Economic Policy News
The Daily Signal provides economic policy news with reporting, analysis, and commentary on markets, growth, and fiscal responsibility.
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opinion
Securing America’s Economy: Secretary Scott Bessent to Speak at Forum 2026
Days after the midterm elections, conservatives will gather just outside Washington, D.C., for The Forum 2026 to debate where their movement goes next. Hosted by The Heritage Foundation, The Forum 2026 will welcome Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as a featured speaker. Bessent will be joined by other leaders, including commentator Scott Jennings, television personality… -
news
Voters Punish GOP Over Economy, but Democrats May Still Have a Problem, Exit Polls Find
Summary Voters were more dissatisfied with the state of the economy in 2026 than they were in 2024, according to exit polling. While punishing the party in power was the antidote to that on Tuesday, most voters said they didn’t necessarily trust Democrats to handle key issues more than Republicans, as both parties had low… -
news
Why Voters Backed Democrats in Midterm Blowout
About three-quarters of voters said the Iran war was a crucial factor in which candidate they supported in the 2026 midterm elections, according to an NBC exit poll. Among the 74% of voters who said the Iran war was a crucial factor, 62% voted Democrat and 35% voted Republican. President Donald Trump’s operation in Iran… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: Trump’s Economy Hits 3.4% Growth—Where Did All the Doomsayers Go?
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words” from Daily Signal senior contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to Hanson’s own YouTube channel to watch past episodes. Sami Winc: [President Donald] Trump had a constitution to weather all of that onslaught against him, and we’re just seeing that constitution reveal itself… -
opinion
After 6 Months of Jones Act Waivers, What Do We Know?
Summary Since March 17, 2026, the federal government has implemented a monthslong Jones Act waiver. This waiver allows foreign-flagged vessels to transport specified cargo between U.S. ports, easing shipping disruptions caused by the Iran conflict. As such, the waiver offers an opportunity to examine the Jones Act’s effectiveness in safeguarding and growing American shipping using… -
opinion
The Real Affordability Question
Summary One word is echoing in all discussions of the upcoming midterm elections: affordability. When pundits talk about affordability, they almost always start and end with the pump, the grocery store, and the housing market. That framing has two problems. First, most Americans are busy working, raising children, and paying bills. They do not carry… -
opinion
Affordability Is the Economic Test Washington Can’t Ignore
Summary Midterms are often used to understand the mood of the country, and this one is no different. As we barrel toward Election Day, many commenters say that this year’s midterms are a referendum on the economy—and affordability is certainly top of mind for households across the nation. Americans don’t experience the economy in spreadsheets… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: The Iran War Is Not an ‘Endless War’
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 Daily Signal senior contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to Hanson’s own YouTube channel to watch past episodes. Victor Davis Hanson: I get really tired of the Left and some of the Right because they… -
opinion
Don’t Hire the Arsonists to Fight the Affordability Fire
Voters are angry about the cost of living, and they have every right to be. With Republicans in full control of Washington, they expect a fast reversal of the Biden years. But voters’ anger should not be mistaken for amnesia. Americans clearly remember who started the affordability fire burning through families’ wallets. My new League… -
analysis
Customers Pay for Virginia’s Policies on Power Production
Virginia’s federal elections will be finished in less than two weeks, but some state-based issues are likely to keep simmering long after Election Day. Examples include the state’s policies governing data centers and how the electricity to power those centers—and the homes of millions of citizens—is generated. A court in Goochland County hosted a pretrial… -
exclusive
Miller-Meeks Debuts Ad on Project She Says Will Transform Southeast Iowa
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Mariannette Miller-Meeks is launching a new ad Friday night highlighting the new steel plant President Donald Trump and Republicans are bringing to Iowa. As the largest steel plant in America, it is set to bring 1,700 new permanent jobs, thousands more construction jobs, and tens of billions of dollars to the… -
opinion
The Hidden Cost of Socialism? The Innovation It Never Creates
Imagine a day without capitalism. You wake up to a decently sized apartment, just suited to fit your needs. Housing is a human right, after all, but penthouses aren’t. But how can you complain? You barely have bills. Food, education, energy, medicine, and transportation aren’t for-profit businesses. They’re common goods. Those are some of the… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: Are We on the Edge of an Economic Boom?
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. Do you think it’s possible that we’re on the edge of a boom and we don’t even… -
news
A Rare Budget Move Helped Trump Cancel Half a Billion Dollars Benefiting Immigrants
The White House returned over half a billion dollars previously appropriated by Congress for programs serving illegal immigrants. While conservatives praised the return of federal funds, the rare action by President Donald Trump has lawmakers scrambling, with some members calling it an illegal check on Congress’ power of the purse. On Friday, the White House… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: 1992 Election Warns GOP It Must Sell Its Economic Record Before the Midterms
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words” from Daily Signal senior contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to Victor Davis Hanson’s own YouTube channel to watch past episodes. Sami Winc: Quickly, on [President] Donald Trump’s speech, I thought some of the more strident things were that he basically was… -
analysis
Can Trump Really Give Every Adult American $5K Check?
President Donald Trump shocked the nation Wednesday night when he promised to send a $5,000 check to every American adult if Republicans win the midterms, but conservative economists say the proposal should not come to fruition. “Because we’ve done so well, and because our country is making so much money, only I can make this… -
news
HUD Secretary Fires Up Republican Convention
Scott Turner, who serves as the 19th secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, fired up conventiongoers at the Republican midterm convention in Texas Wednesday. He began with a look back. Under President Joe Biden, “the American flag became a white flag of surrender,” Turner told the convention. That is no longer… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: The US Has Entered Stage 3 in the Trade War With Canada
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. The philosopher Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher, once said that you don’t step into the same river… -
news
States Increasingly Pulling Rug Out From Under Big Tech With Tax Break Reversals
DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—States that offered billions of dollars in tax breaks to lure data centers began to pull back the incentives as the artificial intelligence boom drove up costs and fueled opposition to the facilities. More than 10 states paused or canceled data center tax exemptions, threatening benefits that helped Amazon, Meta, and Google build… -
opinion
Only a Token Difference: Treating Cryptocurrencies Differently Makes No Sense
Cryptocurrencies like stablecoins have left many in the financial world, from major banks to customers, scratching their heads. It’s not just because few people understand how things like tokens work, but because regulations governing digital assets have further muddied the waters. And amid this confusion, consumers lose out. There are traditional financial products or services…