December is here, and with that comes the bittersweet feeling of another year at its end. 

As 2025 comes to a close, it’s important to reflect on the most significant, impactful and relevant political moments of the year. From Trump’s second presidency to Zohran Mamdani and everything in between, here’s a timeline of the most noteworthy moments of 2025. 

Wildfires

Back in January, Southern California, specifically the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, was ravaged by some of the state’s most destructive wildfires in history. Anywhere between 31 and 440 people died, and over 57,000 acres were burned. Read more about it here.

Trump elected for a second term

On Jan. 20, Donald Trump was inaugurated for the second time as President of the United States. On his first day in office, he signed 26 executive orders, more than any other president’s first day. In less than a year, his presidency has fundamentally changed America. According to several polls, his approval ratings have been significantly decreasing as the year has progressed. Read more about it here.

Tariffs

Since his inauguration in January, Trump has been imposing large numbers of tariffs on foreign imports, significantly raising prices on goods from places like China, India and Mexico. Read more about it here, here and here.

Gulf of America

On Jan. 20, Trump issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Proponents of the renaming have argued that it reinforces an “America First” agenda, and Trump created Feb. 9 as National Gulf of America Day. However, a poll shows that 71% of Americans are against the name change. Read more about it here.

Elon Nazi salute

On Jan. 20, while speaking at a rally celebrating Trump’s second inauguration, Elon Musk made a straight-arm salute that many believed to be a Nazi or fascist salute. He denied these accusations, and the internet was divided on whether or not this was true. Regardless, the gesture was questionable at best.  

ICE

One of Trump’s major goals with his second presidency has been to crack down on immigration policy and enforcement. The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been brutal in upholding this goal, including several unlawful arrests and an alarming lack of responsibility for it. Read more about it here, here and here.

Pope Chicago

On April 21, Pope Francis passed away and was replaced by Pope Leo XIV on May 8. Pope Leo is the first Pope to have ever been born in the United States, coming straight from our own city of Chicago. Read more about it here.

Trump “dying”

Rumors speculated earlier this year that Trump was seriously ill and/or dying due to large, concerning bruises on his hands. More recently, he appeared to fall asleep during a cabinet meeting, prompting more questions about his health.

Trump deploys National Guard to cities

Since this summer, Trump has been deploying members of the National Guard to several major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Portland, where he said he is authorizing the use of “full force, if necessary.” Read more about it here. 

No Kings

On June 14 and Oct. 18, Americans across the country gathered for organized, peaceful “No Kings” protests against President Trump. Both dates broke records for the highest single-day protest attendance in the country. Read more about it here and here.

One Big Beautiful Bill

Signed into law on July 4, President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” significantly affects government spending and taxation. It makes drastic cuts to crucial programs like food assistance, healthcare and student loans, instead focusing on defense spending and tax cuts for the wealthy. Read more about it here.

Charlie Kirk

On Sept. 10, conservative political activist and media personality Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. His death sparked a larger conversation about gun violence and political assassinations. More recently, he has been “memeified,” where people have used Artificial Intelligence to replace other people’s faces with his and create songs about him. Read more about it here.

Freedom of Speech problems

This year has brought about several threats to freedom of speech. With the death of Charlie Kirk, the removal of Jimmy Kimmel from the air after a comment on the situation and Attorney General Pam Bondi saying, “We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech,” the First Amendment hasn’t been looking too safe recently. Read more about it here and here.

Jane Goodall

On Oct. 1, humanitarian and conservationist Jane Goodall passed away at 91-years-old. Known for her groundbreaking work in chimpanzee research, Goodall was a pioneer in understanding the relationships between humans and animals. Read more about her here.

Government shutdown

From Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, the federal government was shut down. At 43 days, this was the longest government shutdown in American history. During the shutdown, many vital government programs were paused, and several thousand government employees were laid off. Read more about it here.

White House East Wing

In October, Trump announced his plans to demolish the entire east wing of the White House to construct a $300 million ballroom. As of December, demolition is complete, and construction has begun. The project has been heavily criticized, as the building has stood for over 120 years, and no president has ever remodeled so heavily.

Zohran Mamdani

On Nov. 4, Zohran Mamdani became New York City’s first Muslim mayor. A Democratic Socialist, Mamdani marks what may become a new era of representation in America, fronted by young, diverse and focused politicians. 

No more pennies

In November, it was revealed that the penny is being discontinued, with production expected to officially end in early 2026. 

Epstein updates

On Nov. 19, Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, giving the Department of Justice up to 30 days to release their files related to the investigation of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While the files have yet to be released, several batches of photos featuring Trump, Bill Clinton and Bill Gates with Epstein have started coming out, after many protests against Trump and his general unwillingness to put the Epstein Files out to the public. 

While it’s been a hectic year for politics, we as a people will be unified with time, whether we conform or combat against this new norm.