Around 18 months before he won the Republican nomination to a seat in the Wyoming House of Representatives in 2022, Daniel Singh told a podcaster friend that he was pro-choice, progressive, and believed hard drugs should be legal.
The Cheyenne man, who is now eyeing a contested state Senate seat, said he wanted to build a network of progressives in Cheyenne, according to the podcast recording Cowboy State Daily first accessed Friday.
Singh first won the GOP nomination for House District 61 on Aug. 16, 2022, over two other candidates. He went on to win the general election and was sworn into office in early 2023.
He started identifying as a member of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus during his freshman term.
The caucus is a bloc of House Republicans whose website says they “plan together, work together, and pray together in pursuit of policies that promote truth by protecting life, private property rights, and Judeo-Christian family values.”
Singh was a rostered member as early as July 2025, and parted ways with the caucus — telling the public he left it but still aligns with it generally — in about January of this year.
‘Far-Right Fascist Figure'
About two years before entering office, Singh had described himself as a pro-choice progressive willing to legalize hard drugs.
He specifically denied being a conservative. That’s according to the podcast by Singh’s longtime, and former, friend Toby Thompson, who is also from Cheyenne but now lives in Georgia.
Upon request, Thompson sent Cowboy State Daily a screenshot of the recording’s data that indicates it was recorded Feb. 28, 2021.
“I have a good one for you today,” begins Thompson’s voiceover introduction to the podcast interview, which he did not publish until Sept. 20, 2024 — after Singh’s second primary election win.
“What you’re about to hear is an interview I conducted with Wyoming House District 61 Representative Daniel Singh,” said Thompson. “This was actually supposed to be the first episode of (podcast) 'Nobody Talks Religion and Politics,' but Daniel asked me to shelve it at the time because he believed it would make it harder to manipulate Republican voters into electing him.”
Thompson said that as Singh’s friend, he complied with that request.
“But after watching him devolve from a progressive leader I could believe in into a far-right fascist figure, I feel my responsibility as a writer and proud Wyomingite outweighs Daniel’s request as my friend,” said Thompson.
He said he wasn’t publishing the podcast to sabotage Singh and didn’t believe he had enough listeners to influence what was then the upcoming general election.
Thompson said he was publishing it, rather, so Singh would listen to it “and be reminded of the man he was at the start of his political journey.”
In a Friday phone interview, Thompson doubled down.
“I think Daniel Singh is excellent at political maneuvering and like, reading the writing on the wall,” said Thompson, adding that he believes Singh aligned with the Freedom Caucus to ride “the rise of MAGA politics,” and that he will “ride whatever political wave will keep him in power.”
‘I’m Definitely Committed To The Republican Party'
Singh countered in a Friday phone interview, noting that he doesn’t now associate with Thompson, and insisted that he does not hold the views captured in that interview.
“I’m definitely committed to the Republican Party,” said Singh, adding that being pro-life and other party planks aren’t just stances, they’re “timeless truths.”
Singh said he recorded that podcast before getting involved with the Republican Party, and he’s changed his views over time as he’s learned what matters to his community.
“Ronald Reagan started out as a Democrat, and became one of the most influential conservatives of our time,” said Singh. “And people change their minds.”
Singh registered to vote as a Republican in Laramie County in 2016 and has not changed his party affiliation, the Laramie County Clerk’s office confirmed Monday.
Singh is 29. He was 24 during the interview with Thompson.
Singh is now running for state Senate in a primary election contest against Republican incumbent Sen. Evie Brennan. The election is Aug. 18.
Weigh In Here
Singh’s 2022 and 2024 GOP campaign opponent Matt Malcom told Cowboy State Daily he believes Singh doesn’t believe the Freedom Caucus’ positions.
“I think he’s putting on a show in order to galvanize more support around the issues he cares about,” said Malcom.
Malcom said he campaigned on more moderate positions than Singh in their races.
Rep. Karlee Provenza, D-Laramie, cast Singh’s Freedom Caucus alignment as a political opportunity.
“It’s really disheartening to see someone throw their personal political beliefs away because they saw an opportunity to join the Freedom Caucus,” said Provenza. “This out-of-state machine that will help them get elected — assuming that’s what Daniel’s beliefs are, or were.”
Provenza added, “It just begs the question of if this system works at all? It’s just sad.”
The Freedom Caucus amassed significant momentum in 2024, telling the public it had gained control of the House. It is part of a larger national network of Freedom Caucus chapters.
House Appropriations Chair and former Freedom Caucus leader John Bear, R-Gillette, ventured a cautious guess on the contrast between Singh’s interview and his generally conservative voting record.
“I would guess he wasn’t masquerading (as a conservative in the Legislature) because he hasn’t changed his voting significantly from when he was more aligned … with the Freedom Caucus,” said Bear.
Singh also made comments during Thompson’s podcast about being an atheist and a stoic. Bear voiced confusion over that, saying his view of Singh’s personal life has indicated Christian missionary activities.
“That doesn’t make sense,” said Bear.
Singh told Cowboy State Daily on Friday that he is a Christian now, having “had to humble myself and learn firsthand not only what it is I believe, and my personal relationship with God. But how does that apply to my political theory.”
Dig In
Thompson asked early during the podcast interview what issues matter most to Singh.
“I find myself talking a lot about women having access to abortion, gun laws ... “ began Singh.
Thompson interrupted, telling Singh to talk about abortion.
