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

The 'new Nixon' and Trump illustration by Linas Garsys / The Washington Times

What the ‘new Nixon’ could teach Trump

In August 1968, Richard Nixon achieved what The New York Times called "the greatest reversal of fortune in American political history." Published May 28, 2024

President Joe Biden speaks to graduating students at the Morehouse College commencement Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

No hope and no change in Biden’s disappointing Morehouse speech

President Biden's commencement address at Morehouse College in Atlanta, a historic school for Black men, was an imperfect end to an imperfect academic year. Published May 22, 2024

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., joined by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., speaks to reporters after she tried and failed to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, her long-shot effort swiftly and resoundingly rejected by Democrats and Republicans tired of the political chaos, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) **FILE**

Better and more civil behavior needed in Congress

Last Friday in Washington, there was evidence of why only 16% of the public approve of the job Congress is doing, according to a Gallup poll. Published May 20, 2024

FILE - Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, speaks during a game of bridge after the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Neb., on May 5, 2019. A recent report from anti-poverty organization Oxfam highlighted how the fortunes of the world's five richest people — Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault of luxury company LVMH, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Oracle founder Larry Ellison and investment guru Buffett — have more than doubled since 2020. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

Warren Buffett is wrong on raising taxes

Many people have made money by following the advice of Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. Published May 15, 2024

Donald Trump illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Trump undermines himself with crude language

If you are the parent of young children, are you OK with your children hearing former President Donald Trump's language and putdowns, like the ones at his rally last Saturday in Wildwood, New Jersey? Published May 13, 2024

America's bad deal for Israel to end war with Hamas illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Netanyahu ignores clueless Team Biden

What do you think President Franklin Roosevelt's response might have been if another nation had called on him to stop U.S. and Allied forces from taking Berlin and squashing the Nazi regime in 1945? Published May 8, 2024

God’s Guidance on the Church Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Powerless church tells us what we want to hear rather than what we need to hear

There are many reasons for the modern church's loss of its prophetic voice, politics being just one of them. Published May 6, 2024

A student protester waves a Palestinian flag above Hamilton Hall on the campus of Columbia University, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in New York. Early Tuesday, dozens of protesters took over Hamilton Hall, locking arms and carrying furniture and metal barricades to the building. Columbia responded by restricting access to campus. (Pool Photo/Mary Altaffer)

‘Never Again’ approaching again with antisemitic student protests

If history proves anything, it shows that if civil rights, human rights, equality and even the right to live are to be denied to a class of people, they must first be stripped of their inherent value as human beings. Published May 1, 2024

Illustration: Ronald Reagan

How Ronald Reagan handled campus protests

The year was 1966, and Ronald Reagan was running for governor of California. A major part of his platform was to "clean up the mess at Berkeley" and other college campuses across the state. Published April 29, 2024

Liberals hating women and Title IX in the dustbin of history Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Adding to Title IX: Biden admin further degrades women’s rights

What the Biden administration is doing to the Title IX civil rights law, the purpose of which is, among other things, to ensure equality between men's and women's sports, reminds me of a childhood game. Published April 24, 2024

FILE - New York City police in riot gear stand guard outside the Columbia University campus after clearing the campus of protesters, April 18, 2024, in New York. Columbia University canceled in-person classes Monday, April 22, 2024 and police arrested several dozen protesters at Yale University as tensions on U.S. college campuses continue to grow over the war in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, file)

The empires begin to strike back: Accountability at Google and Columbia University

With all that is occurring in our political and cultural life, there are signs some Americans have had enough. Published April 22, 2024

Iran Regime Change Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Needed: Regime change in Iran

Every approach to curtailing Iran from its threats and behavior toward Israel and other countries has failed. Published April 17, 2024

U.S. tax system and Dracula illustration by Linas Garsys / The Washington Times

Our oppressive tax system can be analogized to Dracula

Was it as bad for you as it was for me? Sending Washington money we earn, but Washington doesn't, I mean? Published April 15, 2024

Trump choices illustration by The Washington Times

Trump cedes the moral high ground on abortion

Former President Donald Trump issued a lengthy statement on abortion on Monday. It is the latest of several positions he has taken on an issue that continues to be hotly debated. Published April 10, 2024

War between Israel and Hamas illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Repeat, repeat, repeat: Israel must win its war with Hamas

When it comes to the Middle East, repetition has been unsuccessful in causing Europeans and many in America to accept certain truths. Published April 8, 2024

Police officers carry the casket during a funeral service for New York City Police Department officer Jonathan Diller at Saint Rose of Lima R.C Church in Massapequa Park, N.Y., on Saturday, March 30, 2024. Diller was shot dead Monday during a traffic stop. He was the first New York City police officer killed in the line of duty in two years.(AP Photo/Jeenah Moon)

Every Republican should prioritize replacing soft-on-crime politicians

Another day, another dead New York City police officer, another grieving widow. Published April 3, 2024

Illustration on the national debt crisis by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

One more try at reducing the debt

It may be too late, given the number of Americans who have willingly allowed themselves to become dependent on the government more than themselves, but it's worth trying. Published April 1, 2024

Illustration on the single origin of the human race by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Checking the black box: The only true race is the human race

Two men with decidedly different political outlooks have been my go-to sources on race in America. They are Dr. Thomas Sowell and Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. Published March 27, 2024

A woman reacts as she comes to place flowers at the fence next to the Crocus City Hall, on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Sunday, March 24, 2024. The suburban Moscow concert hall where gunmen opened fire on concertgoers was a blackened, smoldering ruin as the death toll in the attack surpassed 130 and Russian authorities arrested four suspects. (AP Photo/Vitaly Smolnikov)

Moscow massacre: Could it happen here?

A mass shooting at a concert hall in Moscow killed more than 130 people. With many others seriously or gravely wounded, the number of dead is likely to rise. Published March 25, 2024

GOP position on abortion in elections illustration by Greg Groesch / The Washington Times

Republicans should not shy away from abortion issue

Biden and Democrats are generally underwater in polling that has shown voters are displeased with their performance on the economy, foreign policy and virtually everything else except one issue: abortion. Published March 20, 2024