James Freeman
Verified- Assistant Editor, Editorial Page, The Wall Street Journal
- Contributor, Fox News
- Host, "Deep Dive", Fox Nation
Boston, New York
Co-author, The Cost and co-author, Borrowed Time. Also asst. editor and columnist WSJ edit page and FOX News contrib.
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Articles by James Freeman
Washington Post Questions Accuracy of Washington Post Poll
Democrats were far more enthusiastic about taking the poll than Republicans were. Registered Democrats were more than twice as likely as registered Republicans to complete the survey after answering an interviewer’s call — 32 percent versus 12 percent — with a similar partisan gap when texting voters to complete the survey online.
Demokrat mener, der er seks køn – og de skal have adgang til pigernes omklædningsrum
Dette er et debatindlæg. Det er skribentens holdning, der kommer til udtryk. Klik her, hvis du ønsker at sende et debatindlæg til Berlingske. Hvor mange køn mener Talarico, der findes nu? Hans holdninger lå langt til venstre for gennemsnitstexaneren, så demokraternes senatskandidat James Talarico forsøgte at tage afstand fra sine mest provokerende udtalelser. Men en uge før midtvejsvalget, siger han, at han ikke har moderet sine holdninger.
What’s Obama Going to Say About Omar Now?
Let’s hope this is indeed the start of a beautiful trend in journalism toward fact-based reporting and away from progressive narrative affirmation.
The Golden Age of Public Safety
The U.S. has been running a real-time experiment on two approaches to criminal justice: the Biden-era emphasis on social justice versus the Trump administration’s embrace of traditional law and order. The results are now in. Are they ever. Mr. Lott’s referring to the latest National Crime Victimization Survey data from the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Opinion | Talarico’s Tall Tales
To do so, he will have to convince some measure of voters that, despite viral clips of his previous statements supporting trans athletes and criticizing capitalism, he isn’t too far to the left to represent Texas. Talarico says his beliefs haven’t changed, only his views on political labels. “I’m very open to learning new information and changing my mind. I’d be completely comfortable admitting if I changed my mind. I just haven’t,” Talarico said. Wait a minute.
Kudos to the New York Times
The newspaper acknowledges a source’s criticism. This column sometimes notes the shortcomings of the New York Times so it seems only fair to credit the Gray Lady when she gets it right. With refreshing humility and openness to constructive criticism, a Times editor considers the manner in which the newspaper addresses a speaker’s point of view.
New York Times Goes With the Hitler Argument
Ms. Omar deserves the presumption of innocence just like anyone else. There are reasons that not all Americans are disturbed. Unlike in a dictatorship, we the people choose a Congress to draft laws, we the people choose a president to see that they are faithfully executed, and we the people also enjoy the protection of an independent judiciary to act as a check on the other branches of government.
U.S. Workers Suffer Fewest Layoffs Since 1969
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped to near 57-year lows last week amid low layoffs, suggesting job growth picked up in October after September’s underwhelming performance. The weekly jobless claims report from the Labor Department on Thursday, the most timely data on the economy’s health, continued to show no material stress in the labor market from the oil price shock stemming from the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Tough Days for the Ayatollah
The Iranian regime hasn’t been able to control the Strait of Hormuz. It’s impossible to say how long the medieval theocracy in Tehran will be able to oppress the people of Iran and threaten its neighbors, but the task can’t be getting any easier. If Iran ends up being the only country in the Gulf region that can’t export its oil, time is not on the side of the regime.
$50,000 Says Corn Pop Was Not a Bad Dude
Free speech keeps winning in Maine. Kudos to U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann for her protection of free speech, and in particular for preserving the rights of parents to offer dissenting views at school board meetings.
Obama’s Disrespect for the Law
Now the Administration is actively trying to deport Congresswoman Omar, seemingly based solely on the unsubstantiated theory that she was actually 18 when her father was naturalized, and therefore is not a citizen. Federal agents have raided her home, confiscated personal records, and seized her phone — all to try and uncover a nonexistent smoking gun from 20 years ago that will somehow make their case… How would Mr. Obama know what evidence exists or does not exist?
Good Guy With a Gun Saves Lives
A brave dad ends the carnage at Silver Rail Elementary. Another vicious attack raises again the question of why so many politicians resist the idea of schools having at least some employees armed and ready to defend children. This week a shooter at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Ore., killed four and wounded two others. Fortunately, the killer and his deadly rampage were stopped—several minutes before police arrived—by an armed father who happened to be nearby.
