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Cal Thomas

Cal Thomas is one of the most widely syndicated political columnists in America. Based in Washington, he is a wide-ranging social commentator, not a "beltway insider," who supports traditional conservative values and the American "can-do spirit." He'll take on virtually any topic, from the decline of the family to growing terrorism worldwide.
A syndicated columnist since 1984, he is the author of “America’s Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires, Superpowers and the United States” (HarperCollins/Zondervan, January 2020). His latest book is “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen in 50 Years Reporting on America” (Humanix Books, May 2023). Readers may email Mr. Thomas at tcaeditors@tribune.com.

Columns by Cal Thomas

Donald Trump’s call for an oath to America

Loyalty oaths have been tried in the past, but eventually were struck down by the courts as either too vague, or an unconstitutional violation of free speech. These applied, as far as I can tell from reading their history, only to American citizens.

August 31, 2016

Hillary Clinton’s ethical problems

The prize quote of this incendiary political year may go to Hillary Clinton. In response to Donald Trump's charge that the Clintons set up a pay-for-play arrangement that granted big contributors access to Mrs. Clinton while she was secretary of State, Hillary Clinton said, "My work as secretary of State was not influenced by any outside forces. I made policy decisions based on what I thought was right to keep Americans safe and protect our interests abroad."

August 29, 2016

Abolishing ‘man’ at Princeton

''He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them "Mankind" when they were created."

August 24, 2016

Why liberals hate voter ID requirements

Every election cycle we must endure challenges and allegations about fraud (conservatives) and discrimination (liberals) when it comes to voter ID laws. This year is no different.

August 22, 2016

Inner-city problems require better focus

Growing up, I watched a lot of Westerns. In addition to the cowboy hero, the town sheriff was almost always a model of integrity. He stood for law and order against bank robbers, cattle rustlers and horse thieves all trying to disrupt the peace.

August 17, 2016

Hillary Clinton’s economic plans were tried but failed

While we shouldn't live in the past, we can certainly learn from it. We are not the first humans to walk the Earth, and yet too many, especially the young, suffer from the conceit that history is just a boring subject in school.

August 15, 2016

Hillary Clinton pans Donald Trump’s economic plan, trashes JFK policies

Reacting to Donald Trump's speech Monday to the Detroit Economic Club, Hillary Clinton said her Republican opponent tried to "make his old, tired ideas sound new." As opposed to her old, tired ideas of higher taxes on the wealthy with government as redistributor.

August 10, 2016

Ransom by another name

You've probably heard the very old riddle: When is a door not a door? When it's ajar.

August 8, 2016

The third coming of ‘Ben-Hur’

Since Mel Gibson's 2004 blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ" grossed more than $600 million worldwide, Hollywood has slowly begun to look at faith-based movies as a way to fatten their bottom lines and reach a demographic they have mostly ignored for decades.

August 3, 2016

Hillary Clinton’s recycled speech

Environmentalists should be pleased with Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night, because it was largely recycled talking points we have heard for decades.

August 1, 2016

Email leak outs the DNC

Behind the scenes, Democrat ethics are AWOL

July 27, 2016

Donald Trump’s acceptance speech

Donald Trump's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention was too long -- 75 minutes -- and too loud. Modulation is the key to good public speaking. One's voice should rise and fall like the tide, which allows really important points to be made whether the volume is low or high. His adult children are better speakers.

July 25, 2016

Republicans preferred party to strengthen country, restore tranquility

In 1926, speaking about the Declaration of Independence on its 150th anniversary, President Calvin Coolidge noted the unique philosophy behind the creation of the United States: "We cannot continue to enjoy the result, if we neglect and abandon the cause."

July 20, 2016

Mike Pence has political experience Donald Trump lacks

The announcement by Donald Trump of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate had not yet been made official last Thursday, but that didn't stop the hard left from hauling out its familiar and overused rhetoric.

July 18, 2016

Theresa May, Donald Trump could reprise Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan

Is Britain's new prime minister, Theresa May, Margaret Thatcher reincarnated? There are similarities.

July 13, 2016

The race narrative

In just the last few days, two African-American men were shot and killed by non-African-American police officers in Minnesota and Louisiana, and five non-African-American police officers were shot and killed in Dallas by an African-American man who declared he "wanted to kill white people, especially white officers." The gap in our racially divided country has never been wider.

July 11, 2016

Hillary Clinton gets free pass from DOJ

FBI Director James Comey has given Hillary Clinton something better than a get-out-of-jail-free card. He's protected her from indictment by recommending to the Department of Justice that she not be prosecuted for her and her staff's "extremely careless" handling of emails on private servers that included documents classified as "top secret," "secret" and "confidential."

July 6, 2016

Hillary Clinton and identity politics

Have you heard that Hillary Clinton is the "first woman" ever to be nominated for president by a major political party? Of course you have. The media have repeated the line so often it is broken news.

July 4, 2016

Donald Trump saying the wrong things on Christianity

Following a meeting between a group of evangelical leaders and Donald Trump last week, James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, was interviewed by Pennsylvania pastor Michael Anthony. Mr. Dobson told Mr. Anthony that Mr. Trump had recently come "to accept a relationship with Christ" and is now a "baby Christian."

June 29, 2016