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
Rising Tensions on Korean Peninsula Put Region at Risk
When Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson traveled to Asia earlier this year, the principle objective was to reassure allies that the Trump administration would maintain the U.S. commitment to defend them. Vice President Mike Pence will now reaffirm that message during his own trip, which comes amid increased fears… -
opinion
Dignity and Fairness Matter for Every Child in the Locker Room
The American Civil Liberties Union recently noted in a blog post that “the burden of confronting and remedying injustice falls on the shoulders of the oppressed.” There is some truth to this: The oppressed are powerful voices in any battle for justice. But when it comes to defending the most vulnerable among us—our children—it is… -
news
Trump White House Moves Forward With Plan Government Employee Union Dubs ‘Dangerous’
In six months, the Trump administration plans to produce a plan to shrink the size of government, eliminate programs, and reduce the federal workforce—and is seeking public input on how to proceed. “What it really means is making government more accountable to you, more effective and more efficient,” @OMBPress45 says. The memo from Office of… -
opinion
A Constitutional Amendment That Would Drain the Swamp
Congressional reform begins with stopping Congress from spending us into oblivion—and that begins with a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. To make that happen, I propose using a tool our Founders gave us—the Article V amendment process. Some of the Founders themselves recognized the need for such an amendment. For example, Thomas Jefferson first… -
news
Conservative Groups Advocate for Curtailing Farm Bill
Fifteen organizations, including Heritage Action for America, have joined forces in a letter to members of Congress to combat “excessive federal government intervention” in the farming and ranching industries. The Agricultural Act of 2014, frequently called the “the farm bill,” is set to expire in September of 2018. With renewal talks already underway, the coalition… -
opinion
How the NFL’s ‘Celebration’ Reforms Point the Way for Congress on Regulation
Part of what makes football great is fans’ reactions after a big play and seeing the players involved celebrate the action. But the National Football League didn’t seem to appreciate this in 2016. Rather than promoting clear, commonsense guidelines on what constitutes an “illegal” on-field celebration, the NFL started overregulating the game through broad, unclear… -
opinion
What ‘the Mother of All Bombs’ Means in Trump’s Foreign Policy
Why did America just drop the mother of all bombs? There is the glib answer: Because we can. Then there is the technical answer: Because it was right for the job. The U.S. military on Thursday dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, on an Islamic State, also known as… -
news
Taxpayers Foot Bill for $14,799 in Gym Memberships
A Las Vegas-based Environmental Protection Agency official used his government credit card to purchase $14,799 worth of gym memberships. A conservative advocacy group released documents purporting to show EPA contracting officer Kevin Broadnax bought 37 1-year memberships at Super Sport gym on April 11. Broadnax used his government charge card to pay for the nearly $15,000… -
opinion
Defying His Critics, Tillerson Projects American Strength in Moscow Visit
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s visit to Moscow Wednesday put him squarely on the map as one of the main players in the Trump administration. In the matter of a few days, Tillerson has not only placed the relationship between the United States and Russia on a new footing, he has also defied critics who… -
news
Protesters Make Obscene Gesture at Victims of Communism Memorial
In late March, a group of protesters staged a demonstration at a memorial dedicated to victims of communist regimes by raising their middle fingers toward it. The group gathered at the Victims of Communism Memorial in the District of Columbia and proceeded to broadcast their obscene gesture against the statue on Twitter. According to The Federalist,… -
opinion
16 Years After 9/11, Gaps in Information Sharing Still Plague Law Enforcement
Since 9/11, national security officials have made it a goal to improve information sharing between federal agencies. Unfortunately, those efforts are still falling short. Earlier this week, inspectors general of the intelligence community, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Justice released a joint report detailing the importance of information sharing between law enforcement agencies…. -
opinion
How Soros Used US Tax Dollars to Consolidate Power in Colombia
In a recent letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, six U.S. Senators asked for an investigation into whether the United States Agency for International Development was promoting the Open Society Foundations’ left-wing policies abroad. State Department career officials gave the senators the runaround, but if Tillerson does launch the probe, he need look no further… -
opinion
How to Talk Taxes in Simple Terms
If you’re in need of a great dinner party topic, try taxes. We pay taxes, we complain about paying taxes, and we admit to not understanding the complicated code that dictates how much we pay. Sounds like we have a lot in common, so let’s chat. In anticipation of Tax Day next week, and Capitol… -
opinion
Hefty Drop in Border Arrests a Credit to Trump’s Enforcement of US Law
The month of March brought with it the lowest number of apprehensions along the U.S. southern border since at least the year 2000. This decrease can be credited to the strict enforcement policies that have been put in place since President Donald Trump took office, coupled with the now-credible threat of deportation that illegal immigrants… -
opinion
A Free Press Should Liberate Minds, Not Enslave Them
Over the past few months, there has been much public commotion and blowback against the news media. News anchor Chris Cuomo nicely, though unwittingly, predicated the problem live on CNN back in 2014: “We couldn’t help [Hillary Clinton] any more than we have; she’s gotten just a free ride so far from the media; we… -
opinion
Why Preserving the Legislative Filibuster Is Critical for Conservatives
Last week, following on the precedent set by former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in 2013, Senate Republicans removed the last vestige of the filibuster for judicial nominees. As it currently stands in the Senate, no judicial nominee—from the lower courts to the Supreme Court—is subject to the filibuster. In popular parlance, eliminating the filibuster… -
news
5 Takeaways From Jeff Sessions’ Border Enforcement Trip
“We hear you and we have your back.” That is the message Attorney General Jeff Sessions shared with Customs and Border Protection personnel in Nogales, Arizona, on the U.S. southern border Tuesday. In a speech Tuesday, Sessions announced five changes to immigration prosecution and enforcement: A crackdown on individuals who transport and harbor illegal immigrants…. -
opinion
Jeff Sessions Delivers Sweeping Reforms to Protect the Border and US Citizens
Attorney General Jeff Sessions paid a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border today during a trip to Nogales, Arizona, where he spoke to a group of Customs and Border Protection agents and prosecutors. He referred to the southwest border as “ground zero” in the fight against “transnational gangs like MS-13 and international cartels [that] flood our… -
news
This 1 Change Trump Administration Made to White House Press Briefings Is Shaking Up the Media
From the moment he took office in January, President Donald Trump put the establishment media on notice. Through his tweets and press conferences, Trump isn’t shy about calling out news organizations by name or leveling criticism. And in the White House press briefing room, the Trump administration is changing the dynamic in a way that… -
opinion
The True Costs of New York’s ‘Free College’ Program
On Friday, New York decided to become the first state to offer four years of tuition-free public college to its residents. Starting in the fall of 2017, any student from a family who is making less than $100,000 annually can qualify for free tuition, under certain conditions, such as a requirement to maintain a minimum…