Cal Thomas
Columns by Cal Thomas
Donald Trump accusers are themselves liars
All politicians lie, because they are human and all humans lie. The question before us is this: If President Trump lied to FBI Director James Comey, should that "lie" lead to impeachment? Did he obstruct justice when he allegedly "hoped" that Mr. Comey would not pursue an investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn? Many Democrats think so. Most Republicans do not. Published June 12, 2017
Increasing terror obvious except to the ignorant
In television it's called a "loop," the replaying of the same scene over and over and over again. Published June 7, 2017
Paris pullout has led to hysteria
For sheer hilarity and hyperbole it's hard to beat a recent headline on a Washington Post editorial opposing President Trump's decision to remove the United States from the nonbinding and unenforceable Paris Climate Agreement. Published June 5, 2017
Angela Merkel criticism of Trump shows nation ungrateful
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has had enough of President Trump. Speaking last Sunday in a Munich beer hall, Ms. Merkel suggested that Europe may no longer be able to rely on the United States as a faithful ally and that the continent "really must take our fate into our own hands." Published May 31, 2017
Terrorism reactions are too predictable and mundane
The terrorism scenario is always the same. Events repeat themselves, like in the film "Groundhog Day." Published May 29, 2017
Saudi Arabia will not combat terrorism
Trusting Saudi Arabia to combat terrorists and extremists and "drive them out," as President Trump called on the kingdom and other Arab and Muslim nations to do in his Riyadh speech, is akin to forging an alliance with the Ku Klux Klan to combat racism and anti-Semitism. Published May 24, 2017
Roger Ailes was a genius
Roger Ailes was no genius, not in the league of Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein. The founding chairman of Fox News Channel, who died last week from complications after suffering a fall, understood and respected Middle America from whence he came. Published May 22, 2017
Single-payer health care system has been tried before without success
The ransomware cyberattack that wormed its way into at least 74 countries recently exposed new vulnerabilities in the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS), as if it weren't vulnerable enough. Published May 17, 2017
Donald Trump campaign rhetoric has not changed in office
During an interview last June in his New York office, I asked Donald Trump about his use of language that many considered insulting and divisive. "Will there be a pivot for you from the primaries to the general election campaign?" Published May 15, 2017
Obama getting awards promotes his liberal agenda
Awards once meant something. There was a time not that long ago when they were given in recognition of important accomplishments. Today, we tend to value celebrity over steady achievement. Fame is paramount. It matters little how one attains it. The Kardashians are just one of many examples. Published May 10, 2017
Israel’s enemies are impediment to peace
President Trump is about to score a religious trifecta, visiting Saudi Arabia, Israel and Rome, the "home" of three monotheistic religions. The president has said he wants to make the ultimate deal and achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Published May 8, 2017
Lying press should be kept at arm’s length
President Trump and I have something in common. We were both invited to last Saturday's White House Correspondents Dinner, and we declined. Published May 3, 2017
Obamas exploit the presidency for financial gain
The headline in the March 5, 1929 edition of the Chicago Tribune read, "Plain Citizen Coolidge Shuts Desk and Quietly Goes Home." Calvin Coolidge would write a newspaper column from Northampton, Mass., for which he presumably was paid a pittance, but other than that he refused to exploit his notoriety or accomplishments as president for money. Published May 1, 2017
Conservative journalists have different take on Trump
President Trump did something Monday I have long advocated. He met with a small group of conservative journalists, pundits and radio talk show hosts. I was among them. Published April 26, 2017
Terrorist threats must be preemptively met
As is almost always the case, signs of trouble preceded the latest shooting in Paris, which left one police officer dead and wounded two bystanders before police killed the gunman, later identified as French national Karim Cheurfi, a known criminal with a long, violent record. ISIS claimed to be behind the attack. According to police, a note praising ISIS fell out of Cheurfi's pocket when he fell. Published April 24, 2017
North Korea situation continues to deteriorate
There was a moment at Press Secretary Sean Spicer's White House briefing Monday that was significant. Asked by a reporter about North Korea's missile launch last weekend, Mr. Spicer said the administration was aware of the launch and that "it failed." End of story. Next question, please. Published April 19, 2017
Tax system simplification can be accomplished
Thanks to the beneficence of the federal government (and the calendar), we Americans have until midnight on April 18 to file our income taxes. It's too bad filing taxes wasn't an easier process. Published April 17, 2017
Arkansas death row push will bring guilty to justice
Nearly three dozen men sit on death row in Arkansas, where capital punishment has been suspended since 2005. Unless clemency is granted, seven of them -- an eighth man was granted a temporary reprieve -- will be given lethal injections all within a 10-day period, between April 17 and 27. Published April 12, 2017
Donald Trump hopes for Middle East peace will collide with reality
In Greek mythology, sirens were beautiful creatures that lured sailors to their doom with their hypnotic voices. In Homer's epic "The Odyssey," ships came to ruin on jagged reefs, following siren song, the pull of the beautiful voices so strong that the hero Odysseus, in order not to succumb, commanded that his crew lash him to the mast of his ship, and not untie him, until they were in safe waters. Published April 10, 2017
Mike Pence refusing to dine with a woman alone respects Billy Graham Rule
Millennials and others of a certain age have not lived in a time when fidelity was universally valued and mostly supported by culture -- though sometimes hypocritically -- and its opposite was roundly condemned. There was even a time when a divorced person could not expect to become president, though plenty of married presidents managed to conduct clandestine affairs, often with the indulgence of the media. Published April 5, 2017
