Tariffs, Taylor Swift and tragedy: These stories defined 2025

Data: Google Trends; Chart: Axios VisualsPresident Trump's inauguration in January kicked off a relentless news cycle that sent Americans scrambling to keep up with the volume and velocity of change from the Oval Office and beyond, according to Axios' annual analysis of Google Trends data.Why it matters: Political violence, economic nerves and mass tragedies gripped the country in a dizzying year for both domestic and international news.Americans still found time to enjoy the things that entertain them: music, movies and the upcoming matrimony of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.Zoom in: The assassination of Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA co-founder, garnered the most search interest in Axios' analysis of the biggest stories of the year.His murder — which followed a string of political violence both this year and in 2024 — sparked calls for softened political rhetoric for some and prompted finger-pointing from the president and others.It also opened a new chapter — and exposed new fractures — in the MAGA media landscape.The big picture: Trump has tested the bounds of executive power in unprecedented ways throughout the year.Americans were particularly interested in his sweeping tariff agenda, with searches soaring through the winter and spring and smaller spikes throughout the year.Elon Musk-led DOGE sparked searches at the start of the year before dying down as Musk left the Trump administration. Its cuts to federal coffers are expected to have lasting impacts.The longest-ever government shutdown — 43 days in October and November — led to a surge in searches for SNAP, the safety net that feeds roughly 42 million Americans.Even though the president has the world's loudest microphone, anti-Trump protests repeatedly broke through the news cycle.Search interest for "No Kings," a network of anti-Trump rallies that drew massive crowds, peaked in April and October.Between the lines: Many of the year's most gripping and high-profile tragedies triggered immediate search interest.The Palisades and Eaton wildfires ripped through Los Angeles County at the start of the year, killing over two dozen people and destroying thousands of structures.Just weeks later, 67 people died in the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in more than 20 years after an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet collided near Reagan National Airport outside D.C.Over the summer, catastrophic flooding in central Texas killed over 100 Americans, including minors at an all-girls summer camp, fueling searches for "Camp Mystic."A trio of tragic events — shootings at Brown University and Sydney's Bondi Beach, and the killing of Rob Reiner — struck in December. Only the Brown shooting was captured in the Google Trends data, which ended Dec. 14.Zoom out: Other trends persisted steadily throughout the year, including searches about Gaza.The craze for Labubus, the mischievous little monster dolls that dominated consumer trends on apps like TikTok, crept on for months."KPop Demon Hunters," an animated movie about a girl group that slays attackers, has dominated the Google Trends charts since its July Netflix drop.What we're watching: Searches for inflation were a steady drumbeat throughout the year — a likely indication of interest ahead of next year's midterms.A message emphasizing affordability — driven by New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani — boosted Democratic comebacks across the country this year, even in GOP strongholds.Go deeper: Visit our past projects from 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020.