Commentary: America tried something new in 2025. It...

What’s Happening

Here’s the thing: Times columnists Anita Chabria and Mark Z.

Barabak look back and assess whether 2025 was good for America or an unmitigated disaster. Donald Trump arrived back in the Oval Office bearing a trunkload of gilded decor and a sheaf of policies that have drastically transformed America over the last 12 months. (yes, really)

(Alex Brandon / Associated Press) By Anita Chabria and Mark Z.

The Details

28, 2025 3 AM PT 9 min Click here to listen to this article via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read voice.

Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . P]:text-cms-story-body-color-text clearfix mb-10 md:max-w-170 md:mx-auto” data-r-content Is there a dumpster somewhere to torch and bury this year of bedlam , 2025?

Why This Matters

We near its end with equal amounts relief and trepidation. Surely we can’t be expected to endure another such tumultuous turn around the sun? It was only January that Donald Trump moved back into the White House , apparently toting trunkloads of gilt for the walls.

Diplomats and experts are analyzing what this means for international relations.

Key Takeaways

• Demonstrators at a No Kings rally in Washington, protesting actions and Elon Musk.
• (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press) By spring, the administration was attacking Harvard as a test case for strong-arming higher education.

The Bottom Line

By June, Trump’s grotesquely misnamed Big clean Bill had become law, giving $1 trillion in tax cuts to billionaires and funding a deportation effort (and armed force) that has fundamentally reshaped American immigration law and wrapped up any pretense about targeting “the worst of the worst. ” Fall and winter have brought questionable bombings of boats in the Caribbean, a further backing away from Ukraine, a crackdown on opposition to Trump by classifying it as leftist terrorism and congressional inaction on healthcare that will leave many struggling to stay insured .

How do you feel about this development?