We Blame Global Warming
California politicians certainly aren’t going to blame themselves. The headline on this story is a recurring joke made famous by this column’s most celebrated alumnus, who parodied the environmental left by attributing to man-made climate change an increasingly preposterous list of unrelated events. In that same spirit, your current columnist will now go out on a limb and make the safest political prediction of the year.
How Many Government Rules Are Really Necessary?
An interesting experiment comes to Washington. How much government could we all do without? President Donald Trump says that red tape, when cut, becomes beautiful. Truer words were never spoken, and last week this column noted his encouraging progress in repealing misguided rules enacted by his predecessors. Now a few recent examples suggest that half or more of government regulation is completely unnecessary.
Ilhan Omar and America
What exactly did her father report to U.S. officials? Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) has always made one wonder how a person could flee oppression in Somalia, find freedom in the U.S., and somehow end up viewing America as the villain in global affairs. Could it be that in Somalia her father was among those doing the oppressing? It’s been a difficult question to answer. In 2025 the website Snopes reported: There are no definitive sources detailing Nur Omar Mohamed’s activities between 1978 and 1991.
Greatest Police Commissioner of All Time
New York City’s Jessica Tisch presides over record lows in crime. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani makes so many hateful and reckless comments that it’s easy to forget that he has not yet chosen to disturb the city’s peaceful trend of safer streets. But how long will he ignore demands from his radical base to destroy New York City policing?
Opinion | What Is Trumponomics?
Wayne Crews writes at the Competitive Enterprise Institute with a quarterly update on Washington rule-making: In terms of issuance of conventional notice-and-comment rules and regulations in the Federal Register, the Trump administration continues to set records for inactivity and embody certain values of principled federal neglect.
‘A Campus Tilted Blue’
The New York attorney general’s office is close to naming external lawyers to handle the investigation into sexual assault allegations at Cornell University, officials close to the investigation said. The office has reached out to several experienced attorneys to bolster its team, CNN reported Tuesday. The search began Thursday after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul named New York Attorney General Letitia James a special prosecutor on the case, the officials said.
‘I Don’t Want to Give Up on California’
A new poll finds nearly half of residents planning to leave the Bay Area. The natural beauty of California is undiminished, but the Golden State’s politics make it a challenging habitat for humans. A new Bay Area survey illustrates the continuing irony of a region where large numbers of residents will tell you how much they enjoy living in the place they are planning to leave.
When Blue States Chase Away Their Billionaires
Hedge-fund titan Ken Griffin is donating $2 billion to start a Carnegie Mellon University campus in Miami, part of the largest-ever individual gift toward higher education. The Pittsburgh-based university, known for its expertise in computer science, artificial intelligence and robotics, will open a 35-acre campus in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood that will focus on technology and innovation.
Trump Keeps a Biden Promise…
…but some Americans wish that he hadn’t. As president Joe Biden promised historic reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions. President Donald Trump has kept the promise—and no wonder voters are unhappy. Roger Pielke Jr. writes at The Honest Broker: Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
CEO Pressured to Lead Campaign for Woke Policies
Even at a Hollywood studio not everybody wants to promote the left’s gender obsessions. Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate. Now Mr. Chapek is out with a new memoir. His interactions with his predecessor and successor as Disney CEO, Bob Iger, suggest that corporate politics in Hollywood are just as nasty as one would expect.
CEO Pressured to Lead Campaign for Woke Policies
Even at a Hollywood studio not everybody wants to promote the left’s gender obsessions. Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate. Now Mr. Chapek is out with a new memoir. His interactions with his predecessor and successor as Disney CEO, Bob Iger, suggest that corporate politics in Hollywood are just as nasty as one would expect.
Democrats to Maintain Control at CBS, CNN
In direct conflict with the First Amendment, Democratic state attorneys general have extracted from Paramount, owner of CBS, a concession to allow the company to complete its purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, owner of CNN. Interestingly, the Democrats seem to have driven a relatively soft bargain on the big-money aspects of this merger of movie giants.
A Moment for Trump
Sept. 14, 2026 6:48 pm ET Former President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump in January of 2025. Mandel Ngan/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images There is a manufactured quality to the sudden explosion of uninformed and irrational online screeds against data centers. The related panic over artificial intelligence smells almost as suspicious.
The Spirit of 93
James Freeman is assistant editor of The Wall Street Journal's editorial page and author of the weekday Best of the Web column. He is the co-author of "Borrowed Time: Two Centuries of Booms, Busts and Bailouts at Citi," recognized as a New York Times Editors' Choice and a Financial Times Business Book of the Month. He is a contributor to the Fox News Channel and a host of "Deep Dive" on Fox Nation.
