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By: The Daily Signal

Your go-to source for original reporting, engaging interviews, and unique coverage of the day’s top stories.

Virginia Redistricting, Not Save Act, Is ‘Jim Crow 2.0’ | Waverly Washington & Joe Thomas
Last Friday at 9:00 PM

A PAC headed up by former Delegate AC Cordoza is under fire for sending mailers out last weekend with imagery of the civil rights movement of the 1960's. 

Virginia State Speaker of the House Don Scott said, "The Civil Rights Movement should not be used as a political prop" (even as U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer called the SAVE Act "Jim Crow, 2.0"). 

A video ad put together by a group of Black Community leaders in the group "GateKeepersVA" has also been burning up social media and is driving more contributions to attempt to catch the Er...


Why Trump’s Iran Ambitions Don’t Require Ground Troops | Victor Davis Hanson
Last Thursday at 9:42 PM

Following the initiation of Operation Epic Fury, there has been a lot of talk about a supposed MAGA split among Trump supporters. After all, the America First credo was no optional wars in the Middle East following disgust with the 20-year misadventures in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But Iran is not Afghanistan or Iraq.

This is a top-down, air-only military conflict whose stated mission objectives do not necessitate ground forces, and the MAGA base understands this, argues Victor Davis Hanson on today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.”

“But nobody has ever...


Victor Davis Hanson: No Politicking at a Funeral? Not for Obama
Last Wednesday at 10:08 PM

Former President Barack Obama has a tendency to turn funeral eulogies into political messages.

It’s not just Obama either. The Democrat party as a whole tends to attack President Donald Trump and promote Democratic policy positions whenever there’s an opportunity, explains Victor Davis Hanson in today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.”

“The Democrats have a long history of using the venue of the funeral memorial service to hijack it and use it for political purposes… In 2002, they did that with the late Sen. Paul Wellstone. What should have been a memoria...


Victor Davis Hanson: Why America’s Most Reliable Ally Isn’t in NATO
Last Tuesday at 9:00 PM

It's rare for the U.S. to have a capable ally, but Israel is just that.

 

While the so-called big powers of NATO don’t have the air capability or the will to cooperate with its allies, Israel does, explains Victor Davis Hanson on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.”

 

“We have a very strong ally in Israel.  We have some unreliable allies in our formal alliance. We should remember that before we start making accusations that the Jews or the Israelis are pulling the strings of American di...


Victor Davis Hanson: Newsom Blames Dyslexia, but Can Voters Read Between the Lines?
Last Tuesday at 9:00 AM

Coinciding with the release of his autobiography, California Gov. Gavin Newsom just had the worst February of any major want-to-be presidential candidate in modern memory. Newsom tries posing as someone who grew up poor and dyslexic in order to connect with minority voters better and to “dispel” his true image of being “a nepo baby,” explains Victor Davis Hanson on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words. “So when he talked about he just ate white bread or he had all of these problems growing up—he said he had dyslexia—but the idea that Gavin Newsom was s...


Victor Davis Hanson: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Iran War Outcomes
Last Tuesday at 12:27 AM

Critics have hounded the Trump administration for supposedly not clearly stating to the American public their most favorable outcome in the ongoing conflict with Iran. With the midterms less than eight months away, the pressure is on this administration to get the job done. 

And it can happen in one of three ways, argues Victor Davis Hanson on today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words:”

The Optimal Choice: What’s left of the Iranian military and Revolutionary Guard will capitulate, opening the doors for a Western-supplied transitory government made up of exiles to...


Victor Davis Hanson: Trump’s Geostrategic, Top-Down ‘Way of War’
03/05/2026

Why attack Iran? Why reaffirm America’s dominance in Panama? Why capture Nicolás Maduro? Trump has scores to settle. 

There’s a general pattern in the preemptive actions President Trump’s taken in both his terms in office.

 

A central theme to all his actions is that they’re geostrategic and top-down, explains Victor Davis Hanson on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.”

 

“Pressuring the Panamanians to divorce themselves from China. Making sure the Venezuelan oil does not go to Russia or China by changing the gove...


Victor Davis Hanson: Trump Laid Out America’s Comeback While Democrats Sat Silent
03/04/2026

President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address “was more of a variety show” than an address.

By highlighting various “tragic cases,” Trump showed Americans two things: “We’re a wonderful patriotic country,” and Democrats’ policies caused some of the tragedies, explains Victor Davis Hanson on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.”

“They [Democrats] wouldn't stand for any applause, no matter what the topic was, or no matter whether they agreed with it. …  They were all a disaster, to be quite frank.”

