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
Screaming and Yelling: My Takeaway From Democrats’ Behavior During the Hegseth, Bondi Confirmation Hearings
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. We’re witnessing the confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate of Donald Trump’s nominations. Many of… -
news
Ex-NFL Star Tapped as HUD Chief Has Game Plan for Agency
Scott Turner, nominated to be secretary of Housing and Urban Development, on Thursday likened his proposed approach to leading the federal agency to his days as a cornerback playing for the NFL’s then-Washington Redskins. “When I played in the NFL, we relied on game films to identify our mistakes and areas for improvement. I spent… -
news
Oversight Panel Chief to Meet With Bondi, Patel on Bidens’ Business Dealings, Deep State Reforms
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer is set to meet Friday with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees to run the Justice Department and the FBI. In Comer’s meetings with Pam Bondi and Kash Patel—Trump’s picks to be the next attorney general and FBI director, respectively—they will discuss topics including potential corruption by outgoing President… -
news
How the House Freedom Caucus Plans to Make MAGA Affordable
With the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives, the House Freedom Caucus’ conservative members could have a veto over the upcoming budget reconciliation package that aims to pass massive portions of President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda. The Freedom Caucus made its budget reconciliation priorities known Thursday, releasing a proposal that seeks to make the… -
news
‘Who Signed Off on That?’ Lee Zeldin Responds to Gun-Toting EPA Bureaucrats
At his confirmation hearing Thursday, EPA administrator-designate Lee Zeldin suggested he would rein in a weaponized—literally weaponized—bureaucracy at the EPA. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held the hearing for Zeldin, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be the Environmental Protection Agency administrator. During the hearing, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, relayed instances during the administrations… -
opinion
Texas A&M’s Partisan General Counsel Puts University in Legal Jeopardy Over DEI
Texas A&M University is in legal and political trouble. It faces threats of civil rights liability, the loss of federal funding, and the firing of its president, Mark Welsh III, all because its general counsel, Ray Bonilla, gave the university legal advice that he should have known was unsound. Journalist-activist Chris Rufo revealed on X… -
news
How a Woke Newsom Appointee Dismantled California’s Volunteer Firefighting Force
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—A high-ranking military appointee of California Gov. Gavin Newsom diminished the state’s emergency response volunteer firefighting units, according to Maj. Gen. Jay Coggan, retired commanding general of the California State Guard. California is now struggling to contain destructive wildfires, which have killed 25 people and displaced more than 80,000 in… -
opinion
A Breath of Fresh Air
This week, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees began their Senate confirmation hearings. After four years of the administrative malaise of the Biden administration, the nominees proved to be a breath of fresh air. They completely reject the failed philosophies of the Biden years—and the contrast is absolutely stunning. Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth explained that… -
opinion
Make DC Safe Again
It’s time to make Washington, D.C., safe again. Washington is one of the most dangerous capital cities in the civilized world. Tourists, diplomats, members of Congress and their staffs, and residents—especially in minority neighborhoods—have all been victims of crime. If Washington, D.C., was a state, it would have the highest per capita homicide rate of… -
news
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Daines to Introduce Bill Defending Second Amendment From Woke Companies
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Sen. Steve Daines is set to introduce a bill Thursday afternoon to prohibit the federal government from using taxpayers’ funds to enter contracts with anti-Second Amendment companies. “Democrats and woke corporations have proven over and over again that they want to carry out an unconstitutional, overreaching, gun-grabbing agenda, and under no… -
opinion
Why Do Red State Policymakers Fund DEI Required Course in Public Universities?
No one is surprised that the cows in the Chik-fil-A ads advocate for eating more chicken. It would be shockingly irrational, however, if the chickens joined the campaign by paying the cows to carry their “Eat Mor Chikin” signs. Yet, this is exactly what Republican state legislators in 10 conservative states are doing when they… -
opinion
Rep. Ralph Norman: What Trump Told Me After I Voted Against Johnson for Speaker
Rep. Ralph Norman was on the House floor Jan. 3 when Rep. Nancy Mace, a fellow South Carolina Republican, phone in hand, told him that President-elect Donald Trump wanted to speak with him. Norman had just voted for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to become speaker of the House, rather than Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La. For… -
opinion
Fact-Checking 3 Claims in Biden’s Farewell Address
President Joe Biden delivered his farewell address to the nation on Wednesday night. In his speech, Biden touted his record on the economy and his support for “democracy.” “The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France after our Civil War, like the very idea of America, it was built not by one person, but by… -
opinion
Where Did MAGA Come From?
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. Where did MAGA come from? Ronald Reagan used the term in 1980, “Make America Great.” Bill Clinton used it in 1992. In 2011, Donald Trump wrote… -
news
What to Know About Hostage Deal Reached Between Israel and Hamas
With President Donald Trump’s inauguration less than a week away, Hamas has agreed to a deal that includes a ceasefire and the release of the hostages being held in Gaza. “Soon, the hostages will be returned home to their families,” President Joe Biden said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon before going on to explain the known… -
news
Align Foreign Policy ‘to Our National Interest,’ Secretary of State Nominee Rubio Says
When Sen. Marco Rubio was asked Wednesday how he would define success as secretary of state, for which he has been nominated, he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: “The alignment of our foreign policy to our national interest.” Throughout the hearing, Rubio outlined a foreign policy philosophy of skepticism toward the postwar consensus. “The… -
opinion
From California Democrats to Woke Military Policies, Trump Puts Left on Notice
California lawmakers appear almost as afraid of President-elect Donald Trump as they do of the wildfires that have raved 40,000 acres of their state. With fires still burning across Los Angeles County, California Democrats met to authorize $50 million in the state’s budget to “Trump proof” California. State Senate Budget Committee Chair Scott Wiener, a… -
news
Trump Nominee to Lead Office of Management and Budget Faces Tough Questions from Democrats and Republicans Alike
Russell Vought, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to direct the Office of Management and Budget, faced tense questioning from both Democrat and Republican senators during his confirmation hearing Wednesday. When Vought previously served in the same office during the first Trump administration, he helped Trump design a new classification for federal employees—“Schedule F”—to reclassify tens of… -
news
EXCLUSIVE: Christian Law Firm Warns Va. Republicans Against Resolution Infusing Gender Identity in Constitution
Alliance Defending Freedom is voicing its concerns to Republicans in the Virginia Legislature about a Democrat-introduced resolution that would inject "gender" into the state Constitution, deeming it distinct from sex. The Marriage Amendment, which includes gender provisions, eliminates the state's current definition of marriage—between one and one woman—to recognize same-sex marriage. Deeming "gender" or "gender… -
news
Climate Protesters Aside, Energy Nominee Gets Mostly Warm Reception From Senate Panel
Chris Wright, nominated to lead the Department of Energy, received a generally warm welcome from senators of both parties at his Senate committee confirmation hearing Wednesday—despite raucous protests from climate activists. Wright is the CEO of Liberty Energy, a natural gas company based in his home state of Colorado. Wright made clear in his opening…