The Joy Reid Show – Top 10 Stories of 2025 (TJRS Wraps!)

Host: Joy-Ann Reid
Episode: The Top 10 Stories of 2025 | The Joy Reid Show LIVE!
Date: December 30, 2025

Episode Overview

In this year-end special, Joy Reid and co-host Jason count down and analyze the most consequential, chaotic, and revealing news stories of 2025. With her signature energetic, incisive, and at times sardonic tone, Joy offers a sweeping look at politics, culture, democracy, big personalities, and the underlying power struggles shaking America and the world. From Trump’s second term and its impacts to historic elections, shifting party dynamics, resistance movements, and celebrity losses, this packed live episode encapsulates what happened, why it matters, and what might be coming next.

Episode Structure

1. Introduction & Show Updates ([00:02]–[03:48])
2. Norms vs. Reality: The Collapse of Old Myths ([03:48]–[16:12])
3. Ethnic Cleansing & Immigration Under Trump II ([16:12]–[21:42])
4. Resistance: From Popes to Frogs to Mayors ([21:44]–[28:40])
5. 2028 Democratic Sweepstake: Newsom vs. Pritzker ([28:40]–[34:27])
6. The Oligarchy Project & Return to Gilded Age Politics ([34:28]–[47:57])
7. Global Fallout: Trade Wars, International Standing, and the Expat Boom ([47:58]–[51:20])
8. Epstein Files, Abuse, and Political Betrayals ([51:21]–[59:02])
9. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Breakaway & Misogyny in MAGA ([59:02]–[64:16])
10. Physical and Cultural Destruction: White House, Charlie Kirk, and the Media Takeover ([64:16]–[79:19])
11. The Puffy Doc, South Park, and Culture Wars ([79:19]–end)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction & What's Next

• Joy welcomes listeners, thanks regular subscribers and previews the year-end wrap up and on-site coverage of the historic Zorhan Mamdani inauguration (NYC's first Muslim mayor).
• Upcoming interviews teased: Rev. Dr. Bernice King, marking King Day in "Trump's America" ([01:51]).

2. The Shattering of Political Myths

• On Presidential Power:
  “What we learned is that a lot of the things that we believed were, you know, laws and were rules that constrained the president's power were really just norms, right? … Donald Trump has blown those all away. And what we've discovered is that the United States is just one bad president away from having a dictator or a king.” ([05:06], Joy Reid)
• America’s foundational systems shown as fragile—dependent on voluntary compliance with norms, not enforcement by "checks and balances."
• The Supreme Court and the GOP make possible a presidency unconstrained—creating “six monarchists on [the court] … who believe in having a king as long as it's a king from their preferred political party, a Republican...” ([05:38], Joy)

3. Ethnic Cleansing, Immigration, and Erasure of History

• Deportation Regime:
  Joy details the massive, aggressive roundups targeting Latinos, with kids hiding from ICE, churches “silent on Sundays,” and businesses shuttered in fear ([16:12]).
• Quote:
  “What we're doing is we're trying to whiten the country, make the country safe for just white Christian men and everyone else to the back of the bus, right? So that's happening.” ([21:27], Joy)
• Trump’s policies reimagine a 19th-century America—only for the powerful and white, undoing the demographic and civil rights gains since the 1960s.
• The private prison industry thrives; detained (including US citizens) are put to forced labor: “This is about restoring the whole status quo ante slavery.” ([21:54], Joy)
• Cultural erasure: Banning free park entrance on Juneteenth/MLK Day. National campaigns that “erase Black history” and present an AI, all-white America.

4. Resistance: From Street Frogs to the Pope and Mayors

• Joy highlights creative mass protest ("frogs" in Portland) and institutional pushback, especially from the new American Pope—an American Creole challenging the regime's anti-immigrant campaign:
  • Pope’s quote:
    “I think we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have. ... There's a system of justice.” ([26:22], Pope Zay via Jason)
• Progressive mayors—Brandon Johnson (Chicago), Karen Bass (LA), Barbara Lee (Oakland)—and governors stand against federal crackdowns.

