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
What I Learned About War by Having a Cup of Tea With a Taliban Veteran
KYIV, Ukraine—In July 2011, I left a decade-long career in the Air Force, which included combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a special operations pilot. I was 29 years old and set to begin studies at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism the following January. Rather than idle away the intervening months, I had… -
news
Trump Notes ‘Respect’ for Obama After White House Meeting
President-elect Donald Trump called President Barack Obama a “very good man” for whom he had “great respect,” and said he would continue to seek his “counsel” after the two met Thursday for more than an hour at the White House. For his part, Obama wished Trump success. Trump has called Obama the “worst president in… -
news
What to Expect in President Donald Trump’s First 100 Days in Office
Naming a new Supreme Court justice, repealing Obamacare, rolling back executive orders, and proposing how to fight illegal immigration and impose tariffs will be key parts of President-elect Donald Trump’s first 100-day agenda. During his campaign, Trump unveiled an ambitious 100-day plan, and with a Republican House and Senate, he’ll be expected to execute much… -
opinion
Private Sector ‘Investment Heroes’ of 2015
While the age of the superhero movie seems to be at its peak, Americans should be paying more attention to a different class of superheroes: “investment heroes.” That’s the term used in an October report from the Progressive Policy Institute to describe the 25 companies that have invested the most into the U.S. economy over… -
news
These Californians Are Threatening to Secede After Trump’s Victory
On Wednesday, #Calexit and #Califrexit began trending on Twitter. The hashtags have been used to discuss California’s potential secession from the United States following Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election. The California-themed hashtags are a reference to Brexit, the British public’s recent decision to leave the European Union. Though Donald Trump was within… -
opinion
Debunking Leonardo DiCaprio’s Climate Change Documentary
Leonardo DiCaprio released his climate change documentary, “Before the Flood,” on National Geographic. The actor has become one the largest public faces pushing for action on man-made global warming. I make a brief cameo in the movie so several friends asked how I felt being lumped in with the climate deniers. (I’ll be setting up… -
opinion
Islamist Extremism Threatens Hindus, Pro-Western Liberals in Bangladesh
Last Friday, crowds of Muslims attacked Hindu temples in Nasirnagar and surrounding areas, provoked by a picture posted on Facebook deemed insulting to the Muslim holy city of Mecca. The attacks occurred amid a growing trend in Bangladesh of targeted violence by Islamist extremists against liberal writers, human rights activists, foreigners, and religious minorities. Yet… -
news
Republicans Maintain Strong Control of State Capitols. Here’s What That Means.
Republicans largely retained their grip over state legislative chambers and governorships in Tuesday’s elections. The Republican takeover of the presidency may have been the biggest election news, but political experts expect states to continue to take the lead on policymaking in the years ahead. “Despite total Republican control in Washington now, states are where the… -
news
Recreational or Medical Use of Marijuana Is Now Legal in These States
Ballot initiatives on legalizing recreational or medical marijuana in seven states won big Tuesday as voters weighed in on the controversial proposals. Voters in four states—Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and North Dakota—voted to legalize medical marijuana, making medicinal use of the drug legal in more than half of the states. Voters in three states—California, Massachusetts, and… -
opinion
Donald Trump’s Win Wasn’t About Racism
Already, liberals are trying to push the narrative that Donald Trump’s win was propelled by racist Americans. “This is a candidate who ran on a clearly racist message, attracting people with clearly racist views. And he won,” wrote Vox’s German Lopez. “This was a white-lash against a changing country,” said CNN’s Van Jones. “It was… -
news
Maryland’s Most Populous County Votes for Term Limits
Residents in Montgomery County, Maryland, voted to adopt term limits for their elected officials Tuesday. The measure limits county council members and the county executive to three four-year terms or partial terms. >>> Liberal DC Suburb Could Resurrect Term Limits Movement Voters in 2000 and 2004 rejected similar measures, making this a significant victory for those… -
opinion
Why Poll-Watching Trends in Florida Are Harming Democracy
Last week, the specter of ballot fraud came alive in Florida when scores of mail ballots in Broward County were found to have been wrongfully opened by election officials in secret. This episode comes not as an “isolated” incident, but sadly as the predictable result of a pernicious tactic of discouraging poll watchers from doing… -
news
The Team That Will Transition Trump Into the White House
As balloons drop and Donald Trump celebrates his hard-fought victory, a select group of political and policy experts will hit the ground running, laying the groundwork for a full-on Trump administration. For the next three months, Trump’s transition team—separate from his campaign team—will guide the president-elect on his future administration. From budgeting decisions to agenda… -
opinion
The People Have Spoken: Change Must Start Now
Last night, the American people soundly rejected the failed liberal policies of Hillary Clinton and the broken legacy of President Barack Obama. Instead, they elected a candidate who vowed to restore their jobs, protect their borders, strive for peace, respect the Constitution, and make their country great again. Early on in the campaign, Clinton chose… -
news
Key Numbers That Explain Trump’s Big Win
White voters powered Donald Trump’s dramatic victory in the race for president, but the Republican nominee also outperformed expectations among voting groups that traditionally support Democrats. Just after 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Associated Press projected Trump as the winner with 274 electoral votes after the billionaire businessman had won come-from-behind victories in key contested states. According to early… -
news
A Confident Paul Ryan Says ‘Duty Is Not Done’ as House Speaker
Facing the threat of losing his job as House speaker, Paul Ryan spoke confidently Monday about his future. “I feel very good where I am,” Ryan told a handful of reporters at a campaign stop in Racine, Wisconsin, according to Politico’s Jake Sherman and Rachel Bade. “I’ve gotten such a great outpouring of support from… -
opinion
A Coup Against the Constitution
A New York Times editorial Monday on the Senate’s role in the confirmation process not only gets it wrong, the analysis betrays a fundamental liberal disagreement with the U.S. Constitution. When asked what he and his fellow delegates to the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787 had wrought, Benjamin Franklin responded: “A republic …… -
news
Taxpayer Groups Call on UN’s Anti-Tobacco Convention to Allow Media Coverage
Taxpayer advocacy groups around the globe are calling on the World Health Organization to open this week’s anti-tobacco convention in New Delhi, India, to the news media. Since the proceedings could not take place without taxpayer funding, journalists should not be prohibited from covering public policy deliberations that could have significant ramifications for taxpayers, the… -
opinion
Amnesty Would Cost Taxpayers Trillions, National Academy of Sciences Report Indicates
The long-term costs to taxpayers of immigrants and their descendants are detailed in a new report from the National Academy of Sciences. The findings in the report indicate that if amnesty for illegal immigrants were enacted, the government would have to raise taxes immediately by $1.29 trillion and put that sum into a high-yield bank…