The year 2025 is coming to a close, marking an end to a historic year for the United States.
President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, marking the start of his second term. Many of the year’s biggest events are connected to him, including protests, a government shutdown, and an election cycle that could be a prelude to the 2026 midterm elections.
These are the biggest news stories the Washington Examiner covered this year:
‘No Kings’ protests
Two separate days of mass protests were the talk of the nation this year, with the first taking place on June 14, Trump’s birthday, and the second being held around four months later. The protests mainly opposed the president and his agenda for the nation, specifically the deportation of illegal immigrants.
The second round of protests, set on Oct. 18, saw Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) join attendees who oppose the president. Trump, meanwhile, poked fun at the protests by posting a video generated via artificial intelligence, featuring him piloting a plane titled “King Trump” as it drops what appears to be feces onto hundreds of protesters.
Investigative journalist group the Pearl Project estimated there were 265 organizations conducting No Kings protests that Saturday, with the Indivisible Project reportedly “managing data and communications with participants.” Indivisible has significant ties to Open Society Foundations, founded by billionaire Democratic donor George Soros.
The government shutdown
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history occurred in 2025, lasting approximately six weeks from Oct. 1 through Nov. 13. The shutdown saw federal workers go without pay for weeks on end, some of whom chose not to show up for work as a result of their halted pay.
Democratic lawmakers argued the heart of the shutdown feud was over subsidies for people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, asking the Republican Party to extend these subsidies. The feud began to slow after eight Senate Democrats voted with most Republicans to end the shutdown, paving the way for legislation to pass the House and get to Trump’s desk.
Both Senate Republicans and Democrats are feuding over healthcare bills to address the heart of the shutdown, with both parties’ bills failing to acquire the necessary 60 votes to advance.
Charlie Kirk’s assassination and vigil
Multiple vigils mourning the death of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk were held in the wake of his assassination on Sept. 10, one of which took place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Attendees told the Washington Examiner that Kirk’s murder “set a fire in us,” as Kirk had been “a very big inspiration” for them.
Various speakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., reflected on Kirk’s impact on the United States.
In the wake of his assassination, his widow, Erika Kirk, has vowed to continue Kirk’s movement at TPUSA. The conservative organization announced on X two weeks after Kirk’s death that it received over 121,000 requests for new TPUSA chapters at high schools or college campuses.
The 2025 election cycle
The Democratic Party swept the November elections, scoring major wins in New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia, among other states. One of the party’s biggest victories saw New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani defeat both Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and independent candidate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the latter candidate previously losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary.
2025 ELECTION TAKEAWAYS: REPUBLICANS LOST AND THEY KNOW IT
In Virginia and New Jersey, both Democratic candidates won their races by double digits. Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) won her race with 56.9% of the Garden State’s vote, putting her ahead of Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli by over 14%. In Virginia, Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) won with over 57% of the vote, outpacing Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by around 15%.
These major victories, as well as several special elections in December, have fueled the Democratic Party’s confidence as it heads into the 2026 midterm elections, setting its sights on retaking the House of Representatives. Republicans only have a slight majority in the lower chamber of Congress, which will likely shrink more once Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) resigns from her seat.