18 Photos That Defined a Chaotic and Unprecedented Year in Politics

Mar. 15, 2025

Two thousand twenty-three was another year for the history books, as prominent politicians were indicted, legal precedent was challenged, leaders were lost and (sometimes physical) fights broke out in Congress. Shock, grief and fury took control of the political landscape — but amid tensions both at home and abroad, Americans managed to find occasional moments of inspiration and bipartisanship.Eighteen photos helped define the state of politics in 2023, collectively painting a chaotic portrait of a year that will be remembered for generations to come. Before diving into the election year ahead, a look back.

Two thousand twenty-three was another year for the history books, as prominent politicians were indicted, legal precedent was challenged, leaders were lost and (sometimes physical) fights broke out in Congress. Shock, grief and fury took control of the political landscape — but amid tensions both at home and abroad, Americans managed to find occasional moments of inspiration and bipartisanship.

Eighteen photos helped define the state of politics in 2023, collectively painting a chaotic portrait of a year that will be remembered for generations to come. Before diving into the election year ahead, a look back.

01of 18It Began with a BrawlReps. Richard Hudson and Mike Rogers on the House floor on Jan. 6.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via GettyNorth Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson restrains Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers as an altercation breaks out on the House floor during a historicdeadlocked speaker electionthat required15 rounds of voting.Rogers was attempting to confront far-right Florida Rep.Matt Gaetz, whose repeated opposition to Republican speaker candidateKevin McCarthydelayed the House from beginning its session. The tense exchange foreshadowed an unprecedented year of House GOP infighting that led to ahistorically unproductive year in Congress.

01of 18

It Began with a Brawl

Reps. Richard Hudson and Mike Rogers on the House floor on Jan. 6.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty

Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty

North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson restrains Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers as an altercation breaks out on the House floor during a historicdeadlocked speaker electionthat required15 rounds of voting.

Rogers was attempting to confront far-right Florida Rep.Matt Gaetz, whose repeated opposition to Republican speaker candidateKevin McCarthydelayed the House from beginning its session. The tense exchange foreshadowed an unprecedented year of House GOP infighting that led to ahistorically unproductive year in Congress.

02of 18

The State of the Union

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 7.JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Greene’s interruption was one of many rowdy moments during Biden’s2023 addressto a joint session of Congress, which drewfierce heckling from Republican politicians.

03of 18Donald Trump ArraignedDonald Trump in New York City on April 4.John Angelillo/UPI/ShutterstockDonald Trumparrives at Manhattan Criminal Court in April for a historic arraignment,surrendering to authoritiesafter he wasindicted on 34 felony counts. In doing so, he became the first sitting or former president in U.S. history to answer to criminal charges.Trump’s wife,Melania Trump, wasnotably absentat the courthouse, where heentered a not guilty pleawithout loved ones at his side.The charges stemmed from an alleged $130,000 hush money payment made to adult film starStormy Daniels, which was supposedly documented as “legal expenses” in the financial records of the Trump Organization. The payment was allegedly made in the final days of the 2016 presidential election to quiet Daniels about asexual encountershe’d had with the real estate mogul years earlier.

03of 18

Donald Trump Arraigned

Donald Trump in New York City on April 4.John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock

Donald Trumparrives at Manhattan Criminal Court in April for a historic arraignment,surrendering to authoritiesafter he wasindicted on 34 felony counts. In doing so, he became the first sitting or former president in U.S. history to answer to criminal charges.

Trump’s wife,Melania Trump, wasnotably absentat the courthouse, where heentered a not guilty pleawithout loved ones at his side.

The charges stemmed from an alleged $130,000 hush money payment made to adult film starStormy Daniels, which was supposedly documented as “legal expenses” in the financial records of the Trump Organization. The payment was allegedly made in the final days of the 2016 presidential election to quiet Daniels about asexual encountershe’d had with the real estate mogul years earlier.

