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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IT CAN HAPPEN HERE: Free Speech Under Siege in Colorado as Well as in Brazil
The legendary rocker Joe Walsh once sang, “The Rocky Mountain way is better than the way we had.” But in Colorado, unfortunately, the Rocky Mountain way now more closely resembles censorship in Brazil than liberty in America. More than 100 international free speech advocates, including five former U.S. attorneys general, joined an open letter to…Lathan Watts -
John Kerry, Hillary Clinton Are So Done With That Pesky First Amendment
Why is it we hear the loudest shrieks for democracy coming from those who most clearly want to remove all limits to their own power and lord it over their fellow citizens? In just the past few weeks, we’ve seen celebrities and even major political figures on the Left openly call for tyranny. They no…Jarrett Stepman -
On the Second Amendment, Harris Shoots Herself in Foot—Again
It’s hard to reconcile Vice President Kamala Harris’ friendly overtures to gun owners with the footage that recently emerged of a 2007 press conference in which the then-district attorney of San Francisco said cops could conduct random home inspections to enforce compliance with the city’s new “safe storage” laws. Yes, really. She told reporters: We’re…Amy Swearer -
Defensive Gun Use Shows Second Amendment Remains Necessary, Even After Tragedies
A 14-year-old boy with a history of troubling behavior used a semiautomatic rifle to shoot and kill two fellow students and two teachers Sept. 6 at a high school in Georgia, police say. The teen faces criminal charges, as does his father—who police say recklessly gave his son “unfettered access” to the gun despite knowing…Amy Swearer -
Good Guys With Guns
Do you carry a gun? Bad idea, says Hollywood. Civilians with guns are fools. You are more likely to hurt yourself than the bad guy. “Leave it to a good guy with a gun to really screw things up,” says a cop on ABC’s “The Rookie.” Liberal politicians agree. “A good guy with a gun…John Stossel -
Kamala Harris’ Banana Republic on Free Speech
In 2019, Vice President Kamala Harris told CNN’s Jake Tapper that social media companies “are directly speaking to millions and millions of people without any level of oversight or regulation and it has to stop.” Does it? Every two-bit authoritarian in history has justified censoring its citizens as a way of protecting them from the…David Harsanyi -
Free Speech Victory for New York Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers
A federal district court ruled Thursday that pro-life pregnancy centers in New York may inform women “that the abortion pill reversal (‘APR’) protocol is safe and effective for a pregnant woman to use, with her doctor, to reverse the effects of a first chemical abortion pill and thereby, help to save the life of her unborn child.”…Joshua Arnold -
Who’s for the First Amendment—and Who Isn’t
“There’s a lot of opposition to just hearing what President [Donald] Trump has to say,” Elon Musk said at the beginning of his two-hour interview on X with the 45th and would-be 47th president. Musk noted, “I got a letter from the EU Commission, like, saying to not have disinformation during this discussion we’re having….Michael Barone -
What These 11 Examples of Self-Defense With Guns Ought to Teach Liberals
Vice President Kamala Harris just announced her selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate in the Nov. 5 presidential election. As governor, Walz routinely touts his gun ownership and affinity for duck hunting as a reason why people should take his opinions in favor of more gun control seriously. He completely misses…Amy Swearer -
Family Fights for First Amendment Rights of 6-Year-Old Daughter Severely Punished for ‘Any Life’ Matters Drawing
The Pacific Legal Foundation has asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse a lower court ruling in California that said elementary school students have no First Amendment rights. A 6-year-old nicknamed “B.B.” in the Capistrano Unified School District in Southern California was introduced to the phrase “Black Lives Matter” in her first-grade…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
SMOKING GUN: Documents Show HHS Focuses on ‘Anti-Racism’ Despite Becerra’s Denial
The Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden has received multiple recommendations to implement “anti-racism” in policy based on the premise that America suffers from “systemic racism,” even though HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra publicly denied having any “anti-racism policies.” “I would challenge you to show me where in our policies we call…Tyler O’Neil -
These Accounts of Defensive Gun Use Speak Volumes
It seems that many gun control activists want to take your guns so badly that they’re willing to take your voice, too. And increasingly, the war for the Second Amendment involves battles waged on a First Amendment front. Just ask the National Rifle Association, which last week needed the Supreme Court to vindicate its right…Amy Swearer -
Some Comedians Stand Up for Free Speech, the Only Cause Celebre That Matters
We get to live in a disruptive, consequential era—one for the history books. We wonder what they’ll say about today. Political correctness and cancel culture have made a major mark on our lives, but don’t seem to be aging well. The PC police have even gotten in the way of artists expressing themselves freely and…Andrew Olivastro -
Top 10 Companies That Step on First Amendment Freedoms
Several major U.S. companies continue to flout First Amendment freedoms, according to a legal group’s new analysis and rankings. Alliance Defending Freedom’s annual Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index ranks dozens of corporations based on their “respect for free speech and religious freedoms” both inside and outside of the companies. In its third edition, announced Tuesday,…Hudson Crozier -
More Defensive Gun Uses Undermine Government Claims About Armed Civilians
It should be painfully obvious to anyone paying attention that the Biden administration distrusts an armed civilian population and is willing to fudge the truth time and again to defend its untenable positions. But for those living blissfully unaware of the Biden administration’s animosity toward gun owners, it once again demonstrated its animosity in clear…Amy Swearer -
4 Things to Know About Biden’s Latest Attack on Gun Ownership and Firearms Industry
It’s an open secret that the Biden administration disdains lawful civilian gun owners almost as much as it does the lawful gun industry. But in case there was any doubt, new gun export regulations published late last month by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security make the administration’s position painfully clear: It doesn’t…Amy Swearer -
FOIA Questions for DC Prosecutor Matt Graves: Why Don’t You Take Gun Crimes Seriously?
Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, doesn’t take gun crimes seriously. The result has been more murder, mayhem, and carnage across the nation’s capital. And now there is more data to prove that point, in the form of the 2023 annual report by the District of Columbia Sentencing Commission. The Sentencing…Cully Stimson -
Indiana Prosecutor Laments That Self-Defense Laws Exist, Protect Defensive Gun Users
Apparently, some Indianapolis public officials have forgotten how their own self-defense laws work and why they exist in the first place. In an interview that’s equal parts amusing and alarming, Indiana’s Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears recently lamented an increase in self-defense shootings in Indianapolis. Mears complained to reporters that shootings involving self-defense claims are…Amy Swearer -
Sentencing of Shooter’s Parents Underlines Responsibility of Gun Owners
The convictions of James Crumbley and his wife, Jennifer, for their roles in their son’s commission of a mass school shooting in Michigan that killed four and injured seven tells us one thing: If you are an irresponsible gun owner, you will pay the price if a crime is committed with your gun. It is…Armstrong Williams -
Judge Denies Trump’s Bid to Toss Georgia Charges Based on First Amendment
The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s racketeering case in Georgia declined Thursday to dismiss the charges based on the First Amendment. Trump’s attorneys argued in a December motion that the indictment “directly targets core protected political speech and activity,” urging Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to dismiss the charges as violations of the First Amendment. But…Katelynn Richardson