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

President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with Democratic lawmakers in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Biden’s classified documents scandal? What scandal?

In our relativistic age in which everyone has his or her own "truth," and none is to be preferred over another so long as the individual feels good about it, why should anything be considered scandalous? Published January 25, 2023

FILE - New Zealand Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern grimaces as she announces her resignation at a press conference in Napier, New Zealand Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Education Minister Chris Hipkins is set to become New Zealand's next prime minister after he was the only candidate to replace Jacinda Ardern. (Warren Buckland/New Zealand Herald via AP, File)

Ardern’s surprise resignation: It’s refreshing when a politician knows when to quit

Like Halley's comet, which comes around only every 75 years, the resignation of a top politician from office is a rare occurrence. Published January 23, 2023

FILE - Lisa Marie Presley arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road" at the TCL Chinese Theatre on May 7, 2015. Presley, singer and only child of Elvis, died Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, after a hospitalization, according to her mother, Priscilla Presley. She was 54. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

The tragedy of Lisa Marie Presley

The death at age 54 of Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis, got me thinking again about the two-edged sword that is fame. Published January 18, 2023

Illustration of China as a threat to Taiwan and the world by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

China’s threat is not only to Taiwan

Last July, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, visited Jakarta, Indonesia, where he said China's military has become significantly more aggressive and dangerous over the past five years. Published January 16, 2023

In this March 7, 2017 photo, Hawaii state Rep. Gene Ward talks about why he's against a bill to require presidential candidates to disclose tax returns before a vote in Honolulu. Similar bills were introduced in more than 20 states, and Hawaii and New Jersey recently became the first states in which the bills passed out of legislative chambers. Some legal scholars question the constitutionality of states setting restrictions on presidential candidates, saying that is left to the US Constitution. (AP Photo/Cathy Bussewitz)

A minority view: A conversation with Hawaii’s Gene Ward

If one discounts Alaska's Aleutian Islands, Hawaii is about as far -- geographically and politically -- from Washington, D.C., as one can get. Published January 11, 2023

Illustration on Joe Biden's immigration law decision making by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Biden’s ‘shadow immigration system’ strategy too little, too late

After months of ignoring the problem, President Biden is finally visiting the southern border this week as part of a trip to Mexico. Published January 9, 2023

Illustration on the state of intellectual life in the nation and on college campuses by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

Where have all the intellectuals gone?

The new slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives lacks something besides its slim majority and the battle over leadership positions. It lacks intellectual depth. Published January 4, 2023

FILE - In this Oct. 4, 1924, file photo, President Calvin Coolidge throws out the ball for the opening game of the 1924 World Series between the Washington Senators and the New York Giants in Washington. (AP Photo/File)

Looking back 100 years: Human nature never changes

People speak of a new year as turning the page, starting out fresh or forgetting the past. Published January 2, 2023

Illustration on Democrats and congressional spending by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

An old national debt carries over to a new year

"Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt." -- Herbert Hoover Published December 28, 2022

A video of then-President Donald Trump speaking is displayed as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. (Alex Wong/Pool Photo via AP)

American voters need to be the judge and jury when it comes to Trump’s future

In a theatrical performance, the worst thing that can happen is a predictable outcome. Published December 26, 2022

The Gift of Christmas Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Rejecting the false god of politics this Christmas season

"Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing" (Psalm 146:3-4 NIV). Published December 21, 2022

FILE - Migrants wait to get into a U.S. government bus after crossing the border from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to El Paso, Texas, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. The mayor of the Texas border city declared a state of emergency Saturday, Dec. 17 over concerns about the community's ability to handle an anticipated influx of migrants across the Southern border. El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser issued the state of emergency declaration to allow the city to tap into additional resources that are expected to become necessary after Title 42 expulsions end on Dec. 21. (AP Photo/Christian Chavez, File)

Uncontrolled immigration without assimilation dilutes America

Biden administration has virtually eliminated any barriers to keep migrants and fentanyl from pouring into the U.S. Published December 19, 2022

Illustration on problems in New York City by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

I (used to) love New York: The once great city is gone

I was a teenager when I first visited New York. The flight cost $15 on the Eastern Airlines shuttle from Washington. You could buy your ticket from a flight attendant on board. Published December 14, 2022

FILE - Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., arrives for a meeting of the Senate Homeland Security Committee at the Capitol in Washington, Aug. 3, 2022. The decision by Sinema to leave the Democratic Party raised the prospect of a tumultuous three-way race in one of the most politically competitive states in the U.S. It set off a scramble among potential Democratic and Republican candidates to assess whether they could win their party’s nomination. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Sinema quits the Democratic Party after combating extremism and defending what’s normal

Leaving aside any possible undeclared motives for leaving the Democratic Party, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona has said some things that have needed to be said for a long time. Published December 12, 2022

Mainstream news media bias illustration by Linas Garsys / The Washington Times

The New York Post’s real journalism and major media’s lack of accurate reporting

In years past, when journalism was trusted by consumers much more than it is today, the New York Post might have been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for its reporting about Hunter Biden's laptop. Published December 7, 2022

Illustration on Democrats and congressional spending by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Only thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on is spending money

There is little that Republicans and Democrats in Congress agree on these days, but spending (and borrowing) money is as nonpartisan as it gets. Published December 5, 2022

Cal Thomas on C-SPAN (screenshot)

On turning 80 and working as long as my strength endures

A TV ad for a dietary supplement features a woman who says, "Age is just a number, and mine is unlisted." Published November 30, 2022

FILE - Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, holds a TEC-9 semi-automatic weapon during a hearing of the committee on Capitol Hill, Aug. 3, 1993, as the committee holds hearings on combating the proliferation of assault weapons. (AP Photo/Barry Thumma, File)

Biden’s misplaced emphasis on assault weapons

We know at least one of the priorities of the Biden administration in the remaining weeks that Democrats control the House of Representatives. Published November 28, 2022

Illustration on Thanksgiving by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

Thanksgiving according to whom?

One definition of "thanksgiving" is this: "Public celebration acknowledging divine favors." The word implies an object to whom thanks should be given. Published November 23, 2022

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., smiles as he speaks to reporters following a closed-door policy meeting on the Democrats' lame duck agenda, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Flip-flop Schumer on illegal immigration, then and now

If an awards show were created to honor Washington politicians for the most hypocritical and contradictory positions, Sen. Charles Schumer, New York Democrat, would be among the top contenders. Published November 21, 2022