel Jack Smith’s final report–cleared for release this week–may be little more than a parting shot by the Biden administration’s Justice Department days before Donald Trump’s second inauguration. “There could be a few interesting tidbits about who testified to the grand jury and so forth, but as for hard evidence,…Fred Lucas -
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‘75% Incompetence’: Dem Ex-Lawmaker Rips California Leaders’ Wildfire Failures
PALOS VERDE, Calif.—Years of policy failures, bookended by insufficient preparation in the days leading up to the California wildfires, laid the groundwork for historic destruction, former California state Rep. Mike Gatto says. “When the history of these fires are written, people will conclude that it was 25% the weather and 75% incompetence and poor management,”…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- Opinion
THE TYRANNY OF TABOOS: Causes of LA Wildfires Can’t Be Spoken
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. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. We’re into about the fourth or fifth day of the Los Angeles fires, and people are…Victor Davis Hanson -
- 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 -
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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 -
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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 -
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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