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Cal Thomas

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Cal Thomas

tcaeditors@tribune.com

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

FILE - A Texas state trooper watches as young migrants walk along concertina wire on the banks of the Rio Grande as they try to enter the U.S. from Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas, on July 6, 2023. U.S. authorities released numbers of illegal border crossings in July, the second month after pandemic-related asylum restrictions were replaced with new rules limiting access for people seeking humanitarian protections. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Some honest talk about immigration

With pictures showing -- and Border Patrol agents confirming -- that tens of thousands of migrants are crossing into the U.S. every day without authorization, it is a lie to say the border is secure.

October 2, 2023

Illustration on the continuing congressional budget debt drama by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Both parties will be blamed if the government shuts down

Common sense and sanity are not the first words that come to mind when dealing with congressional spending.

September 27, 2023

FILE - Rupert Murdoch introduces Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the Herman Kahn Award Gala, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Rupert Murdoch deserves the gratitude of conservatives

At 92, Rupert Murdoch remains very much alive, and his influence, not only on Fox News but on much of journalism, will likely continue for some time.

September 25, 2023

Illustration on the British electric vehicle (EV) imperative by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

What happens if transition to EVs doesn’t curb global warming?

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rejected appeals from the Conservative Party to extend the deadline for requiring all new car sales in the United Kingdom to be electric by 2030.

September 20, 2023

Illustration on Republicans (GOP) and sexual morality by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Sex and the city: Republican politicians edition

The Republican Party, the party that for years has styled itself as the party of "family values" and "traditional marriage," has lost all credibility on these issues.

September 18, 2023

Illustration on school choice by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Chicago Teachers Union president’s hypocrisy on school choice

There was a time in bygone America when calling someone a hypocrite or claiming they were guilty of hypocrisy was equivalent to branding them with a scarlet letter or the mark of Cain.

September 13, 2023

Stopping crime and broken justice Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

What to do about the crime wave? Swift and certain punishment

Of all the explanations for the rise in crime in America, none may be more accurate than the lack of swift and certain punishment.

September 11, 2023

Illustration on Israel and Saudi Arabia peace negotiations by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Getting the Saudi-Israeli peace formula wrong — again

If one is mixing chemicals, getting the formula wrong can produce disastrous results.

September 6, 2023

Measuring the Earth's climate for heat Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Climate science has degenerated into a discussion based on beliefs

It's been a good summer for climate activists who are pushing the false narrative of "climate change."

September 4, 2023

Illustration on illegal immigrants and the election by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Illegal immigration: A key campaign issue for the 2024 presidential field

It can be difficult to establish the motives of government leaders unless they are told to us outright or unless a pattern of behavior allows us to draw conclusions consistent with that behavior.

August 30, 2023

Illustration on the impact of forcing "no opt out" woke ideology in public schools by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Force-feeding school children to comply with the state’s secular worldview

It was just a matter of time before choice became mandatory.

August 28, 2023

President Joe Biden speaks as he meet with community members impacted by the Maui wildfires at Lahaina Civic Center, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Nails on a chalkboard: Biden’s disastrous trip to Maui

Anyone who has cringed at the sound of fingernails scratching on a chalkboard has likely experienced the same feeling whenever President Biden speaks.

August 23, 2023

Illustration on questions for GOP presidential candidates by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

Questions I would ask the GOP presidential candidates

Wednesday night's debate in Milwaukee for Republican presidential candidates will be more of a Q&A session than a classic debate, but that's OK.

August 21, 2023

Education Threat to America's Children Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Indoctrination is driving some families away from public schools

As millions of children return to public school, it's a good idea to again examine what they are being taught and what is being left out.

August 16, 2023

Biden administration dealing with Iran Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Biden’s bad Iranian deal

The Biden administration is transferring $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets in South Korea to an account in Qatar, which Iran will be able to access, in what appears to be an attempt to get Iran to release five imprisoned Americans.

August 14, 2023

Illustration on Biden and the withdrawal from Afghanistan by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan reexamined

One of the advantages to a change in majority in one or both houses of Congress is that the public gets to see what the other party won't address or has been covering up.

August 9, 2023

In this photo taken from video provided by WABC-TV, New York police officers and supervisors hold up a plywood board to protect themselves from debris thrown by a crowd at Union Square, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in New York. Police in New York City struggled to control a crowd of thousands of people who gathered in Manhattan's Union Square for an Internet personality's video game console giveaway that got out of hand. (WABC-TV via AP)

How to deter criminals

Some years ago, during a crime wave like the one we now seem to be experiencing, a bumper sticker appeared that said "Fight Crime Shoot Back."

August 7, 2023

Illustration on political parties (Republicans and Democrats) and reality in American government by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Political parties are ‘the most fatal disease’ of popular governments

That America's Founders were brilliant men supported by equally strong women is beyond dispute.

August 2, 2023

Illustration on national partisan polarization (Republicans and Democrats) by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Shame on us: Who’s to blame for today’s corrosive politics?

One hundred years ago on Aug. 2, President Warren Harding died, and Calvin Coolidge became America's 30th president.

July 31, 2023

Illustration on Texas measures to secure the border from illegal immigration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Irony at the border: If courts don’t rule in Texas’ favor, then laws don’t mean what they say

The Department of Justice has announced it is suing Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for using floating barriers in the Rio Grande to stop migrants from illegally crossing the southern border.

July 26, 2023