04of 18

The “Tennessee Three” Face Expulsion

State Rep. Justin Jones in the Tennessee State Capitol on April 6.Seth Herald/Getty

Seth Herald/Getty

05of 18A Mental Health MilestoneSen. John Fetterman at the U.S. Capitol on April 17.Al Drago/Bloomberg via GettyFreshman Sen.John Fettermanreturns to Capitol Hill after spending an extended period of time in the hospital to receive treatment for depression. His transparency about seeking treatment — in the first few months of his hard-won gig — sparked a national conversation about the importance of addressing mental health.“The conversation I had with my team and my family [before admitting myself to the hospital] is that I’ve got to do something or it could end in the most awful way,” Fettermantold PEOPLEduring an exclusive at-home interview in April. Asked if he was referring to self-harm, he said: “I realized that that could be an option. I wasn’t thinking about self-harm, but I was firmly indifferent to living.“Months before opening up about his depression, Fetterman found himself subject to personal attacks on the Senate campaign trail as he faced off with celebrityDr. Mehmet Ozwhile recovering from a stroke.

05of 18

A Mental Health Milestone

Sen. John Fetterman at the U.S. Capitol on April 17.Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty

Freshman Sen.John Fettermanreturns to Capitol Hill after spending an extended period of time in the hospital to receive treatment for depression. His transparency about seeking treatment — in the first few months of his hard-won gig — sparked a national conversation about the importance of addressing mental health.

“The conversation I had with my team and my family [before admitting myself to the hospital] is that I’ve got to do something or it could end in the most awful way,” Fettermantold PEOPLEduring an exclusive at-home interview in April. Asked if he was referring to self-harm, he said: “I realized that that could be an option. I wasn’t thinking about self-harm, but I was firmly indifferent to living.”

Months before opening up about his depression, Fetterman found himself subject to personal attacks on the Senate campaign trail as he faced off with celebrityDr. Mehmet Ozwhile recovering from a stroke.

06of 18

E. Jean Carroll Wins

E. Jean Carroll in New York City on May 9.Spencer Platt/Getty

Spencer Platt/Getty

FormerEllecolumnist E. Jean Carroll made history in May when a jury found Donald Trumpliable for sexually abusing and defaming her. Carroll had launched the lawsuit with an allegation that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the ’90s.

“It was not just for me. Every woman feels vindicated. At last, a woman was believed,” Carrolltold PEOPLEmonths later, reflecting on the legal victory. “It took years, and the greatest attorney in America, and persistence through four different courts. … Unfortunately, in this culture, the man who we triumphed over in court still has a very high status. As a matter of fact, his status was raised.”

07of 18

Mar-a-Lago Bathroom Docs

Classified documents in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom, pictured in evidence released on June 9.US DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

US DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The former president’sindictmentdetailed that he had retained over 100 classified documents with some of the most sensitive topics originating from seven intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA and Department of Defense. The documents were stored in “a ballroom,a bathroom and shower, an office space, [Trump’s] bedroom, and a storage room” — all at Mar-a-Lago — per the document, which included unforgettable evidence photos for reference.

In the two months after Trump left office, dozens of boxes of documents were placed on stage in Mar-a-Lago’s White and Gold Ballroom, which was regularly the host of large-scale events, the indictment added.

08of 18

SCOTUS Decisions Drop

Protestors at Harvard University on July 1.Ziyu Julian Zhu/Xinhua via Getty

Ziyu Julian Zhu/Xinhua via Getty

“Affirmative action affirms and sees our story as a framework for passions, ambitions and achievements,” Harvard student Michelle Jean-Louis declared at a protest, according toHarvard Magazine. “The decision might have been made, but the fight for visibility must remain.”

The court’s conservative super-majority was feltfor the second year in a rowwhen its final batch of decisions before the summer recess were released in June. Two other landmark cases issued that week — which were also decided in 6-3 votes on ideological lines —opened the door for broader discrimination against LGBTQ peopleandaxed President Joe Biden’s highly anticipated student loan forgiveness plan. In thehighly hypotheticalLGBTQ rights case303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, the court sided with a Christian web designer who wanted permission to refuse building wedding websites for same-sex couples.

