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
The Age of Censorship Is Ending
This week, in a stunning volte-face, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would now be revising its censorship policies to accord with his older vision of free speech. Specifically, Zuckerberg committed Facebook to revising a series of standards: reliance on left-wing fact-checkers will end, replaced by an X-like community notes system in which fact-checking will be…Ben Shapiro -
- Opinion
Gavin Newsom Has No Credibility on Forest Management
As wildfires engulf Los Angeles, California’s Democrat governor, Gavin Newsom, is facing renewed scrutiny for his record on forest management. As of Thursday morning, multiple wildfires, including the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire, are raging across Southern California, leaving at least five dead and burning more than 27,000 acres, Fox News reported. Amid the conflagrations,…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Burma’s War Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Catch Washington Off Guard
As war rages in Europe and as Israel confronts adversaries from all sides in the Middle East, Americans would be forgiven not knowing about the yearslong conflict raging in Burma—the world’s longest-running civil war. The violence has ravaged the Southeast Asian nation for decades, and battlefield developments indicate the conflict may be reaching a new…Brent Sadler -
- News
California Slapped With Lawsuit Over ‘Unconstitutional’ Sanctuary Law
DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—A major California city is suing the state over its sanctuary law, arguing that it violates the Constitution and prevents local officials from protecting their community. The City of Huntington Beach filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against SB 54, otherwise known as the California Values Act, which dramatically restricts how local and state law…Jason Hopkins -
- News
Where Does the Money Come From? Elderly Democrats Say Donations Made in Their Names Aren’t Genuine
Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue may have raked in millions through fraudulent donations, according to the testimonies of elderly Americans who said federal election records do not reflect their giving. Eighteen registered Democrats in Connecticut, all over the age of 70, appear to have donated $1.9 million to Democratic causes, including ActBlue, through hundreds of thousands…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- News
Nancy Pelosi’s Stock Portfolio Explodes in Value, Beats Market by Nearly 200%
DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi beat the S&P 500 by nearly 200% in 2024, continuing her streak of outperforming the stock index. Pelosi’s portfolio grew 70.9% between Dec. 29, 2023, and Dec. 30, 2024, compared to the S&P 500’s 24.9% return for the period, according to financial data platform Unusual Whales’ 2024 Congress Trading Report….Owen Klinsky -
- Opinion
Jimmy Carter and the Unraveling of American Culture
An essay appeared recently in The Wall Street Journal under the headline “What Happens When a Whole Generation Never Grows Up?” Behavior that has always been understood to define what it means to be an adult is disappearing among America’s younger generations. Institutions always seen as the sinews that define and hold together a society–homeownership,…Star Parker -
- Opinion
Renowned Historian Victor Davis Hanson Joins The Daily Signal
If your New Year’s resolution was to discover more astute analysis of politics and current events, The Daily Signal has a treat for you. Victor Davis Hanson, the renowned American historian and political commentator, is joining The Daily Signal as a senior contributor. For years, our audience has loved his weekly syndicated column—and for good…Katrina Trinko -
- Opinion
Why America Is in So Much Trouble
Shortly before Milton Friedman’s death in 2006, I had the privilege of interviewing him over dinner in San Francisco. The last question I asked him was: What are the three things we have to do to make America more prosperous? His answer I have never forgotten: “First, allow universal school choice; second, expand free trade;…Stephen Moore -
- Opinion
‘The Great Pandemic Is Coming’: Ex-CDC Chief Warns of Looming Bird Flu Threat
Health officials in Louisiana announced Monday the first bird flu death in the United States. The elderly individual, who had underlying medical conditions, was exposed to the virus from a backyard flock and wild birds. There have been 66 reported cases of bird flu in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control…Rob Bluey -
- Opinion
Jimmy Carter’s Little-Known Role in Political History: Giving Rise to Religious Right
President Jimmy Carter’s personal service to the poor after he left the White House in 1981 is remembered as Christian charity in action. What is not so well remembered is his role, albeit unwitting, in bringing evangelical Christians into the political process. Without Carter—who died Dec. 29 at age 100, and who will lie in…Connie Marshner -
- Opinion
Rise of Illegal Alien Criminal Gangs Prompts Urgent Call to End Sanctuary Policies
The United States is a nation built on the principle of law and order. But today, we face an urgent threat from illegal alien criminal gangs infiltrating our communities and undermining the safety and security we hold dear. The rise of transnational criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua, originally from Venezuela, highlights the chaotic border…John Fabbricatore -
- News
BIPARTISAN: Laken Riley Act Passes With Many Democrat Votes
The GOP-controlled House of Representatives voted Tuesday to pass the Laken Riley Act, a bill that prioritizes the arrest of some criminal illegal aliens. Every Republican who voted and 48 Democrats voted in support of the bill, though three GOP members and eight Democrats did not vote. The bill is named after Georgia nursing…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
DRAIN THE SWAMP: Civil Rights Commission Would Be a Great Place to Start
Given vexing experiences in his first administration, once and future President Donald Trump is well aware of the resistance he will face from the Swamp, the vast horde of left-wing bureaucrats that inhabit the executive branch. They see it as their political duty to impede, resist, and sabotage every policy priority of a Republican president,…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Chief Justice Identifies Threats to Judicial Independence—And Maybe Tips His Hand in TikTok Case?
In a new report, Chief Justice John Roberts details several critical concerns that he feels threaten the ability of our judicial system to carry out justice impartially and according to the rule of law. At the end of each year—only hours before a new year begins—Roberts releases his “Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary.” Think…Zack Smith -
- Opinion
The Climate Agenda’s March Through the Institutions: Can It Be Stopped?
A spate of stories in the media recently provides a remarkable illustration of how the globalist policy agenda of the climate-industrial complex has captured key international institutions and perverted their original organizational aims. From initially serving broad, laudable objectives for the welfare of their constituents, these institutions have been subverted over the years to serve the insistent…Tilak Doshi -
- Opinion
I Disagreed With Jay Bhattacharya About COVID-19. Here’s Why I Support His Nomination for NIH Director.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya—the Stanford professor who is President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for the directorship of the National Institutes of Health—will bring transparency to this government agency, which sorely needs it. I am an odd person to write a piece supporting Jay’s nomination to lead the NIH. During the pandemic, I disagreed with Jay on COVID-19…Andrew Noymer -
- Opinion
Another Complete Unknown Is Pete Seeger’s Communism
Toward the end of “A Complete Unknown,” a good biopic about Bob Dylan that opened on Christmas, there is a key scene in which Dylan manager Albert Grossman barks at folk music legend Pete Seeger, “You’re pushing candles, and he’s selling lightbulbs,” to which Seeger retorts, “You’re the only one selling anything here, Albert!” The scene portrays the eve of the…Mike Gonzalez -
- Opinion
Toward a Political History of the Last 75 Years
New Year’s Day is a good time to take a long look backward with a cautious eye toward possible futures. My guide here is RealClearPolitics analyst Sean Trende’s 2012 book “The Lost Majority,” whose bold thesis was unduly neglected by political scientists spinning tales of a permanent New Deal Democratic majority. Trende’s thesis instead was…Michael Barone -
- Opinion
What’s Wrong With Democrats?
Following defeat in the presidential election, Democratic Party leadership is doing much-needed soul-searching. Those not in denial know there is something wrong. Per Gallup, in the 10 months in 2024 prior to the election, January to October, the Democrat partisan advantage—the percentage identifying as Democrat or lean Democrat minus the percentage identifying as Republican or…Star Parker