White House News
The Daily Signal provides coverage of the White House agenda, press briefings, and policy decisions affecting the country at large.
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opinion
White House Procurement Priorities for Renegotiating NAFTA Do Not Advance Free Trade
On Tuesday, the Trump Administration released its list of objectives for renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. In the section on government procurement, the 20-page document included priorities such as “increasing opportunities for U.S. firms to sell U.S. products and services in to the NAFTA countries,” “keep in place domestic preferential purchasing programs,”… -
opinion
Congress Bucks White House Budget Proposal, Shows Commitment to Rebuilding the Military
Congress has rejected President Donald Trump’s defense budget proposal. Both the Senate and the House armed services committees have authorized more resources for the Department of Defense than what the Trump administration asked for. These are great developments that show Congress is taking seriously the problems that plague our armed forces. Both committees got within… -
news
Trumps Spend $5 Million Less Than Obamas on White House Salaries
An analysis of White House salary data reveals that President Donald Trump’s administration is spending $5 million less of taxpayer money on his staff than his predecessor. Trump employs 377 people at the White House, with a total of $35.8 million, while former President Barack Obama paid $40.9 million for 476 employees in 2015, according to data analyzed by Open the… -
news
White House Pushes Trump Priorities Before Congressional Recess
As some Republicans in Congress are calling on leadership to allow the legislative branch to work through the August recess, the White House touted President Donald Trump’s priorities that Congress should move on. “We’ll go as quick as Congress wants,” @PressSec says. White House press secretary Sean Spicer deferred to congressional leadership on scheduling, in… -
news
Kellyanne Conway Reveals the ‘Biggest Misconception’ About the Trump White House
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway was ready to bust some myths about the Trump White House in remarks Friday at the Road to Majority Conference. “What is [President Donald Trump] like in private?” asked Ralph Reed, founder and chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, addressing Conway. “Does he listen to advice?” he added. “The… -
news
Spicer Outlasts Stephanopoulos in White House Press Room
Critics said he was out of his element in conducting White House press briefings, but he steadily continued for nearly five months into the new presidential administration, frequently having a rocky ride and clashes with the press. Finally, the president ordered a shakeup, and moved him to another job. “He just got clobbered,” @georgecondon says…. -
news
US Intelligence Leaks Are Threatening National Security. Here’s What the White House Can Do.
Classified information leaks to the media have often been framed as clash between the so-called “deep state” and President Donald Trump. However, Britain’s threat to stop intelligence sharing information with the United States demonstrates the larger problem. “The president has made it very clear going back months that leaks threaten national security,” @PressSec says. The… -
news
In New Russia Stir, White House and Allies Call Leaks to Media Real Problem
President Donald Trump’s Oval Office conversation with two Russian officials last week was “wholly appropriate,” national security adviser H.R. McMaster said Tuesday, expanding on his previous explanation about classified information shared by the president. “The president in no way undermined sources or methods,” H.R. McMaster says. When Trump met with the Russians, McMaster said, he… -
opinion
Is the White House Embracing Human Rights in US Foreign Policy?
With the myriad U.S. interests at stake in foreign policy, where exactly do human rights fit in? Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke to this question on Wednesday while discussing the role of values in U.S. foreign policy decision-making. Now I think it’s important to also remember that guiding all of our foreign policy actions… -
opinion
DC School Choice Takes Center Stage at the White House
President Donald Trump signaled his support for education choice at a Wednesday event celebrating the achievements of charter school students and school voucher recipients in the nation’s capital. It was an honor to be at this White House event to watch Trump, along with Vice President Mike Pence and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, applaud the… -
opinion
Federal Land Grabs Have Gotten Out of Control. Why Trump’s Executive Order Is a Positive Sign.
Draining the swamp doesn’t just mean shrinking the size of federal bureaucracies. It means reducing the role of government throughout our society—including its ability to seize land. A good place to start is President Donald Trump’s executive order, which calls for a review of national monument designations—a tool long used by presidents to unilaterally restrict… -
news
Trump White House Moves Forward With Plan Government Employee Union Dubs ‘Dangerous’
In six months, the Trump administration plans to produce a plan to shrink the size of government, eliminate programs, and reduce the federal workforce—and is seeking public input on how to proceed. “What it really means is making government more accountable to you, more effective and more efficient,” @OMBPress45 says. The memo from Office of… -
news
This 1 Change Trump Administration Made to White House Press Briefings Is Shaking Up the Media
From the moment he took office in January, President Donald Trump put the establishment media on notice. Through his tweets and press conferences, Trump isn’t shy about calling out news organizations by name or leveling criticism. And in the White House press briefing room, the Trump administration is changing the dynamic in a way that… -
news
Conservatives Skeptical of White House’s Proposed Changes to Obamacare Replacement Bill
Less than two weeks since the collapse of Republicans’ plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, lawmakers and White House officials have revived talks aimed at crafting a health care bill that can make it through Congress. But a new pitch from the White House designed to get conservative lawmakers on board, though in its early… -
opinion
Trump’s Sweeping Executive Order on Climate Policy Has Been Sorely Needed
As promised, President Donald Trump has issued an “energy independence” executive order to undo several of the Obama administration’s climate change regulations. To the benefit of all Americans who desire affordable, dependable energy, the executive order will help energy companies establish some independence from overzealous regulators. Here’s what the order does: Orders the Environmental Protection… -
news
House Freedom Caucus Heads to the White House Ahead of Obamacare Repeal Vote
The House is scheduled to vote on the Obamacare repeal health care bill some time today, but GOP leaders are still struggling to get conservatives and centrist Republicans on board. House Speaker Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump are working both sides of the Republican conference in an attempt to get them closer to supporting… -
news
Journalists From BuzzFeed, New York Times Assess Daily Signal’s Splash in White House Press ‘Pool’
A story in The Washington Post questioning the legitimacy of The Daily Signal and its White House correspondent demonstrates the entrenched news media’s slowness to adapt and protectiveness of its turf, a veteran Washington reporter observes. “I was surprised that anyone objected to @FredLucasWH’s inclusion in the WH pool,” @BuzzFeedBen says. Those “gatekeepers” in the… -
opinion
What 2 Obama Judges Got Wrong in Striking Down Travel Executive Order
Two federal judges, both nominated by President Barack Obama, have issued injunctions against President Donald Trump’s revised executive order temporarily restricting travel from six terrorist safe havens in the Middle East and Africa. The decisions by Derrick Kahala Watson in Hawaii and Theodore David Chuang in Maryland should shock no one—not because the judges are… -
opinion
New Executive Order Shows Trump Is Serious About Cutting Federal Waste
Washington talks a tough game about tackling federal spending, but President Donald Trump is beginning to take real action. On Monday, Trump issued a new executive order that would require the director of the Office of Management and Budget to conduct a review of all executive branch agencies and, in an effort to improve efficiency,… -
opinion
Hawaii Has No Case Against Revised Travel Executive Order
The new lawsuit filed by Hawaii against President Donald Trump’s revised March 6 immigration executive order is just as unsound as the lawsuits filed by other states against the original order—despite what some courts have said about the original order or may say about the revised order. Executive Order 13780, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign…