Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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opinion
Midterms Will Shape the Future of the States—and Our Day-to-Day Lives
Summary Much ink has been spilled about the ramifications of the 2026 midterms, often with a focus on which party will end up with majorities in the U.S. House and Senate. But this election is about far more than who will control Congress. At the state level, voters in 36 states will elect governors, and… -
opinion
How China Landed in the Midterms and What Congress Does Next
Summary In Texas, a super PAC backing Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton put $15 million behind a buy that included an ad titled “Chinese Toy,” hitting Democrat candidate James Talarico for voting against the 2025 state law barring buyers tied to China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea from acquiring Texas property. Talarico answered with… -
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
When the Text Matters: Textualism, Religious Liberty, and AI
Summary We are entering an age in which Americans increasingly turn to artificial intelligence for questions that previous generations would have taken to a pastor, priest, rabbi, imam—or directly to Scripture. What does the Bible say about forgiveness? What does the Torah teach about marriage? Which interpretation of a difficult passage is correct? Large language… -
opinion
My Experience as an American Censored by French Authorities
Summary On Halloween in Paris, a video went viral of an angry protester throwing a Molotov cocktail at the French police. It was an egregious act, and though the violence drew deserved condemnation, the French government had taken a very different approach to another controversy that same day: Rather than confront political violence, it had… -
opinion
Election Integrity Is on the Ballot in 2026
Election integrity will be on the ballot in the 2026 midterm elections. Voters will decide not only who controls Congress, but whether the election integrity reforms advanced by the Trump administration and the House of Representatives will continue. Because elections determine who governs, ensuring that only eligible citizens participate is fundamental to preserving self-government and… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: The Ukrainian Gordian Knot
After crossing with his army into Asia, Alexander the Great stopped at Gordium (in modern-day Turkey). He approached the famous Gordian knot—a tangled mass of bark tying an ox cart to a pole, so intricate and tight that no one could unravel it. When told that anyone who could untie the mess would rule all… -
opinion
How Bruce Blakeman Could Block Mamdani
Summary What if Mayor Zohran Mamdani only cut ribbons and rode in parades? New York City could do worse than boast a young figurehead with limited powers and abundant pizzazz. Bruce Blakeman could make this happen. Fifty-one weeks ago, Mamdani won City Hall. Alas, he has proved himself to be a democratic socialist dynamo, rivaling only Rep…. -
opinion
Social (In)Security
“We will always protect Social Security, Medicare!” says President Donald Trump. That would be nice. But when I look at these programs’ balance sheets, I don’t see how he’s protected anything. Both Social Security and Medicare are on track to run out of money. Politicians mostly ignore the problem. Worse, progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders… -
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
The GOP’s Accomplishments and Why Americans Should Vote for Conservatives
Summary Do Republicans deserve reelection next Tuesday? Voters are sour over high costs. Gas prices are “too damn high.” And why haven’t the ayatollahs had the good taste to drop dead already? These lingering headaches notwithstanding, President Donald Trump and the GOP Congress have secured major public-policy victories that merit two more years of Republican… -
opinion
How to Prevent Europe’s Violence From Coming to America
Summary When violence and destruction broke out this month in France and soon spread to other European nations, many looked for a politician or a policy to blame. But they forgot that a very real culprit is what’s taught in the classroom. Every major crisis today raises a question about education: What kind of people… -
opinion
What’s in a Name? Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Law School Name Change
Summary What’s a name worth? A lot, according to a case the U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to hear. In 1878, more than 145 years before this dispute, California’s first chief justice, Serranus Clinton Hastings—who made a small fortune from various real estate ventures—agreed to fund the establishment of a new law school in San… -
opinion
The Midterms, JD Vance, and the Working-Class Realignment
In 2024, voters without a college degree broke for President Donald Trump 56 to 42. On Nov. 3, Americans will learn whether the working-class voters who pulled the lever for Trump are staying with the Republican Party. At least since President Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal, most working-class voters have felt kinship with the… -
opinion
The Politician Under Troy Jackson’s Logging Jacket
Summary Troy Jackson has a compelling story to tell Maine voters. He grew up poor in a remote logging town, worked long hours in the woods, and promises to take on the wealthy interests he says have abandoned ordinary Americans. The Democrat nominee challenging Republican Sen. Susan Collins is a fifth-generation logger from Allagash, and… -
opinion
National First Responders Day and the People Who Saved My Son
For me, National First Responders Day is personal. My son was supposed to spend the night at his sister’s apartment in Washington, D.C., when disaster struck. At around 1 a.m., she called me, frantic, saying that he still had not arrived. I drove into the city and started walking the blocks between her apartment and… -
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
Is the ‘Gender War’ a One-Sided Beef?
The growing divide between men and women has been in the spotlight of cultural commentary for years now, but a unique aspect of it is often overlooked: That divide, while real, isn’t equally caused by both sides. A recent survey from the Survey Center on American Life has found that while 26% of young Republican… -
opinion
Want to Stop Judicial Activism? Start at the Ballot Box
Activist judges are a huge obstacle to enacting the Trump administration’s agenda. Americans can point to case after case where a judge appears to put personal or political preferences ahead of the law. When courts stop applying the law as written and begin making policy from the bench, voters are right to ask what they… -
opinion
Martha MacCallum and the Stories That Define Us
“This is a story of America,” Martha MacCallum writes in the author’s note to “The Book of Valor: America’s Story of Survival, Gallantry & Grace.” “It is one thread woven from our Pilgrim heritage in Plymouth to a World War II triple ace in the skies over Berlin; to a rescue hero in Vietnam to…