It’s been quite a year in politics. President Donald Trump began his second term in the White House with a flurry of executive orders. These actions included efforts to shrink several federal agencies, such as the Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security and the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Federal workers endured layoffs and taxpayers and public services suffered funding cuts.
The year also saw ongoing political conflict, an aggressive, nationwide crackdown on immigration and the longest federal government shutdown in history. Toward the end, the November off-year elections signaled what Republicans and Democrats might be in for during the 2026 midterm elections.
For a special edition of “Closer Look,” program host Rose Scott talks with several guests for a recap of local and federal politics in 2025. Guests also shared their thoughts about what they feel are some of the most pressing concerns for voters, the mishaps of both Democrats and Republicans and what each party must do as America turns 250 years old.
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