Photos show the year in politics as Trump brought change to America in 2025

In 2025, President Trump returned to power and instituted change in Washington with executive orders that ranged from immigration crackdowns to sweeping foreign policy proposals to renaming government agencies. 

Although Congressional leaders were able to usher through Mr. Trump’s “One, Big Beautiful Bill,” his budget bill couldn’t get 60 votes to advance in the Senate, leading to a 43-day government shutdown, the longest in history.

Billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, took aim at the federal workforce. USAID was effectively dissolved into the State Department, while thousands of Health and Human Services employees were laid off. 

Activist Charlie Kirk was shot to death while speaking at Utah Valley University in September, roiling the conservative movement. His wife, Erika Kirk, gave an emotional eulogy at his memorial service where she proclaimed she forgave his killer. 

Washington was gripped by the controversy surrounding the release of the Justice Department’s files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

Mr. Trump also made his physical mark on Washington, holding a military parade to honor the Army’s 250 birthday, demolishing much of the White House’s East Wing for a 9,000-square foot ballroom, and adding his name to the Institute of Peace and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Here are some of the most powerful images of the year from politics:

January 

The first month of 2025 was marked by the Inauguration of President Trump to begin his second term, and a farewell to former President Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100.