5. Democratic Bench Preview: Newsom vs. Pritzker 2028

• Both seen as future leaders: Newsom praised for media savvy, “expert at trolling,” while Pritzker, as a real billionaire, has gravitas and independence.
• Joy on Newsom:
  “Gavin is expert at trolling and he's expert at communicating. He runs a state that is basically a country.” ([33:19])
• Joy on Pritzker:
  “But don't sleep on Pritzker. … Pritzker talks that talk. He talks his shit. So I like them both.” ([32:09])
• Poll for listeners: Newsom or Pritzker, or someone else? ([34:27])

6. Christian Nationalism’s Rise and the Oligarchy Project

• Christian nationalism is entering legislation, threatening voting, education, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ equality.
• Joy connects current right-wing movements to the original oligarchs who founded America:
  “Really, really rich people who do not want … the income tax ... they hate it. ... The worst thing that ever happened to them was 1913.” ([35:56])
• Tariffs return, income tax nearly removed; result is disaster for the economy, global trade, U.S. standing.

7. Global Fallout & Expats

• International trust in America is gone; “Most other countries have said no, we don’t trust you anymore.” ([47:58])
• Expat movement at all-time high—Americans fleeing dysfunction.

8. Epstein Files, Accountability, and Exploitation

• Major story: The unsealing of Jeffrey Epstein files, and lack of justice for survivors.
  Quote:
  “Nobody in this room has heard at all from the Department of Justice?” “No.” ([53:36])
• Rich men, including Trump and Clinton, allegedly protected by the regime.
• The break between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Trump: sparked by her insistence on releasing Epstein files and speaking out, as well as foreign policy disagreements.
• Marjorie Taylor Greene quote:
  “Let me tell you what a traitor is. A traitor is a … is an American that serves foreign countries and themselves.” ([59:44])

9. Misogyny in MAGA; Trump’s War on Women

• Joy skewers the repeated degradation of women journalists and politicians by Trump, highlighting his open hostility and the failure of institutions like the White House Correspondents Association to respond ([63:25]).
• Trump’s attempt to remake the physical White House itself in his image, ignoring historic and legal constraints.

10. Right-Wing Media Takeover: Charlie Kirk, Barry Weiss, and CBS

• The assassination of right-wing talker Charlie Kirk sparks a wave of enforced reverence (“became illegal to criticize him”) and a wider right-wing cultural offensive.
• Bari Weiss, lacking newsroom experience but ideologically on message, installs herself as the face of CBS News: “In this world of maga, mediocrity is actually an asset.” ([74:31], Joy)
• Explosive details about the culture-war-driven destruction of venerable institutions, from CBS News to the Kennedy Center.

11. Political Upheaval: 2025’s Biggest Wins and Losses

• Democratic surge: Major wins in November: Muslim woman as VA LG, Mikie Sherrill (NJ Gov), Abigail Spanberger (VA Gov), and, above all, Zorhan Mamdani as NYC Mayor ([86:49]–[92:11])
• Texas: Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico vie for Senate—each representing different strategies to break the GOP lock.
• Gerrymandering fights in TX, CA, and IN, some unexpectedly rebuffed.

12. Gaza and Ukraine: Genocide & Unkept Promises

• Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Gaza, Biden’s complicity, and the calculated destruction of Palestine—“The stain on Joe Biden's reputation… It is an absolute stain on the Democratic Party. Every Democrat that keeps voting for this, that keeps allowing this, that looked the other way, they are as guilty as Trump. Sorry.” ([107:55])
• Trump promised to solve Ukraine “in 24 hours”—failed entirely.

13. Culture, Loss, and the Year in Celebrity

• A string of high-profile deaths: Rob Reiner, Ozzy Osbourne, Malcolm Jamal Warner (drowned), Diane Keaton, Gene Hackman, David Lynch, Jane Goodall, Brigitte Bardot, Anne Burrell, Brian Wilson, Hulk Hogan, Pope Francis, Dick Cheney, Ace Frehley, George Foreman, Roberta Flack, Angie Stone, D’Angelo ([110:23])
• Measles returns due to anti-vaxers; Trump voters “eff around and find out” with economic distress.
• More MAGA-aligned hip-hop, with Nicki Minaj lauding Trump for likely self-serving reasons.

