2025 Year in Review (with Kevin Ryan)

Topics discussed, by month:JanuaryThe year opened with Donald Trump’s second inauguration and a rapid slate of executive actions, including a controversial move that effectively kept TikTok alive after a brief shutdown. The ceremony highlighted a conspicuous alliance between Trump and major tech figures — framed as an early signal of an AI-driven, business-friendly Trump 2.0 — alongside cultural flashpoints like Elon Musk’s gesture that sparked online backlash.FebruaryTrump reintroduced tariffs on Canada and Mexico, triggering market volatility and a sense that the second administration would closely resemble the first. The episode became a turning point for media and political observers, who noted both reduced hysteria compared to 2017 and a more subdued press landscape shaped by declining ratings, clicks, and subscriber growth.Politics Politics Politics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.MarchA historic blizzard paralyzed much of the American South, hitting northern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and especially the Dallas–Fort Worth area, where hundreds of thousands lost power. The storm stood out as a rare reminder of infrastructure vulnerability in regions unaccustomed to severe winter weather.April“Liberation Day” marked Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement, forcing long-time free-trade conservatives to publicly accept policies they once opposed as markets reacted sharply. The moment crystallized tensions within the GOP coalition, highlighted generational backlash from Gen Z voters, and underscored growing anxiety about the economy, inflation, and job security.MayTrump announced a major economic deal with Qatar, bringing Middle East politics and foreign influence — particularly within right-wing media — into sharper focus. The deal coincided with intensifying divisions inside conservative circles over Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the broader regional conflict, exposing deep fractures within the MAGA-aligned media ecosystem.JuneThe U.S. carried out targeted airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in one of the year’s strangest and most anticlimactic geopolitical moments. Despite intense speculation and internal right-wing conflict over the prospect of war, the strikes produced no immediate escalation, quickly fading from public attention after briefly dominating political discourse.JulyCatastrophic flooding in Texas over the July 4th holiday killed at least 135 people, with the destruction of a girls’ summer camp becoming a focal point for grief and anger. The discussion centered on loss of life, questions about building in known flood zones, and the emotional toll of reporting on tragedy.AugustA surprise U.S.–Russia summit in Alaska brought Vladimir Putin to American soil for the first time in years, framed as a tentative step toward ending the war in Ukraine. SeptemberThe assassination of Charlie Kirk at a Turning Point USA event in Utah dominated the conversation as the defining story of the year. The killing reshaped right-wing media, hardened attitudes around speech and retaliation, exposed moral failures in online discourse, and accelerated the rise of figures like Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes amid what is described as a profound loss of cohesion on the right.OctoberThe longest government shutdown in U.S. history paralyzed Washington and revealed how little clarity even insiders had about its endgame. While it failed to specifically earn the Democrats what they publicly said they wanted, the shutdown ultimately functioned as a political weapon, energizing Democrats in off-year elections while deepening public cynicism about governance and leverage politics.NovemberDemocratic overperformance in off-year elections, including Virginia and New Jersey, reframed the shutdown as a tactical success rather than a policy-driven fight. That momentum quickly curdled into skepticism, with voters sensing a power grab and turning on Democrats once the immediate political payoff was achieved.DecemberThe Trump administration’s pardon of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández — convicted of facilitating large-scale cocaine trafficking — sparked debate over executive power, corruption, and contradictions in U.S. anti-narcotics policy. The month closed with a broader reflection on “state of exception” politics, where violence and extralegal force are justified as necessary to restore order, a theme tied back to both Trump’s actions and the year’s broader political unrest.Chapters00:00:00 - Intro00:01:21 - January00:11:10 - February00:15:47 - March00:18:38 - April00:25:41 - May00:31:54 - June00:37:08 - July00:47:04 - August00:52:22 - September01:27:14 - October01:30:03 - November01:34:48 - December01:44:15 - Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe