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
What LA Times Calls ‘Harassing’ Trans Kids Is Simply a Request for Parental Involvement
More than 100 years ago, the Supreme Court recognized that the right to direct the care, education, and upbringing of one’s children is both fundamental and predates the Constitution itself. In 2000, it reiterated this premise, saying that the parental right was perhaps “the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests” ever recognized by the court….Sarah Parshall Perry -
- Opinion
Health Insurance Can Raise Prices of Care, These 2 Doctors Say
Health care can be more affordable when medical doctors don’t take health insurance, two doctors say. Dr. Josh Umbehr and Dr. Jules Madrigal join this episode of “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss health care reform opportunities that would give patients control over their experience. “We need to make health care more affordable in the first place so that…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- Opinion
3 Themes That Set the Tone for the DNC on Night One
Democrats gathered in Chicago, Illinois on Monday to kick off the first day of the Democratic National Convention with the ostensible theme “For the People.” Despite the theme, the stage was mostly dominated by political and cultural elites when compared to the Republican National Convention last month in Milwaukee. Rather, it was three other themes…Bradley Devlin -
- Opinion
15 Things We Saw at the Democratic National Convention
CHICAGO—The Daily Signal is on the ground at the Democratic National Convention, where Democrats will formally nominate Vice President Kamala Harris for president and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for vice president. We saw crowds begin to form on Sunday and filmed anti-Israel protesters breaking through the security perimeter on Monday. Here’s a list of what…Tim Kennedy -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: Daily Signal on Scene as Protesters Break Through Secret Service Perimeter at Democratic Convention
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Anti-Israel protesters broke through the first fence in the Secret Service perimeter around the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Monday evening. Daily Signal reporters Tim Kennedy and Tony Kinnett were on the scene live as it happened. The reporters captured footage of an anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protester cutting part of the perimeter…Brian Gottstein -
- Opinion
Meet the Democrats Holding Out on Harris
When President Joe Biden was deposed from his perch atop the Democratic ticket nearly one month ago, fellow Democrats and the corporate media were swift to take up arms for his endorsed successor, Vice President Kamala Harris. Despite the rapid convergence behind Harris, though, some Democrats are not as keen on Kamala as former House…Bradley Devlin -
- Opinion
Is This Year’s Democratic Convention Going to Be a Repeat of 1968?
Editor's Note: Protests are building at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. In May, The Daily Signal's Jarrett Stepman wrote a short history of the 1968 DNC where—just like today—a Democrat incumbent president stepped down for a vice president. The party was deeply divided over the Vietnam War and today is divided about the war…Jarrett Stepman -
- News
‘Retaliation’: Nurse Who Blew the Whistle on Child Sex-Change Program Says Texas Children’s Fired Her
Former Texas Children’s Hospital nurse Vanessa Sivadge says that she has been terminated after blowing the whistle on the hospital’s alleged use of Texas Medicaid to cover attempted sex changes for children. Texas Children’s has denied that it used Texas Medicaid to cover cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers for minors, as Sivadge has alleged. The…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
DNC Protester Says Police ‘Wounded,’ ‘Tackled,’ ‘Choked’ Her ‘Peers’
A student protester outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago claimed police who “wounded, tackled, and choked” her “peers” are the same ones who “profit from the constant oppression of all people.” Anti-Israel, pro-abortion, and Marxist demonstrators joined forces to protest at the convention this weekend. “Police and the same people have profited off of…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- Opinion
Don’t Be Fooled by the ‘Propaganda Extravaganza’ Coming to Chicago This Week
The Democratic National Convention opens in Chicago on Monday, giving Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz an opportunity to present their vision for America. But don’t be fooled by the Democrats’ glitzy gala, says John Tillman, CEO of the American Culture Project and chairman of the Illinois Policy Institute. He offered a…Robert B. Bluey -
- Opinion
Biden’s Disappearing Act Reveals the Real Power in Washington
Our increasingly imperial executive branch has become the center of American politics as the presidency itself shrinks into irrelevancy. It is a dangerous dynamic that threatens the future of our country, and it’s been exposed during our current president’s lamest of lame-duck final months in office. President Joe Biden—if we can still give him that…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
The Washington Post’s ‘Rambunctious Rah-Rah’ Coverage of Walz
The Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, but it reads like it’s owned by the Democratic National Committee. Consider the bias by omission. On Aug. 9, Washington Examiner reporter Gabe Kaminsky found an uncomfortable story: “Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, on at least five occasions as governor of Minnesota, hosted a Muslim cleric…Tim Graham -
- Opinion
WATCH: Subsidized Housing, Price Controls, and ‘Kamala-unism’
On the latest episode of “The Tony Kinnett Cast,” we dig into the boldest promises from the Harris-Walz and Trump-Vance campaigns. It’s a veritable cornucopia of proposed tax cuts, governmental price controls, and every social and economic fantasy in between. Bipartisan support and backlash to these promises have social media and network television spinning. We’ll…Tony Kinnett -
- News
Why Michigan Republicans Side With Democrat AG Who Threatened to Prosecute Over Facebook Posts
The Donald Trump-backed candidate for state attorney general says he supports the move by his former opponent—Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat—to threaten to prosecute a GOP township candidate over her Facebook posts. Matthew Deperno, Nessel’s former opponent and the lawyer for Michigan’s Kalamazoo County Republican Party, said Kerry Lynn Elieff likely broke a…Fred Lucas -
- News
Sanctuary Cities for Parental Rights? California City Aims to Protect Families from Radical Gender Policies
The mayor of Huntington Beach, California, is fighting for parental rights despite a recently signed state law requiring schools to conceal students’ gender transitions from parents. Huntington Beach Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark introduced an ordinance Aug. 6 to make the Southern California beach town a “Parents’ Right to Know” city. “The state of California is…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- Opinion
How Gold Saves the Dollar
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of the accompanying video from professor Peter St. Onge. Can we save the dollar before central banking kills it? Yes. It’s surprisingly easy. And, as you might expect, it involves gold. As federal deficits hit 8% of gross domestic product—unprecedented in peacetime—and our national debt hits $35…Peter St. Onge -
- Opinion
Why Would a White House Reporter Ask About Muzzling Musk?
This is how much Elon Musk spooks big media. At Monday’s White House press briefing, a reporter asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre if the Biden administration was going to do something to muzzle Musk ahead of the billionaire’s scheduled conversation with Donald Trump via X that evening. After mentioning the impending Musk-Trump interview,…Debra Saunders -
- Opinion
Why More Americans Have Nowhere to Live
The cost of housing rose again last month, making it even more difficult for Americans to afford a home of their own. Inflation is just one of many problems creating a housing crisis in America. On today’s episode of “The Daily Signal Podcast,” James Burling, a property rights lawyer with more than 40 years of…Robert B. Bluey -
- Opinion
No Room at ESPN for Women Defending Women’s Sports
Turns out defending women’s sports is a no-go if you want a long career at ESPN. Samantha Ponder, host of “Sunday NFL Countdown,” has been fired, according to The Athletic. Supposedly Ponder, who was reportedly in a three-year, $3 million-plus contract, was axed “for financial reasons, as ESPN nears the conclusion of its fiscal year…Katrina Trinko -
- Opinion
1 More Way the Admin’s ‘Green’ Electricity Plan Will Cost Consumers Big: 91,000 Miles of New Transmission Lines
For over a decade, there has been a project proposal to build about 800 miles of transmission lines from Kansas through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana to deliver wind-generated electricity to consumers. However, a recent Aug. 8 ruling by an Illinois court halts the planned construction of lines in that state. This project, known as the…Austin Gae