A recap of some of the biggest stories of the year, ranging from unprecedented to surprising.
1. Trump’s Legal Battles
2. Trump Dominates GOP Field
3. RFK Jr.’s Run
4. Bidens Face Investigations, Legal Woes
5. McCarthy’s Fall
6. Johnson Takes the Reins
7. Rep. Santos Expulsion
As the nation prepares for another hard-fought battle for the White House in 2024, this year has also been eventful in American politics.
A great deal has happened in U.S. politics since the end of the 2022 election cycle and the start of the 118th Congress.
The House Speaker rose and fell as the Republican lower chamber faced off with the Democrat upper chamber and the White House.
Republicans made good on their promises to investigate the first family’s foreign business dealings, culminating in the authorization of an impeachment inquiry into the president.
Former President Donald Trump fought in courts across the nation against an unprecedented slew of indictments and allegations—and leads the Republican pack in spite of it.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent bid for the presidency made waves, garnering far more support than political observers would have foreseen a year ago.
For the first time in history, Republicans booted one of their own from Congress.
From indictments to an impeachment inquiry to the kick-off of the 2024 election cycle, the year has consisted of many memorable moments.
Here’s a recap of the top seven political stories of 2023.
1. Trump’s Legal Battles
The year 2023 was norm-shattering, as President Trump became the first former president in history to be criminally charged.
In what some observers describe as campaign “lawfare” conducted against the leading GOP candidate, the former president faces a multitude of legal challenges, both criminal and civil, as well as efforts to remove him from the ballot in local, state, and federal courts across the country.
President Trump has been indicted in Manhattan, Georgia, and two federal cases, totaling 91 charges.
Across different courts, President Trump is facing various charges, including alleged campaign finance violations connected to a hush money payment in 2016, alleged mishandled classified information, alleged orchestration of the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, and alleged actions to overturn the 2020 election.