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Victor Davis Hanson: Trump’s Iran Outcome Dream
03/03/2026

Less than one week since the initiation of Operation Epic Fury, and nearly everyone is wondering: What will be the domestic reaction to America’s war in Iran? 

With this being the second time the U.S. has gone into Iran, something needs to change so a third time never happens.

“It would behoove Donald Trump to find a magical solution” and remove Iran’s “theocratic government,” replacing it with “a benevolent government,” explains Victor Davis Hanson on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.”

“ If we get stuck in a quagmire where we have...


Victor Davis Hanson: Susan Rice, Your Threats Are As Empty As Your Promises
02/26/2026

Susan Rice, former U.N. ambassador and national security advisor under Obama, made some very threatening statements directed toward Republicans and business elites on a recent podcast episode. 

 

On “Stay Tuned with Preet Bharara,” Rice said she wanted Trump supporters to know that the Left won’t forget if they’ve allowed Donald Trump “to bully” them in their respective academic, corporate, or institutional worlds.

 

Victor Davis Hanson breaks down Rice’s comments on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words” and explains why nothing she, and her fellow Democrats, s...


Victor Davis Hanson: Preventive or Preemptive? The Pros and Cons of a Potential US Strike on Iran
02/23/2026

As President Donald Trump positions “the largest naval and air forces” off Iran’s coast that the U.S. has “seen since the invasion of Iraq in 2003,” he has some pros and cons to weigh about striking the Middle Eastern country. 


The U.S. isn’t in a war with Iran right now, so Trump’s positioning of forces could be for “either a preventive war, long-term threat, or a preemptive war,” explains Victor Davis Hanson on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.”


“It’s very controversial, and we...


NOT TODAY: Virginia Judge Blocks Democrat’s Redistricting Plans | Joe Thomas
02/23/2026

Thursday, Feb. 19, Tazewell Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. granted a restraining order sought by the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee along with Congressmen Ben Cline (VA-06) and Morgan Griffith (VA-09). The order prohibits any voting to take place before March 18. 

In order to comply with Virginia law, voting of the April 21 deadline needed to begin on March 6.  

The request for a restraining order is based on the contention that the Democrat majority in the General Assembly were ramming redistricting-related bills through the legislature. 

Hurley ruled in favor of the...


How California Legislation Really Gets Passed | Elaine Culotti & Informed Policy Advocates
02/23/2026

From preserving parental vaccine rights to the inner workings within the Gold State’s capitol, Darrlene Alquiza and Jessica Cabrera with Informed Policy Advocates join Elaine Culotti, Daily Signal California contributor for a special interview to discuss their work.

NOTE : This interview was recorded prior to Elaine Culotti’s 2026 California governor announcement.

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Victor Davis Hanson: The New Democratic Socialist Party Is a ‘Graveyard of Bad Ideas’
02/21/2026

Are Democrats really ready for a comeback—or are we about to revisit the graveyard of their own failed experiments?

The so-called “new paradigms” of the Obama-Biden years—open borders, DEI mandates, deficit socialism, disarmament, and radical gender ideology—didn’t just falter… they collapsed under their own weight, argues Victor Davis Hanson on today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words:”

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From Biden Bust to America First Boom: The Data Is In | E.J. Antoni, Ph.D.
02/20/2026

President Trump is reversing the Biden administration’s years of damage to American “family finances” and “federal finances.”

When Biden left office in Jan. 2025, “the private sector wasn’t adding any jobs at all, but losing them,” explains E.J. Antoni, Ph.D., The Heritage Foundation’s chief economist.

One year later and Trump is righting the ship: Last month was the best January ever for employment among native-born Americans. 

The private sector added 172,000 jobs while government jobs declined by 42,000. All told, Donald Trump has reduced the federal bureaucracy by 323,000 in just one year.

👉For...


The Biden Bust Is Being Reversed as the Trump Economy Roars Back | E.J. Antoni, Ph.D
02/19/2026

President Trump is reversing the Biden administration’s years of damage to American “family finances” and “federal finances.”


When Biden left office in Jan. 2025, “the private sector wasn’t adding any jobs at all, but losing them,” explains E.J. Antoni, Ph.D., The Heritage Foundation’s chief economist.

 

One year later and Trump is righting the ship: 
Last month was the best January ever for employment among native-born Americans. 


The private sector added 172,000 jobs while government jobs declined by 42,000. All told, Donald Trump has reduced the feder...


Victor Davis Hanson: Europe Needs A MAGA-Styled Counter Revolution. Rubio Reminded Them Why
02/18/2026

When there’s a problem, call Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s “fireman.”