14. Satire & Hope

• The resurgence of South Park as the single most pointed satirical TV response to the regime.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “[We] discovered that the United States is just one bad president away from having a dictator or a king.”
  — Joy Reid, [05:06]

• “What we're doing is we're trying to whiten the country, make the country safe for just white Christian men and everyone else to the back of the bus, right?”
  — Joy Reid, [21:27]

• “This is about restoring the whole status quo ante slavery.”
  — Joy Reid, [21:54]

• "Mayors all over the country are really standing up ... the mayor of Chicago is awesome. Brandon Johnson ... The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, has been terrific. ... The mayor of Baltimore is incredible as well."
  — Joy Reid, [27:02]

• "You may have immunity because Donald Trump's willing to pardon anybody that's carrying him out out his unlawful orders, but you're not going to have it under another administration."
  — Pritzker, [29:42]

• "But don't sleep on Pritzker. ... Pritzker talks that talk. He talks his shit. So I like them both."
  — Joy Reid, [32:09]

• “They want oligarchy—untaxed, unregulated, their businesses operate regulation free and they don’t pay taxes. That’s all this is about.”
  — Joy Reid, [21:14], summarizing the master plan.

• “Most other countries have said no, we don’t trust you anymore ... We’ve seen that you have the capability as Americans of electing a demon to be your president.”
  — Joy Reid, [47:58]

• "[The Epstein files:] Nobody in this room has heard at all from the Department of Justice? No."
  — NBC interviewer with survivors, [53:36]

• "A traitor is a ... is an American that serves foreign countries and themselves."
  — Marjorie Taylor Greene, [59:44]

• "If one of them said, you know, Mr. President, fuck off, I think I might—that person I would hug."
  — Joy on the press's tolerance for Trump's abuse, [64:16]

• "In this world of MAGA, mediocrity is actually an asset. Not being qualified is how you become qualified."
  — Joy Reid, [74:31]

• “[Gaza] will go down in history as one of the most heinous and evil crimes of the 21st century. And unfortunately, it will be a bipartisan crime, which we are all implicated in ... done with our tax dollars.”
  — Joy Reid, [107:55]

Memorable Moments

• Froggy Resistance: The "wiggle, wiggle" frog protestors become an iconic image of the joyful, creative side of activism in Portland. ([24:13])
• Joy’s South Park Rec: The satirical cartoon is named “the most important show to watch … skewering the regime” ([119:38]).
• Drag on Mediocrity: Bari Weiss installed as head of CBS News, casting herself as anchor-star ([73:31]).
• “FAFO” Year: Trump voters and others who “effed around and found out” as economic policies turned on them ([113:36]).
• Celebrity Losses Montage: Disease, accident, and tragedy strike major figures all year ([110:23]).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Show Opening & 2026 Preview: [00:02]–[03:48]
• Trump, Power & Norms: [05:06]–[15:00]
• Ethnic Cleansing/Deportation: [16:12]–[21:42]
• Resistance Across Society: [21:44]–[28:40]
• Newsom vs. Pritzker 2028: [28:40]–[34:27]
• Oligarchy & Economy: [35:50]–[47:57]
• Global/Economic Fallout: [47:58]–[51:20]
• Epstein Files: [51:21]–[53:50]
• Marjorie Taylor Greene Breaks with Trump: [59:02]–[64:16]
• White House Cultural Destruction: [64:16]–[73:06]
• Charlie Kirk Murder & Media: [73:06]–[79:19]
• Big Election Wins: [86:49]–[92:11]
• Gaza’s Destruction: [107:55]–[108:16]
• Satire/South Park: [119:38]

Episode Tone & Takeaways

• Joy Reid’s tone is sharp, unsparing, irreverent, and at times profanely funny.
• The overriding message: 2025 was a year when ages-old illusions about American democracy, meritocracy, and stability were shattered. The regime’s efforts to resurrect oligarchy, erase unwanted groups, and lock in a volatile, angry society have met both furious resistance and exhaustion. While the future is unpredictable, engagement and vigilance are more necessary than ever.

For listeners and readers, this episode offers not just a rundown of what happened in 2025, but a lens on why it happened, how it feels to live through, and how people are organizing, fighting, coping, and sometimes laughing through the ongoing political crisis.