“Women have to have access to the medical procedure of an abortion,” said Singh.
He said that pro-lifers have good intentions, but women denied legal access to abortions will get them illegally and reap worse medical consequences.
“It’s a medical practice and women’s lives are on the line, and this is a decision an individual needs to be able to make,” he said.
During his first legislative session in 2023, Singh cosponsored the Life Is a Human Right Act — a near-total ban on abortion into which the Senate added exemptions for rape and incest — along with a similar ban on abortion pills.
The Wyoming Supreme Court declared both bans unconstitutional on Jan. 6 of this year, citing the Wyoming Constitution’s promise of health care autonomy.
Singh told Cowboy State Daily on Friday, “I’m definitely pro-life, 100% pro-life. I feel like my voting record reflects that.”
He has voted in favor of pro-life legislation every year since his election.
During his interview with Thompson, Singh voiced passion for gun rights, saying people should be able to have whatever weapons they can afford, and that if everyone is armed, then people may be safer altogether.
While different Republicans vary, the party tends to favor gun rights and gun access.
About Crack
Singh had told Thompson, according to the podcast recording, that former President Richard Nixon’s war on drugs was a “waste of resources obviously” and an embarrassment.
“Why should the government have a problem if someone smokes some weed on their couch, or does some mushrooms on their weekend in the forest, or even like, smokes some crack in their garage?” Singh had told Thompson. “If they’re not hurting — not doing something that’s actually a crime other than like the drug itself — why are we treating them like animals?”
Society should treat drug addiction like a health problem instead, he said.
In his interview Friday, Singh said he wants the state to reform its drug classifications and “we need to at least get to where President Trump has moved cannabis.”
The president has reclassified many marijuana products as schedule III, meaning they’re recognized as having a medical purpose. Wyoming has chosen against following suit, keeping the drug in the schedule I, non-medical class.
Singh said there are people in Wyoming who use marijuana and aren’t a danger to society, and that, “I don’t think we should treat them like criminals.”
That matches his legislative record. He’s repeatedly tried to run legislation to allow and regulate “consumable hemp” products.
Singh differed Friday from his 2021 stance on “crack,” or cocaine.
“Crack is a problem. We don’t want crack,” Singh said with a laugh. “Crack actually destroys communities.”
He added, “But using the war on drugs to infringe upon civil liberties is something I disagree with.”
On Party Politics
Singh told Thompson in 2021 that he’d like to see the establishment of an explicitly progressive party in Cheyenne. He criticized the national mainstream Democratic establishment.
He also said “a bunch of, like, 60-year-old ranch hands that have a very, like, particular view of how the world works” have had the power to dictate what it means to be from Wyoming.
“But the people who don’t agree with … the Judeo-Christian, white nationalistic view of what America is but would rather see America be different,” said Singh, “our voices are pretty much suppressed.”
Wyoming’s political binary isn’t between Republican and Democrat, but between Republicans and “progressives with the support of the Democratic party,” said Singh.
He said progressives can often explain their stances to conservatives “if you frame your arguments right.”
“If we want political change we need energy, we need bravery, we need boldness, we need charisma; like, we need to fight as if we’re fighting for real political power and we have a chance to win it,” said Singh. “Because we do have a chance to win it.”
Singh voiced support for nuclear energy, a nationwide high-speed rail system, and automating farming. He said he’s not opposed to the government owning land, “if it’s for, like, state parks. Stuff like that.”
Faith
Singh in recent months has voiced a strong Christian faith on his political Facebook page. He told Cowboy State Daily on Friday that is sincere.
In 2021, he told Thompson he identified as a stoic, meaning: “living according to virtue, and according to nature.”
He described the value of focusing on one’s actions rather than his plight.
He denied the existence of God and the human soul. He said a human’s life is a gift one shouldn’t waste.
“I think I wrestled with (faith) for a long time when I was young,” said Singh in his Friday interview. “I think a lot of young people wrestle with that.
"And as life has gone on, it’s just been so absolutely crystal clear to me that there’s a God out there, and Jesus specifically died on the cross for my sins.
‘Nazi Shit’
In Thompson’s 2024 voiceover on the podcast, he addressed Singh, called Singh’s 2021 statements “beautiful,” and said, “It’s never too late to stop doing Nazi shit.”
Thompson elaborated in a Friday email to Cowboy State Daily, defining “Nazi shit” in part as: “targeting/scapegoating of racial and gender minorities,” “targeting public library and education systems in what amounts to the contemporary equivalent of book burning.”
Thompson added, “hyper-nationalism and blind allegiance to a single executive figurehead that has been unconstitutionally centralizing power in his own hands could also fit the fascist bill.”
Thompson did not point to any legislation specifically.
Singh was the lead sponsor on the 2024 House Bill 193, which sought to ban local Wyoming governments from implementing immigration sanctuary-city policies. He voted in favor this year of the failed House Bill 10, which sought to regulate sexually graphic books in school and public libraries.
The bill did not call for book burning or bans, but would have given disgruntled community members an avenue to sue if librarians refuse to move sexually explicit books to the adult section or, in the case of school libraries, out of the library.
Thompson said the friends parted ways after a rift that was both personal and political.
Singh said in a Monday phone interview, “Toby’s free to have his opinions.”
He referenced the old political aphorism, “If you’re not a socialist at 20, you have no heart; if you are a socialist at 40, you have no head.”
“That really resonated with me,” added Singh. “I think it’s good people are able to grow and learn.”
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
