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
For Once, Law Enforcement Has a Friend in the White House
On Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump delivered a speech to a convention of the Major County Sheriffs’ Association and Major Cities Chiefs Association in Washington, D.C. After spending the first several minutes of his remarks commenting on the legality of the travel restriction executive order now before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the… -
opinion
Here Are 10 Priorities for Betsy DeVos
After weeks of protest and feet-dragging from the left and special interest groups, the Senate on Tuesday finally confirmed Betsy DeVos as education secretary. Now in her new role, DeVos will have an opportunity to work with Congress to advance education choice as appropriate, to limit federal intervention in education, and to reform higher education… -
opinion
Draining the Swamp Requires Congressional Term Limits
The American electorate surprised the world in November because they were tired of their government acting as master instead of servant. The people’s message is clear: It’s time for real and lasting change. To restore constitutional balance, we must bring the career politicians home and replace them with patriots ready to make the hard choices… -
opinion
Prosperity and Freedom All Hinge on the Rule of Law
Freedom House, a nonprofit that conducts research on human rights and democracy abroad, released its annual report examining global freedom on Monday. Unfortunately, there are several troubling trends in Latin America. Latin American countries with the largest declines in their freedom score over the last decade include Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic…. -
news
White House Says Trump Won’t Rush Obamacare Replacement
President Donald Trump will use his business skills to negotiate lower prices and foster more competition in the health care market—but he doesn’t want to rush things, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday. “We’ve got to make sure we do this right. We don’t want to end up with the same results the… -
opinion
Why People Are Leaving Blue States in Droves
Some Americans think state boundaries and the principle of federalism are outdated relics from the past. They couldn’t be further from the truth. New data in a report from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) paint a clear picture: States with the best policies are being rewarded with an influx of residents, and states with… -
news
Agency Employees Join Street Protests Against Trump’s EPA Pick
Environmental Protection Agency employees joined a street protest organized by environmentalists opposing President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency. Around 30 employees at the EPA’s Chicago office joined a protest organized by the Sierra Club and the American Federation of Government Employees to protest Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s nomination. They argue that Pruitt, a critic… -
opinion
Big Government Couldn’t Even Stay Out of the Super Bowl
Sunday was the Super Bowl, and your friendly Washington bureaucracy had a message for you: No drones allowed. Technically, NRG Stadium and the immediate vicinity, all of Houston, and the surrounding towns, are classified as a “No Drone Zone.” Anyone flying a drone within 34.5 miles of the stadium was subject to criminal prosecution for… -
opinion
How the US Can Work With Pakistan to Help Uproot Terrorism
Is Pakistan getting serious about uprooting Islamist terrorism? There are some encouraging signs of late. A day before the public release of a think tank report, “A New U.S. Approach to Pakistan: Enforcing Aid Conditions without Cutting Ties”—drafted by Husain Haqqani of the Hudson Institute and myself, with the input of several U.S.-based Pakistan experts—The… -
opinion
On Brexit, So Much Winning
On June 23, the British people voted to leave the European Union. Earlier this week, Britain took another mighty step on the road to regaining its independence when the House of Commons voted, by a smashing margin of 498 to 116, to back Brexit. The vote was necessary because the British government lost a series… -
opinion
When Sending People to Jail, Criminal Intent Matters
Can a person go to jail for a crime that he had no intent to commit, and that the government admits he did not know would occur? Jack and Peter DeCoster, father and son executives of the Quality Egg business, have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider their jail sentences for a crime committed… -
opinion
How Trump’s Campaign Comments Could Impact the Bergdahl Case
Should comments made by President Donald Trump during the campaign about Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl result in a military court dismissing the charges against the Army soldier? Eugene Fidell, the top flight defense counsel for Bergdahl, has filed a motion to dismiss the charges and specifications against his client because then-candidate Trump called Bergdahl a… -
opinion
How Congress Is Reclaiming Constitutional Authority and Saving Jobs
Right now, we in Congress have the chance to reset the clock, to go back to a time when policies helped people and where regulations were not used to pursue ideological aims. This is exactly what the Congressional Review Act was designed to help ensure. Signed into law in 1996 by President Bill Clinton, the… -
opinion
Will GOP Keep Its Promise to Defund Planned Parenthood?
A number of promises were made to pro-life voters in 2016, not the least of which was that if given control of Congress, Republicans would defund the country’s largest abortion provided, Planned Parenthood. But the only way for the GOP to keep that pledge is by passing the reconciliation bill to repeal Obamacare. The longer… -
news
Texas Governor Deprives Sanctuary County of $1.5 Million Grant
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott cut off state funds to a county that provides sanctuary to illegal immigrants Wednesday, following through on an earlier pledge to punish such sanctuary cities and localities. Travis County will no longer have access to $1.8 million in state criminal justice grants, Abbott announced in a letter to county officials, because of… -
opinion
The Left Holds Itself to Lower Standards of Behavior
One can only imagine the widespread media, political, and intellectual condemnation of Republicans and conservatives if, after the inauguration of President Barack Obama, they had gone on a violent and vicious tear all over the nation as did Democrats and liberals after the inauguration of President Donald Trump. They committed acts such as assaulting Trump… -
news
House Conservatives Back Trump’s Refugee Order, Question Its Implementation
House conservatives support the substance of President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting refugee resettlement and other forms of legal immigration, but are critical of how the White House implemented the policy. In a briefing for reporters Tuesday, some of the most conservative House lawmakers strived to portray Trump’s order as a temporary policy meant to… -
opinion
Keeping America Safe Involves Morally Difficult Decisions
It is quite rare for governments to be able to craft a policy that contains no moral complexities. When it comes to national security policy, this is especially so. One of the messiest tasks for any Western leader to deal with today is the threat posed by Islamist terrorism. As then-President Barack Obama said back… -
news
Experts Debate Whether Trump’s Refugee Order Will Make America Safer
With an executive order signed Friday, President Donald Trump delivered on his campaign promise to impose a restrictive U.S. policy toward refugee resettlement and other forms of legal immigration. By preventing Syrian refugees from entering the U.S. indefinitely, imposing a 120-day suspension on all refugee admissions from anywhere in the world, and temporarily blocking visas…