What Happens When ‘Medicare for All’ Ends Your Health Plan
Sept. 10, 2026 3:36 pm ET Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D., Minn.) is among the U.S. Senate candidates aiming to impose ‘Medicare for All’ on patients nationwide. Tim Evans/Reuters Large federal interventions in U.S. healthcare are a big reason medical inflation has outpaced general inflation for decades. But if politicians now impose a fully government-run system on Americans under the euphemism “Medicare for All,” it is patient suffering that will go through the roof. The plan, authored by Sen.
Another Chance for Democrats to Reject Socialism
Rep. Chris Pappas (D., N.H.) after casting his ballot in Tuesday’s primary election in New Hampshire. Mel Musto/Bloomberg News Some lefties are criticizing Vermont’s millionaire Marxist Bernie Sanders for not supporting democratic socialist Karishma Manzur’s Senate campaign in neighboring New Hampshire. She lost in the Granite State’s Democratic primary on Tuesday to Rep. Chris Pappas. Unfortunately for the rest of us, it’s a little premature to blame Sen. Sanders.
Opinion of U.S. Schools Hits a New Low…
James Freeman is assistant editor of The Wall Street Journal's editorial page and author of the weekday Best of the Web column. He is the co-author of "Borrowed Time: Two Centuries of Booms, Busts and Bailouts at Citi," recognized as a New York Times Editors' Choice and a Financial Times Business Book of the Month. He is a contributor to the Fox News Channel and a host of "Deep Dive" on Fox Nation.
Maybe Not the Moment for a Millionaire’s Tax
James Freeman is assistant editor of The Wall Street Journal's editorial page and author of the weekday Best of the Web column. He is the co-author of "Borrowed Time: Two Centuries of Booms, Busts and Bailouts at Citi," recognized as a New York Times Editors' Choice and a Financial Times Business Book of the Month. He is a contributor to the Fox News Channel and a host of "Deep Dive" on Fox Nation.
‘Slightly Softer’ Job Market at Small Firms
Sept. 3, 2026 12:10 pm ET The job market at small companies was better than usual in August but not as good as it was in July. That’s the message in the latest monthly employment survey from the National Federation of Independent Business, due out later today. “Hiring plans and actual hiring activity declined in August,” reports NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg. This is in part due to a continuing historic difficulty in finding workers, though the labor shortage may be getting less acute.
Handful of House Democrats Vote to Denounce Murderous Marxism
Rep. Jared Golden (D., Maine) voted for the Republican resolution on socialism and the SAVE Act. Al Drago/Bloomberg News On Tuesday this column noted the four House Democrats who didn’t want to endorse the voter ID legislation known as the SAVE Act but were willing to offer an amendment condemning the socialists staging a takeover of their party. Their outstanding amendment detailed the bloody history of Marxist cruelty.
Democrats vs. the DSA
A brave few House members stand tall against collectivist horror. Sept. 1, 2026 12:43 pm ET Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D., N.J.) at the U.S. Capitol in January. Al Drago/Bloomberg News Yes, it’s depressing how few elected Democrats are willing to stand up against the vicious Marxists intent on taking over their party.
Kamala to the Rescue!
James Freeman is assistant editor of The Wall Street Journal's editorial page and author of the weekday Best of the Web column. He is the co-author of "Borrowed Time: Two Centuries of Booms, Busts and Bailouts at Citi," recognized as a New York Times Editors' Choice and a Financial Times Business Book of the Month. He is a contributor to the Fox News Channel and a host of "Deep Dive" on Fox Nation.
Artificial Criticism of Artificial Intelligence?
Elon Musk at a state banquet with President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China in May. Evan Vucci/Reuters This column is not alone in being puzzled by the abrupt arrival of opposition to data centers, given that they are the closest thing to a free lunch one can find in local governance: large tax revenues with modest demands for services. These computing hives generate data, jobs, income, wealth and not much else.
Chuck Schumer’s New Headache
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) meets reporters outside the Senate Chamber in the Capitol on August 4. Andrew Thomas/CNP/ZUMA Press Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) has been sounding increasingly optimistic about seizing a majority in the upper chamber after the November elections, and not without cause.
Not a Blue State
Sen. Darline Graham (R., S.C.) on Tuesday after her primary victory in the race to hold her late brother Lindsey’s U.S. Senate seat. Megan Varner/Getty Images With exquisite timing this column praised Rep. Ralph Norman (R., S.C.) less than two weeks before his U.S. Senate primary defeat. Mr. Norman certainly deserved kudos for opposing corporate welfare in the solar power industry.
Most Depressing Election of the Year
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Nithya Raman debate at the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center in Los Angeles. Chris Torres/EPA/Shutterstock One can argue that Los Angeles voters have only themselves to blame after a primary mayoral election in which they rejected the candidate urging a new approach to the city’s rising homelessness. On the other hand, more timely reporting of the depth of the crisis might have made a difference in a fairly close election.
