U.S. Constitution News
The Daily Signal provides reporting and analysis on the U.S. Constitution, including court rulings, separation of powers, and the defense of individual rights.
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- Opinion
Biden’s ATF Nominee Amplifies Concerns About Stance on Second Amendment
When President Joe Biden released his plan in February to tackle gun violence, he also announced the nomination of David Chipman to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF. Chipman’s nomination as ATF director raised immediate concerns from Second Amendment advocates, many of whom see it as a slap in the…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
Defend Free Speech, Urges Author Who Faced Repercussions for Teaching College Students About Pronouns
Canadian author and columnist Lindsay Shepherd’s message to Americans is simple: Defend free speech or risk losing it. In 2017, Shepherd, then a teaching assistant at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada, played for her class a series of clips in which psychologist and author Jordan Peterson talked about personal pronouns and transgenderism. Afterward, Shepherd was called into a meeting with…Douglas Blair -
- Opinion
Cruz: Liberals’ Endgame on ‘Ghost Guns’ Is to Get National Gun Registry
Editor’s note: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, made the following remarks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday. Read the lightly edited transcript, below, or watch the video above. Sen. Ted Cruz: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, thank you to the witnesses who are here today. Last Friday, the Biden administration published proposed regulations to significantly expand…Daily Signal Staff -
- Opinion
In These 11 Cases, a Firearm Saved the Owner or Others
Late last month, President Joe Biden used his first address to a joint session of Congress to push for major gun control initiatives, often using blatant lies and mischaracterizations in the process. One of Biden’s more egregious mischaracterizations was the common trope that the nation is experiencing a “gun violence epidemic.” The plain data simply…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
3 Things to Know About Second Amendment’s Return to Supreme Court
It’s been well over a decade since the Supreme Court last decided a meaningful Second Amendment case. That wait is about to end. Although District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010) answered some foundational questions about the right to keep and bear arms, the Supreme Court’s decade of silence…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
These 11 Incidents Underscore Outrage of Biden’s Slap in Face to Gun Owners
Just a little over halfway through its first 100 days, the Biden administration has made it very clear where it stands on the Second Amendment, releasing a slew of executive orders that are likely to punish responsible gun owners without meaningfully affecting crime rates. Perhaps worse, President Joe Biden nominated gun control lobbyist David Chipman…Emma Nitzsche -
- Opinion
Justice Thomas’ Thought Experiment on Novel Issues With Social Media, Free Speech
On April 5, the Supreme Court declined to hear Biden v. Knight, a case involving the First Amendment and digital platforms. Justice Clarence Thomas agreed with the court’s decision, but wrote a concurring opinion to highlight what he considers to be the difficulties of “applying old doctrines to new digital platforms.” The case was originally…GianCarlo Canaparo -
- Opinion
It’s a Misperception That Firearms Aren’t Safe, Gun Shop Owner Says
Geneva Solomon is co-owner of Redstone Firearms in Burbank and Ontario, California, where she and her husband not only sell firearms but teach gun safety. Solomon joins the “Problematic Women” podcast to tell how she became passionate about gun ownership and safety. She also discusses her recent testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee and why…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Yes, Leftists Want to Take Your Guns
If we lose the Second Amendment, then the rest will fall. During my recent—and very contentious—congressional campaign, my opponent argued that he didn’t need to take your guns because he had enough of his own. Voters in western North Carolina didn’t buy it. There was no need to remind them that leftists have a long…Rep. Madison Cawthorn -
- News
House Passes Gun Control Bill With Universal Background Checks
The House passed a gun control bill Thursday that requires a universal background check for every purchase of a firearm. HR 8, titled the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 and led by California Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson and Georgia Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath, passed 227 to 203 with eight Republicans voting in favor. If…Andrew Trunsky -
- Opinion
These 11 Examples of Defensive Gun Use Undermine Push for More Gun Control
March is Women’s History Month, yet Congress appears ready to celebrate in the worst way possible by creating more barriers for women who seek to exercise their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. While COVID-19-related bills have taken up much of the national spotlight, several gun control bills are primed for passage this…Emma Nitzsche -
- News
Supreme Court Sides With Christian Student in College Free Speech Case
The Supreme Court ruled in an 8-1 decision Monday that a Georgia college’s speech code policy violated the First Amendment and that a student who was harmed by the policy can seek damages. Justice Clarence Thomas issued the opinion of the high court, siding with Chike Uzuegbunam, a former student at Georgia Gwinnett College, and affirming his…Thomas Catenacci -
- Opinion
Blowing 4 Factual Holes in the Biden Gun Control Agenda
On the third anniversary of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, President Joe Biden issued his administration’s first significant push for new gun control measures. Unfortunately, instead of seeking support for laws addressing the real underlying factors of gun violence, Biden is pushing politically divisive measures that would turn…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
Biden’s Assault on Gun Owners
For the duration of his 2020 presidential campaign—which at first appeared to be a long shot, especially given the far left’s vocal disdain for “old, white men”—Joe Biden ran on the promise that he would unite the country. He repeatedly spoke about the importance of America’s institutions and norms, and to the many who ultimately…Armstrong Williams -
- Opinion
11 Times a Gun Stopped Matters From Getting Worse
We’re in a new year, but gun control advocates are back to their same tactics of wanting to make it much harder for law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights. Perhaps one of the worst offenders is Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, who recently introduced a bill to create a national gun license and…Amy Swearer -
- News
Exclusive: Twitter Suspends Free Speech Group’s Account
The Twitter account for a national free speech organization has been suspended for allegedly violating Twitter’s rules, but the group’s president says she has no idea why the account would be suspended. “I looked at all the tweets that I had approved for the couple of days before, and nothing is like doxxing anybody,” Nicole…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
Watch a Dramatic Use of a Gun in Self-Defense That Didn’t Make News
If a defensive use of a firearm goes unreported in the media and nobody hears about it, does it really count? I’m happy to report that the answer is a resounding “yes,” and I have evidence to prove it. A man who was patrolling his employer’s property to protect it from thieves, confronted by an…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
Left-Wing Journalists Suddenly Have a Problem With Free Speech
As President Joe Biden took office Jan. 20 with calls for unity, his allies in the mainstream media are beating the drum for squashing political dissent, large or small, and keeping it from being heard by the American people. It’s amazing how “Resist”—once the proud motto of progressive activists—has instantly been turned on its head…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
Why the Left Has to Suppress Free Speech
Let us begin with this fact: The left always suppresses speech. Since Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917, there has been no example of the left in control and not crushing dissent. That is one of the important differences between liberal and left: Liberalism and liberals believe in free speech. (The…Dennis Prager -
- Opinion
Justices to Decide If Public Colleges Face Consequences After Infringing Students’ Free Speech
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Jan. 12 in Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, a case that will decide whether public universities that infringe their students’ First Amendment right to free speech can be held accountable for it. The case was brought by Chike Uzuegbunam, who was a student at Georgia Gwinnett College from 2013 to 2017….GianCarlo Canaparo