09of 18

Congress' Shining Star

Susan Cole on the House floor on Jan. 3.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty

While Congress flexed its dysfunction throughout the year, one government official achieved unexpected internet fame for running an exceedingly tight ship through rocky waters.

C-SPAN viewers seemingly saw more of Republican House Reading Clerk Susan Cole than the actual House leaders in 2023, as she administered a shocking number of back-to-back roll call votes throughout the year amid House Republicans' neverending speakership battle.

Reacting to her unusual celebrity status in October, Cole expressed confusion to Scripps News reporterNathaniel Reed: “I’m just Susan.”

10of 18

Inmate No. P01135809

Fulton County Sheriff’s Office

In August, Trump’s Georgiamug shot was released, a historic moment that made him the only sitting or former United States president to pose for a booking photo.

Trump was processed as inmate number P01135809, with his height listed as 6'3”, having “blond or strawberry hair” and blue eyes. His lawyersnegotiated a $200,000 bondbefore he turned himself in.

11of 18

California Loses a Pioneer

Nancy Pelosi puts her arm around the casket of longtime friend Dianne Feinstein on Oct. 4.AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez

AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez

Former House SpeakerNancy Pelosismiles and hugs Dianne Feinstein’s casket as the late California senatorlies in stateat San Francisco City Hall in October.

In anessay forSan Francisco Chroniclepublished shortly after Feinstein’s death, Pelosi wrote about her “beautiful friendship” with the fellow San Francisco native, calling her an “iconic, indomitable leader” who made her hometown and state proud throughout her career.

12of 18War Erupts in the Middle EastJACK GUEZ/AFP via GettyA meticulously planned terrorist attack in southern Israel at the hands of Palestinian militant group Hamas launched the Middle East into a heightened state of unrest as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahudeclared his country “at war.“Above, a scene fromthe wreckage of a music festivalthat was targeted on Oct. 7, leading to mass casualties. In all, an estimated 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the attack, with more than 200 more taken as hostages. Israel’s military tookan aggressive response, launching retaliatory strikes across the Gaza Strip that have since killed upwards of 20,000 Palestinian civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

12of 18

War Erupts in the Middle East

JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty

A meticulously planned terrorist attack in southern Israel at the hands of Palestinian militant group Hamas launched the Middle East into a heightened state of unrest as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahudeclared his country “at war.”

Above, a scene fromthe wreckage of a music festivalthat was targeted on Oct. 7, leading to mass casualties. In all, an estimated 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the attack, with more than 200 more taken as hostages. Israel’s military tookan aggressive response, launching retaliatory strikes across the Gaza Strip that have since killed upwards of 20,000 Palestinian civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

13of 18

A New Speaker Emerges

TOM BRENNER/AFP via Getty

Louisiana Rep.Mike Johnsonis sworn in as the 56th speaker of the House in October,emerging victoriousafter a dramatic election to becomesecond in line to the presidency. Johnson’s successful candidacy put an end to an unprecedented three weeks of infighting among House Republicans that effectively froze Congress after former SpeakerKevin McCarthywasousted from the role in a first-of-its-kind recallearlier that same month.

14of 18

ALEX BRANDON/POOL/AFP via Getty

When former PresidentJimmy Carterattended the funeral service for his wife of 77 years,Rosalynn Carter, in November, he was offering the nation a perhaps-final glimpse of its 35th president.

Rosalynn wasburied on the Carters' longtime propertyin Plains, Georgia, that same afternoon. When Jimmy dies he will be buried beside her, and thefamily homewill be placed in the National Park Service’s care.

15of 18

George Santos Faces the Music

New York Rep.George Santostakes his last elevator ride as an elected official through the U.S. Capitol in December. The House convened to expel him after the Ethics Committee declared that he “cannot be trusted” based onapparent evidence of fraudulent behaviorit uncovered during a monthslong probe into his conduct.

