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
San Francisco Starts Ban on Cash Welfare for Drug Addicts Who Refuse Treatment
THE CENTER SQUARE—San Francisco started its ban on county-funded cash assistance for individuals with substance abuse disorders who refuse to engage in treatment. Measure F, approved by voters in March 2024, applies to the $714 per month payments to housed low-income adults, and $109 per month to homeless individuals who have been in San Francisco for more…Kenneth Schrupp -
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Here’s What House Members Told The Daily Signal Before Speaker Vote
The first big decision the new House of Representatives has to make: Whether or not Speaker Mike Johnson will retain his speakership. Johnson can only afford to lose one Republican vote to secure the speakership, and crucial members of the Republican House spoke to The Daily Signal as they entered the chamber Friday afternoon. Rep….Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
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Here Are Mike Johnson’s Potential Holdouts
President-elect Donald Trump’s legislative agenda will meet its first hurdles Friday afternoon, as Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., vies to stay on as House speaker with a narrow Republican majority. The Louisiana representative, who emerged from obscurity after the overthrow of Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker, has warned that if he is not reelected, Trump’s legislative…George Caldwell -
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UK Labour Party Blocks Inquiry Into Prime Minister’s Conduct as Prosecutor in Pakistani Sex-Groomer Gang Cases
The United Kingdom’s Labour Party blocked an inquiry into Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s conduct as the head of the Crown Prosecution Service, which was charged with investigating a massive child-sex grooming operation in Oldham more than a decade ago. That’s according to The Telegraph of London and other news outlets. The story has been in the news as of…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
Germany’s New Morgenthau Plan
Less than a year before the end of World War II, then-U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau drew up a nightmarish plan to punish postwar Germany. After the serial 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War, World War I, and World War II—along with the failed Versailles peace treaty of 1919—the Allies in World War II wanted to…Victor Davis Hanson -
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The Wages of the Media’s Big Lie of 2024
In a year filled with media misses, the biggest collective lie of all not only cost Democrats the election but may have permanently reshaped the landscape of journalism in America. The Wall Street Journal has recently released a series of reports about how President Joe Biden was essentially incapable of carrying out the duties of…Jarrett Stepman -
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How to Fix the FBI
As a retired FBI special agent, I worked to protect my family and the American people in a fair and apolitical way. I understood that the public perception of the agency directly impacted the success of our mission. Moreso, I took to heart the core of that public perception: trust in us by our fellow…Richard Stout -
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What Will Jan. 6 Committee Democrats Do When It’s Time to Certify Trump’s Win?
House Democrats on the select committee that accused President-elect Donald Trump of inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, are not saying whether they will vote to certify Trump’s victory next Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. A week after two prominent Democratic lawyers penned an op-ed urging House Democrats to overturn the 2024 presidential election, Democrats…Fred Lucas -
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What ‘America First Abroad’ Should Look Like
What is an America First foreign policy? Though President Donald Trump’s first term provided noteworthy clues, no one on his team ever articulated clear, overarching themes. The question continues to reverberate even among his supporters, pitting neo-isolationists against those who argue that a fundamental reassertion of America’s national interests requires rethinking and reworking—but not necessarily…Bruce Abramson -
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Pardoning Fauci Would Be Disservice to Him and Americans
It seems President Joe Biden won’t stop at letting his convicted son Hunter off the hook. The White House staff is reportedly pondering an unprecedented, preemptive set of presidential pardons for numerous officials who haven’t been formally charged or convicted of federal crimes but may be liable for indictment or conviction under the incoming Trump administration. Prominent on that list is…Robert Moffit -
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FBI Identifies Texas Man as Bourbon Street Attacker
THE CENTER SQUARE—The FBI has identified the driver of a truck that plowed into a crowd of people celebrating New Year's on Bourbon Street early Wednesday, killing at least 15 people and injuring 35. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen and U.S. Army veteran from Houston, rented the F-150 Lightning truck, the FBI said. Alethea…Steve Wilson -
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Three Classic Children’s Books Series to Revisit in 2025
The new year is a time for new things, but it can also be a time to rediscover hits from the past. For parents who want their kids reading great fiction with good values, here are three classic book series to revisit. The Adventures of Tintin Georges Remi (Hergé) Egmont Ages: 7+ I can’t recall what…Mark Guiney -
- Opinion
The National Nightmare Is Ending
Après Biden, “L’audace, l’audace, encore l’audace, toujours l’audace!” To paraphrase mixed French 18th-century memorable quotations: After Biden, follows not the deluge, but now daring, and still more daring, and always more daring. Why? A combination of two self-evident truths. Joe Biden’s inept administration proved an ungodly disaster, not just for America but for the West…Victor Davis Hanson -
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33 Books You Should Read in 2025
As you set your 2025 goals and New Year’s resolutions, The Daily Signal encourages you to make reading books a priority (or listening to them, if that’s your preference). We asked our own staff, plus others from The Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action for America, to offer their book recommendations. They are listed below. Do…Daily Signal Staff -
- Opinion
Will Mike Johnson Keep the Speaker’s Gavel?
The 118th Congress is all but over. For the House, it ended in much the same way it began: With various factions within the Republican Party jostling for their priorities and for power. Is the 119th Congress in for a repeat of those dynamics as House Speaker Mike Johnson’s gavel could be in jeopardy and…Bradley Devlin -
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Student Loan Regulations in Reverse and Seasonal Signs of American Democracy
Are you aware that in our democracy the people least able to pay their debts are the ones who acquired expensive degrees to improve their earning potential? If you weren’t before, your ignorance has surely been remedied after no less than five rounds of Department of Education rulemaking aimed at relieving the distress of student-loan borrowers…Jack Fitzhenry -
- Opinion
THAT’S A WRAP: The Political Winners and Losers of 2024
For those of us in the news business, 2024 provided a steady stream of stories to cover—and rarely a dull moment. From the Republican primaries early in the year to the assassination attempts and political conventions this summer, our Daily Signal team stayed busy through Election Day and in the days that followed. During his…Daily Signal Staff -
- Opinion
Is Climate Change Making Hurricanes Worse?
Climate alarmists like President Joe Biden assure us that all we need do to avert the destruction of hurricanes—or at least to lessen it—is to sacrifice offerings to the climate gods by giving up our gas-guzzling internal combustion engines and paying indulgences to Al Gore or something. You see, humans as a species have sinned,…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
NYC Subway Incident, Neely’s Death Didn’t Have to Happen. But Family, Laws Failed Him.
Jordan Neely could have been my brother. Both were diagnosed with severe schizophrenia, both with violent criminal histories, and both forcibly, temporarily hospitalized at Bellevue Hospital—New York City’s flagship hospital for the mentally ill. The stark difference: My mother and I proactively fought the legal battle for guardianship of my brother to keep him off…Carrie Sheffield -
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Defenders of Trans Athletes’ Invasion of Women’s Sports Need to See This New Documentary
What do Charlie Baker, president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and Washington Post sports columnist Sally Jenkins have in common? They’re both in deep denial about the inherent unfairness of transgender faux females competing in collegiate (and, by extension, high school) athletics against real girls and women. Apparently, like Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown…Peter Parisi