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
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,… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
opinion
New Year, Same as the Old Year
The Romans set January as the first month of the year. Originally, March had been the start of the new year. But the early Roman kings, before the republic, moved it to coincide with Janus, a two-faced god who looked backward with an old face and forward with a young face. Julius Caesar realigned Roman… -
opinion
Make a Resolution to Fix Social Security
In the dreamlike days between Christmas and the regular work week’s return in the new year, it’s easy to believe all things are possible. Indulge in as much pie as you like—a resolution to eat healthier in 2025 will balance the scales. For most of us, this is harmless self-deception. Unfortunately, Congress has the same… -
news
Chief Justice Blasts Intimidation, Defiance of Judges in Year-End Report
“Four areas of illegitimate activity … threaten the independence of judges on which the rule of law depends,” U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts warned in his 2024 year-end report. He identified “(1) violence, (2) intimidation, (3) disinformation, and (4) threats to defy lawfully entered judgments” as the top behaviors that threaten to undermine the… -
opinion
Meet America’s 6’6” Revolutionary War Legend You Never Knew About
Travis Bowman is a seventh-generation descendant of one of America’s most remarkable yet overlooked Revolutionary War heroes: Peter Francisco, known as “The Virginia Giant.” During a recent visit to Washington, D.C., Bowman visited The Daily Signal to share the incredible tale of Francisco’s life: from his mysterious beginnings in the Azores, to his kidnapping by… -
opinion
Bourbon Street Massacre Is What ‘Globalize the Intifada’ Looks Like
As woke illiberalism replaced live-and-let-live liberalism as the animating ideology of the American Left, the state of Israel has increasingly found itself on the outs. Never mind that modern Israel was founded by, and for three decades politically dominated by, a bunch of left-wing socialists. Never mind that Harry Truman, an iconic liberal Democratic president,… -
news
In Shocking Turn of Events, Johnson Reelected House Speaker
This article has been updated since publication to reflect that two lawmakers changed votes. After what looked to be a loss, Mike Johnson has emerged the winner, successfully being reelected House speaker in a 218-215 vote. In a shocking twist, two Republican members who voted for other candidates changed their votes to Johnson. Three Republican… -
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… -
news
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…. -
news
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… -
news
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… -
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… -
opinion
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… -
opinion
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…