16of 18A Joint Plea for UkraineYuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via GettyIn late 2022 Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyymade a historic visit to the White House,wearing his trademark green military fatiguesfor a meeting with the president and first lady. Zelenskyy then visited Congress, where he delivered a speech urging continued U.S. financial support ofUkraine’s defense against Russia, receiving standing ovations from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.Then 2023 arrived, and pleas for more Ukraine funding fell on plugged ears in a Republican-controlled House. In October Bidendelivered a primetime addressto make the case for more aid to Ukraine, and in mid-December he welcomed Zelenskyy back to Washington, D.C., to make another in-person appeal to lawmakers.Pictured above in December, Zelenskyy and Biden arrive at a treaty room to publicly reaffirm the U.S.-Ukraine partnership. Nearing the two-year anniversary since Russia’s invasion, Biden pledged that he will continue to fight for Ukraine.“Without supplemental funding, we’re rapidly coming to an end of our ability to help Ukraine respond to the urgent operational demands that it has,” Biden said inpointed remarksabout House Republicans' opposition. “History will judge harshly those who turn their back on freedom’s cause.”

16of 18

A Joint Plea for Ukraine

Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty

In late 2022 Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyymade a historic visit to the White House,wearing his trademark green military fatiguesfor a meeting with the president and first lady. Zelenskyy then visited Congress, where he delivered a speech urging continued U.S. financial support ofUkraine’s defense against Russia, receiving standing ovations from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Then 2023 arrived, and pleas for more Ukraine funding fell on plugged ears in a Republican-controlled House. In October Bidendelivered a primetime addressto make the case for more aid to Ukraine, and in mid-December he welcomed Zelenskyy back to Washington, D.C., to make another in-person appeal to lawmakers.

Pictured above in December, Zelenskyy and Biden arrive at a treaty room to publicly reaffirm the U.S.-Ukraine partnership. Nearing the two-year anniversary since Russia’s invasion, Biden pledged that he will continue to fight for Ukraine.

“Without supplemental funding, we’re rapidly coming to an end of our ability to help Ukraine respond to the urgent operational demands that it has,” Biden said inpointed remarksabout House Republicans' opposition. “History will judge harshly those who turn their back on freedom’s cause.”

17of 18The Most Powerful Women in the WorldValerie Plesch/Bloomberg via GettyVice PresidentKamala Harrisand her husband, second gentlemanDoug Emhoff, walk past a portrait of late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor as they pay their respects in the Supreme Court’s Great Hall in December.O’Connor, whodied at age 93on Dec. 1, was once hailed as the “most powerful woman in the world” after she became the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court in 1981. Forty years later, the same descriptor was bestowed upon Harris when she wassworn inas the nation’s first female vice president.

17of 18

The Most Powerful Women in the World

Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty

Vice PresidentKamala Harrisand her husband, second gentlemanDoug Emhoff, walk past a portrait of late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor as they pay their respects in the Supreme Court’s Great Hall in December.

O’Connor, whodied at age 93on Dec. 1, was once hailed as the “most powerful woman in the world” after she became the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court in 1981. Forty years later, the same descriptor was bestowed upon Harris when she wassworn inas the nation’s first female vice president.

18of 18The Gaza Humanitarian CrisisAbed Zagout/Anadolu via GettyA Palestinian family travels to the Gaza-Egypt border in late December in hopes of seeking refuge amid continuous air strikes from Israel Defense Forces. Since tensions flared between Israel and Hamas following an Oct. 7 attack, civilians in the Gaza Strip have been trapped in a humanitarian crisis that has so far killed an estimated 22,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.The Israel-Hamas war has heightened tensions globally, including in the United States where reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia have seen a dramatic increase.

18of 18

The Gaza Humanitarian Crisis

Abed Zagout/Anadolu via Getty

A Palestinian family travels to the Gaza-Egypt border in late December in hopes of seeking refuge amid continuous air strikes from Israel Defense Forces. Since tensions flared between Israel and Hamas following an Oct. 7 attack, civilians in the Gaza Strip have been trapped in a humanitarian crisis that has so far killed an estimated 22,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

The Israel-Hamas war has heightened tensions globally, including in the United States where reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia have seen a dramatic increase.

source: people.com