Last week, Marco Rubio, in keeping with the tradition started by Vice President JD Vance last year, painted a sobering picture of Europe’s future. But with a twist.

Rubio did not gloat or talk down to his fellow world leaders.

Instead, he glorified America’s European heritage—a very controversial statement amongst leftists who try to distance themselves from Western norms and cultures—saying that Europe is poised to make the same mistakes America has already made: 

letting in 10 m...


Deannexing: Keeping California's Tax Dollars Local | Elaine Culotti
02/18/2026

California’s unfunded mandates “are exactly what they sound like:” a mandate “with no money behind it.”

 

A solution like deannexation, however, could really “change the culture of what Sacramento” has been been doing of forcing cities to follow mandates and pay for them, explains Elaine Culotti, The Daily Signal’s California contributor.

 

“It starts to direct tax dollars directly back to the cities in which have been deannexed. It’s an interesting business model, and for a state like California, is really important.”

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Victor Davis Hanson: Trump, Beware—These ‘Unforced Errors’ Could Hand Democrats a Midterm Win
02/13/2026

With only nine months until the midterm elections, Democrats will scrutinize every move President Donald Trump takes as they fight to reclaim control of the House and the Senate.


Victor Davis Hanson lays out the narrow road ahead to victory for Trump and the GOP during the 2026 midterm elections. History is not on the incumbent’s side. Messaging mistakes and unforced errors could shift key voters and hand Congress back to Democrats. Hanson explains what it will take to hold a Republican majority—and why the stakes for these midterm elections could not be highe...


Victor Davis Hanson: America Won the First Cold War. Can We Win the Second?
02/12/2026

Are we prepared for the Cold War we’re actually in?


Communist China is deeply embedded in every facet of American life—our economy, academics, and cultural life. For that reason, Victor Davis Hanson warns that we are already in a Cold War against it. 


The Soviet Union had thousands of nuclear weapons. But China, Hanson argues, presents a different kind of challenge—one rooted in infiltration, influence, and integration rather than isolation. Do Americans recognize the scope of the challenge we’re up against? And are we prepared to stand st...


What Comes Next for Venezuela? State Department Official Explains | Tommy Pigott
02/12/2026

It’s been five weeks since the U.S. removed former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power. But the question on everyone's mind is what comes next now that Maduro is no longer in power. 


State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott joined “The Signal Sitdown” this week to discuss the plan to stabilize, recover, and transition power in Venezuela.


Pigott explained the administration's phased approach to Venezuela. 


"First, the stability of Venezuela. Second, the recovery, where you might see the beginnings of investment, in oil infr...


Jerome Powell’s Fed Fueled Inflation and Left Main Street Paying the Price | E.J. Antoni, Ph.D
02/11/2026

Jerome Powell’s tenure at the Federal Reserve “has been an unmitigated disaster” as his Fed “created a novel monetary framework in 2020 that is proving very difficult to manage and maintain.”


The good news, however, is that Powell’s time at the Fed will be up in May, and his replacement, “inflation hawk Kevin Warsh,” looks much more promising, says E.J. Antoni, Ph.D, The Heritage Foundation’s chief economist.


"If Warsh is confirmed and can clean up the Fed, it will reassure financial markets and help deliver a Main Street boom...


Jerome Powell’s Fed Fueled Inflation and Left Main Street Paying the Price | E.J. Antoni, Ph.D
02/11/2026

Jerome Powell’s tenure at the Federal Reserve “has been an unmitigated disaster” as his Fed “created a novel monetary framework in 2020 that is proving very difficult to manage and maintain.”


The good news, however, is that Powell’s time at the Fed will be up in May, and his replacement, “inflation hawk Kevin Warsh,” looks much more promising, says E.J. Antoni, Ph.D, The Heritage Foundation’s chief economist.


"If Warsh is confirmed and can clean up the Fed, it will reassure financial markets and help deliver a Main Street boom...


When Winter Hits, So Do Price Gouging Warnings: What Virginia Law Really Allows | Scott Goodman
02/11/2026

Virginia’s recent winter storm brought with it the usual state of emergency announcements along with “the inevitable swooping in” of some politicians going “after anyone who’s price gouging.”


Price gouging laws basically mean things like “batteries,” “tree removal services,” food and water can’t be sold at “unconscionably higher” prices than they were “10 days prior to the storm,” explains Scott Goodman, a defense attorney at The Goodman Law Firm in Charlottesville, Virginia.


“The business or the supplier that can open its books and show that this is what it costs them to get the wa...


Victor Davis Hanson: Minnesota Insurrection Proves 'Blue State Model' Has Failed
02/10/2026

Minnesota’s top officials are fanning the flames of unrest in their state. When are we going to call it like we see it? This is an insurrection.


From Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, state and city leaders have repeatedly excused, enabled, and emboldened disorder. They’re only the latest links in a long Democrat chain of political indulgence toward radicalism, tracing back to the civil rights era. Victor Davis Hanson warns of the fractures this mindset brings on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few...


What Gerrymandering Looks Like: Virginia Democrats’ New Map | Joe Thomas
02/10/2026

Last week, Virginia Democrats unveiled a new congressional map that could flip four of the five Republican seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in the midterm elections. However, the Virginia Supreme Court will now determine whether the Democrats’ redistricting plan can proceed after a lower court blocked their efforts, ruling “that the Democrat-led Legislature had wrongly approved a constitutional amendment that would allow for mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts ahead of the midterms this fall,” Politico reported.


Virginia state Del. Thomas Garrett Jr., R-Va., joins The Daily Signal’s Virginia correspondent, Joe Thomas...


Trump Accounts: Setting the Record Straight | E.J. Antoni, Ph.D
02/09/2026

A product of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” Trump Accounts give American children — sorry, illegal aliens, this one is for us — a “tremendous” financial head start on life, providing the means to pay for college or put a down payment on a home, along with exposure to equities, something roughly 1 in 3 Americans currently do not have.

If you make the maximum annual contribution of $5,000 to a Trump Account, it could be worth:

At age 18: $300,000

At age 28: $800,000

At age 55: $10 million

All courtesy of the power of compounding returns, argues Heritage Foundation Chief Econom...


‘Truflation': Trump’s Actual Inflation Rate | E.J. Antoni, Ph.D.
02/06/2026

President Trump’s “clamoring for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates” may finally pay off later this year when Kevin Warsh takes over as the new Fed chair.

 Trump “shouldn’t have to wait that long,” however, because his appeal to the Fed has been “on the grounds that inflation is much lower than what’s being officially reported,” explains E.J. Antoni, Ph.D., The Heritage Foundation’s chief economist. 

“ It turns out Trump is spot on with today's real inflation rate being only one-third the official metrics. In fact, these numbers come from the real-time price a...


Victor Davis Hanson RETURNS: Surgery, Cancer Battle, and Minnesota's ‘Hypocritical Insurrectionists’
02/06/2026

There is “no coherent principle” to the left’s ongoing “utterly hypocritical” “insurrectionary movement” in Minnesota, argues Daily Signal senior contributor Victor Davis Hanson in his first post-surgery video appearance.

Nearly five years ago, these same people lambasted Ashli Babbitt, an unarmed 14-year Air Force veteran who was shot and killed by the U.S. Capitol Police on Jan. 6, 2021.

The left cheered as hundreds of demonstrators were arrested for allegedly assaulting officers and carrying firearms.

Meanwhile, they said it was perfectly OK for somebody like Alex Pretti “to go to a demonstration with a military-grade...


Affordable Energy? Not After This Winter…And Election | Steve Haner
02/05/2026

Much of the electric and natural gas rate increases Virginians have been seeing—and will only continue to see increase after the recent storm—are due to the Clean Economy Act.

 

Gov. Abigail Spanberger “very much ran for election on those policies,” so the big question now is if she’ll do anything about the rate increases, said Steve Haner, a senior fellow for state and local tax policy at the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy.

 

“ People are about to get bills and, and it's going to shock them. And if you think the...


Do Borders Still Matter? Europe’s Struggle May Hold the Answer | Elaine Culotti
02/04/2026

Europe’s illegal immigration crisis might be the warning America needs to fix its own before it’s too late.


According to Laura Ries, director of the border security and immigration center at The Heritage Foundation, America is “kind of on that same path” as countries like the France, Germany, and the U.K. 


“The question is… Are we a sovereign nation? Do borders matter? Can we uphold the law? Can we enforce the law? What’s happening to Western civilization? And this is a real question for our country.”

<...


Tim Walz Ruled as a ‘Fascist Dictorator’ Under COVID Decree | Scott Johnson
02/03/2026

Does former CNN host turned independent journalist Don Lemon have a First Amendment right to interfere with the First Amendment rights of the worshipers and pastor at that church?


“I think the question answers itself, and the answer is no,” argues Scott Johnson, a Minneapolis-based attorney, Claremont Institute fellow, founding member of Power Line and one of the great minds behind 2004’s “Rather Gate”, on today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words,” with Jack Fowler.


👉America is worth preserving. Do your part and act now by going to https...