Opinion | Trump Persuades Europe
Overseas politicians increasingly willing to consider economic survival. Aug. 24, 2026 12:16 pm ET President Donald Trump waves the green flag to start the Freedom 250 Grand Prix Race on the streets of Washington, D.C. on Sunday. Doug Mills/Pool/Reuters Don’t expect to see European Union bureaucrats wearing “Trump Was Right About Everything” hats. But thank goodness a number of the industrialized world’s leading politicos are finally starting to concede that he sure was right about something.
Rebuilding the Impeachment Factory
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D., Md.) at a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in June. Aaron Schwartz/Reuters There’s a school of thought that August is too early to predict November election outcomes and that polling will be much closer to reality in mid-October. But House Democrats already seem to be measuring the drapes in majority offices on Capitol Hill. If Democrats are victorious in the fall, expect a whole-of-Congress approach to driving President Donald Trump from office next year.
A Great Day for Swamp Draining
The bright side of $40 trillion in federal debt. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the White House on Thursday. Shawn Thew/EPA/Shutterstock For Washington politicians, it almost never seems to be the right time to cut spending. The few who try are often labeled as members of some sort of chaos caucus. And as Elon Musk learned, even temporary D.C. visitors who broach the idea of budget savings are most unwelcome to the Beltway press and policy establishment.
Former Fauci Aide Pleads Guilty in Covid Origins Coverup
Former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to answer questions at a July Senate hearing, even though a Biden administration pardon gave him broad immunity from federal prosecution.
If El-Sayed and Sanders Kill Private Health Plans
Sen. Bernie Sanders (socialist, Vt.) is introduced by Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit in May. Sarah Rice/Getty Images Whether they call themselves socialists or not, Democratic candidates who have endorsed the Bernie Sanders plan to destroy private health plans should pay a political price this fall. This week’s news from a Sanders-style medical system shows again why turning doctors into government bureaucrats can be fatal.
A Deep State of Mind on NBC
Do any media folk read the Constitution? Traditionally the anchor chair at NBC’s “Meet the Press” has been held by a reliable regurgitator of conventional Beltway wisdom. So it was disappointing but not surprising to see host Kristen Welker embracing the hoary media myth of independent departments in the executive branch of the U.S. government.
Opinion | Go, Ralph, Go!
Rep. Ralph Norman (R., S.C.) is running for a U.S. Senate seat in a special election to fill the vacancy created by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. Sam Wolfe/Bloomberg News Sometimes it’s hard for the average voter to tell just how effective an elected official is in advancing the interests of his constituency. But when some of Washington’s most aggressive subsidy seekers make him a top political target, you know he’s doing something right.
A Wokester’s Opening Argument for the U.S. Senate
Aug. 13, 2026 12:42 pm ET They can’t both be first: Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who says she would be the first “Native woman” in the U.S. Senate, enjoys the support of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.). Holden Smith/Zuma Press What an ingrate. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who has enjoyed the enthusiastic support of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), sent out a Wednesday fundraising pitch that is bound to embarrass her loyal patron.
Minnesota’s Referendum on Woke 1
Will voters agree with AOC that the left’s 2020 agenda was crazy? Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) campaigns with Democratic Senate candidate and current Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in Minneapolis on Saturday. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images On Tuesday this column noted the attempt by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) to giggle away the destructiveness of the left’s “Woke 1” agenda in 2020. Now voters in Minnesota’s race for an open U.S. Senate seat can express whether they also find it amusing.
AOC’s ‘Narrative Hygiene’ on ABC
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) talks to reporters following a vote at the U.S. Capitol in July. Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg News It’s almost impossible to make Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) appear measured and wise, but she and ABC host Jonathan Karl gave it their best shot on Sunday. As leftist excitement builds over the possibility of a 2028 presidential run, all concerned seem to recognize the need to rewrite her official recent history. Mr. Karl was talking with Rep.
Will Michigan Voters Receive an Obama Scolding?
The former president pauses before endorsing a candidate who backed police defunding. Former President Barack Obama at the dedication ceremony for his Obama Presidential Center in Chicago in June. Alex Brandon/Associated Press In a perfect world, the elder statesmen of the Democratic Party would help discourage voters from embracing the reckless extremism of the hard left.
‘Abolish Capitalism. Viva Free Enterprise!’
Call liberty by its true name. Given the progress Marxists have been making lately in their attempted takeover of the Democratic Party—and the need to rebut the ideas that have caused so much misery over the past century—it’s important to make clear what the alternative to an all-powerful state really is.
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