By Michael Woyton

As we face the end of another year, it is usually wise to reflect on what we have experienced — unless it traumatizes you all over again.

I started making a list of some of the things that happened in 2025 and what I was able to talk about in this space.

Holy mackerel, what a depressing list I came up with before I just couldn’t stand thinking about it any more.

I mean, there’s DOGE and what it did — like randomly shut down agencies and pilfer the rest — and what it didn’t — like save any real tax dollars.

There was also seeing the promise by the president of ending the war in Ukraine and the promise by the president of lowering prices for consumers. Spoiler alert: neither happened.

We saw presidential pardon power running amok, beginning the day of his second inauguration with the pardons and commutations of the insurrectionists who attacked the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. To date, this president has used his pardon pen for more than 1,600 people, including drug lords, murderers and fraudsters.

What needs to be said about masked, unidentified thugs disappearing people off the streets and a Department of Homeland Security more than willing to look the other way as planes spirit these people to countries where they cannot speak the language, if they don’t end up in prisons where they are tortured.

This president, who pines for the power of a dictatorship — when he can stay awake — has started naming buildings after himself, while tearing down a third of the White House for a “ballroom” he says has been wanted for 150 years.

We also continue to see the ramifications of what has to be the stupidest Cabinet in the history of this country, many of whom rose through the ranks via appearances on Fox News. What’s at risk? The health, education, climate, energy and security of the nation, to name but a few.

While this president advocated for and signed a budget that is projected to increase the federal deficit by about $3.4 trillion and cause more than 10 million people to lose health insurance coverage, billionaires and the uber-wealthy will experience massive tax cuts.

Speaking of billionaires, according to Forbes, the president has leveraged his most recent job to line his pockets. As of September, his net worth is $7.3 billion, having added $3 billion over the last year. His family is taking advantage of daddy’s current position to cash in as well.

There is so much more that we could talk about here, but the reality is that we cannot forget how we got here.

A man who should never have survived the Access Hollywood tape or the ridiculing of a disabled reporter was for real elected to the presidency in 2016.

That same man who fomented an insurrection against the U.S. — thanks to his constant lying about election fraud — and went on to be accused of mishandling classified documents, election interference and business fraud was actually found liable of sexual abuse and was convicted by a jury of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to an adult film actress.

Then he was elected to a second term as president.

Though the reality of it all seems bleak — ya think? — there have been a few bright spots, such as the turnout for the No Kings rallies and the recent Democratic victories in the off-year and special elections.

But we still have a lot of work ahead of us.

Trump’s obvious decline mentally and physically, not to mention in job performance, is taking its toll on him.

A good question is, how much longer will he able to function? 

A better question is, when, if ever, will enough Republicans realize they’ve been irrevocably tainted by the man in the orange makeup?

Here’s hoping the news in 2026 will get better.

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Don’t forget about the Epstein files.

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Lead art: Screen grab from the Washington Post via YouTube.