Political News
Reports on political developments, legislation, and leadership. The Daily Signal provides news and conservative analysis of American politics.
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opinion
We Have Reached the Emily Litella Moment on Climate Change
It’s been a cold winter so far in the Midwest and much of the Northeast, early-in-the-season snow even in Washington, D.C., and temperatures falling to freezing and below in much of the South. Come to think of it, North America’s 2024-25 winter was pretty cold, too. It’s gotten to the point that “polar vortex” is… -
opinion
In Today’s Culture, Choose Meaning Over Freedom
There’s a popular idea circulating, especially for young Americans, that the highest form of freedom means having no one need you. It usually comes packaged attractively: summers in Europe, spontaneous road trips, disappearing off-grid on weekends, money invested in “experiences.” On its face, this framing sounds harmless—just another lifestyle choice. But it reveals something deeper and… -
news
5 Ways Trump Put Pressure on ‘Rampant Fraud’ in Minnesota This Week
The Trump administration made a series of moves this week to crack down on the fraud that has allegedly occurred in Minnesota under Democrat Gov. Tim Walz’s watch. “Under President [Donald] Trump’s leadership, the federal government is fully exposing and aggressively prosecuting the rampant fraud that was allowed to happen for years under failed Democrat… -
news
Rubio Addresses If He’ll End Program Brown University Shooter Used to Enter the United States
The Trump administration plans to fix the diversity visa program and then resume it, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told The Daily Signal Friday. After the alleged shooter of students at Brown University and an MIT professor was found to have entered the country using a diversity visa, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem paused the… -
news
What Will Bring About America’s Golden Age? Heritage President Responds
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts told Turning Point USA’s America Fest on Friday about what will underpin America’s golden age. America may be on the cusp of a golden age, but Americans still have to choose it for themselves. “As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, we ought to ask the question: What is America going… -
news
Epstein Files Release Highlights Clinton, Makes Scant Reference to Trump
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (Reuters)—The U.S. Justice Department released hundreds of thousands of pages of documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday that made scant reference to President Donald Trump but extensively featured Democratic former President Bill Clinton. The release was intended to comply with a law overwhelmingly passed by Congress… -
news
Milwaukee Judge Guilty of Felony Obstruction During ICE Arrest
THE CENTER SQUARE—Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan was found guilty of a felony charge of obstruction by a jury Thursday in a case involving the judge’s actions related to a defendant in her court that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were attempting to arrest outside of the courtroom. The jury returned the verdict at 8:38 p.m…. -
opinion
Chanukah Is Relevant for Everyone—But Not in the Way You Might Think
Of all the holidays on the Jewish calendar, Chanukah, which began last Sunday evening, has always been one of my favorites. Even when I was younger and far less observant, I appreciated the holiday’s well-known rituals and customs: lighting the menorah, spinning the dreidel, eating potato latkes, and so forth. My given Hebrew name—“Maccabee,” because… -
news
Brown University and MIT Shooter Entered US on Diversity Visa
The suspect in the Brown University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor shootings entered the U.S. through an immigrant visa program, according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Now, the secretary is pausing the program. “The Brown University shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente entered the United States through the diversity lottery immigrant visa program (DV1) in 2017 and was… -
news
EXCLUSIVE: Trump Overturns Biden-Era ‘Rocks in Shoes’ Regulation
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—President Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services has proposed a new rule removing the Biden-era requirement that government-funded preschool programs have a policy to mitigate COVID-19. The direct final rule proposed by the Administration for Children and Families on Friday removes the requirement that Head Start programs have a… -
opinion
Why Conservatives Should Oppose the Netflix-Warner Bros. Merger
Conservatives don’t reflexively oppose corporate mergers. We believe in free markets, in the power of competition, and in the freedom of businesses to grow when they win on merit. But we also believe in limits, especially when a single company seeks to consolidate cultural and economic power in ways that threaten the marketplace itself. This… -
opinion
Yes, Virginia. You Elected Santa Claus.
The late Rush Limbaugh posited in 2012 that it would be very difficult to win an election over Santa Claus. Meaning that someone who is just seen as bringing gifts will always be popular, and—with apologies to New York newspaper editor Francis Church—yes, Virginia. You just elected Santa Claus. Both Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger and Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi have spoken since the election of their… -
analysis
House Passes Bill Ending Trans Surgeries for Children. What’s the Next Step?
The House of Representatives passed a bill to make it a felony to facilitate transgender procedures on minors Wednesday, but does it have any shot of becoming law? The bill, titled the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, passed by a 216-to-211 margin. Three Democrats, Reps. Don Davis of North Carolina, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, and Henry… -
opinion
The Dumbest Assumption in All of Politics
One of the most persistent mistakes in modern politics is the insistence on flattening all ideologies—pretending that all human beings think the same way, want the same things, and are motivated by the same forces. Every time policymakers fall into this trap, the result is not compassion or clarity but some of the worst public… -
opinion
Why Johnny Can’t Read
Reading and math scores are abysmal across the country, as national testing results keep documenting. Illiteracy rates are rising: The number of 16- to 24-year-olds reading at the lowest literacy levels increased from 16% in 2017 to 25% in 2023, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. In some inner-city schools, less… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: ‘The West Is Slouching Toward Open Season on Jews. It’s Just Sick.’
In this episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words,” Victor Davis Hanson and Sami Winc dissect Australia’s reaction to the Hanukkah massacre and how the West flicks aside antisemitic violence. Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of a segment from today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words” from… -
news
Erika Kirk Endorses ‘My Husband’s Friend’ JD Vance for President
PHOENIX—At Turning Point USA’s 2025 America Fest Thursday, Erika Kirk pledged the organization’s support behind one possible 2028 presidential candidate. “We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible!” said Kirk, whose husband, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated in September. Turning Point Action, the organization’s grassroots… -
news
BREAKING: Suspect in Brown University Killing Found Dead, Also Suspected of MIT Murder
The suspect in last weekend’s fatal shooting at Brown University has been found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a storage unit he rented in Salem, New Hampshire, Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez announced Thursday night. The suspect has been identified as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, a Portuguese national. U.S. Attorney for… -
news
EXCLUSIVE: Red-State AG Demands Governor Designate CAIR a Terrorist Group
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is calling on Gov. Mike Braun to join other Republican governors in branding the Council on American-Islamic Relations a terrorist organization. “It’s high time that Indiana declare CAIR a foreign terrorist organization,” Rokita told The Daily Signal in an interview Thursday. “I completely agree and I… -
opinion
War With Venezuela Could Break Trump’s MAGA Base
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. There are war drums beating about the United States and the Trump administration’s interdiction of narco-trafficking,…