Trump Turned Biden’s ‘Anemic’ Net Wealth Grow Into a Rocket Sled on Rails | E.J. Antoni
02/02/2026

If you need any further evidence on what a menace inflation is, and what a blessing it is when inflation ends, take a look at the latest data on household wealth. After Biden, it is truly impressive how fast the turnaround happened in 2025.


Under Trump, household net wealth jumped more than $9 trillion, or more than 7 percent, even after adjusting for inflation. 


Under Biden’s four years, household net wealth, adjusted for inflation, grew an anemic 2.0 percent. It was, in a word, pathetic.


The great pro...


Blame Japan, Not Trump: The Truth Behind the Market Drop and Greenland Deal | E.J. Antoni
01/31/2026

When it comes to Greenland, Trump’s arguments about international trade, geostrategic locations, rare earths, etc., were all ignored by European leaders. In response, Trump threatened additional tariffs on many European countries. When markets opened last week, things turned red.

Those suffering from Trump derangement syndrome couldn’t help themselves and immediately drew the conclusion that the stock market drop was the result of Trump’s harsh negotiating tactics with Greenland.And they were wrong.

To find out why the markets tanked, you need to travel halfway around the world to a country that is “basicall...


‘Five Bullets:’ CNN Legal Analyst Explains the Subway Vigilante Case That Split New York
01/31/2026

When four black teenagers approached Bernhard Goetz on the New York City subway in 1984, he shot each them “in succession” for fear they were about to mug him.

In an era of high crime, many New Yorkers hailed Goetz as a “hero” for doing what they wished they could do, explains Elliot Williams, CNN legal analyst and author of “Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York’s Explosive ‘80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation.”  

“New York City in the 1980s was broke and mismanaged… People just generally felt scared… As a result, when there...


Virginia Redistricting in Court: Judge Rules Democrats Broke the Law on Constitutional Amendment Push | Ken Cuccinelli
01/31/2026

Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said a recent state court ruling blocking Democrats’ attempt to advance a redistricting constitutional amendment is firmly rooted in Virginia law and could ultimately be upheld on appeal.

Speaking with The Daily Signal’s Joe Thomas, Cuccinelli said the judge found the amendment process violated state law on three independent grounds, including notice requirements, election timing, and limits on special legislative sessions.

This ruling is “no slam dunk,” however, says Cuccinelli, Virginia’s former attorney general and current national chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative.

“It is not common f...


Trump Overrides Bureaucracy to Rescue the Pacific Palisades | Elaine Culotti
01/30/2026

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to “cut through bureaucratic red tape and speed up reconstruction in the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon areas one year after devastating wildfires destroyed nearly 40,000 acres of homes and businesses.”

Daily Signal California contributor Elaine Culotti explains why his plan to fast-track permits and mobilize builders is critical for families displaced for more than a year in today’s special video commentary. 

“You have to have a plan. And the plan has to get through the process quickly, because that is called momentum. You have to have mobi...


How California Can Impose the ‘Strictest Voter ID Laws’ in the US | Elaine Culotti & Carl Demaio
01/28/2026

California is notorious for its high cost of living, homelessness epidemic, widespread crime, and failing public schools.

These are all “symptoms of a bigger problem,” argues Carl DeMaio, a member of the California State Assembly.

“ The fact that we're worse in all those areas is because we are confronting the biggest problem. And that is California's political system is fundamentally corrupt,” DeMaio told Elaine Culotti, The Daily Signal’s California contributor, on her podcast.

DeMaio explains that meaningful change requires a grassroots voter revolt, not reliance on party elites or national fig...


Saving the Climate or Just Grabbing Cash? Gov. Spanberger Says the Quiet Part Out Loud | Bonner Cohen, Ph.D.
01/28/2026

Virginia’s new Governor, Abigail Spanberger, openly admitted it’s good for the state to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, not to protect the climate and environment, but rather because it’s a great “cash grab.”

 

Bonner Cohen, Ph.D., a senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research, explains how Virginia’s participation in RGGI will raise energy costs, hurt low- and middle-income residents, and drive businesses out of the state, when he joined Joe Thomas, The Daily Signal’s Virginia correspondent, on his podcast today.

 

 “It’s not about savin...


The Golden State’s Biggest Myth: Taxes Aren’t Revenue | Elaine Culotti
01/27/2026

California doesn’t “generate revenue”—it drains it. Taxes aren’t income, businesses create income, and Sacramento chased them out, argues Elaine Culotti, Daily Signal California commentator, on her podcast today: 

“The state itself does not create any revenue. The state builds nothing. The state earns nothing. The state is money out. It is capital outflow to pay for the state to survive. To pay for the infrastructure that it owes.”

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