23 lasting images from a chaotic year in politics

It didn't take long for tensions to boil over in the Capitol. In January, House Republicans were on their way to needing the most ballots to select a speaker since before the Civil War. Some just couldn't take it anymore. 

House Democrats had little to do during the GOP's struggles.

In February, a large object was spotted in the sky. The US government quickly announced that it was not aliens but rather the Chinese government that was responsible. The suspected spy balloon was later shot down.

At times, President Joe Biden triggered the outrage of congressional Republicans during his annual State of the Union address. He promised to work with the party in some areas but tore into "MAGA Republicans" who he labeled a threat to democracy.

Former President Donald Trump could have chosen anywhere for his major election rally. He picked Waco, Texas, on March 25, which fell during the 30th anniversary of the deadly standoff between a cult and the government.

Former FTX Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried was once a major political player and highly-touted tech wiz. In 2023, his empire fell. SBF, as he is known, was convicted on all charges during a major fraud trial.

Three Tennessee angered their Republican colleagues when they halted proceedings to join with protestors raging against the lack of gun violence legislation in the wake of a school shooting. Republicans would later expel state Reps. Justin Jones (center) and Justin Pearson (right) while sparing state Rep. Gloria Johnson (left). The trio gained national acclaim for their defiance.

Financial markets were jittering in late May as Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Biden met in the Oval Office to discuss the debt ceiling. The pair later struck a last-minute deal to avoid default. But McCarthy's actions angered some conservatives who would later plot his demise.

2023 became the year of the strike for labor unions nationwide. In May, The Writers Guild of America, the union representing television and movie writers, went to the picket for the first time in 15 years. Hollywood effectively shut down after the actor's union launched its strike. After nearly five months, major studios reached a new deal with the WGA. While a deal with the actors soon followed. 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, then the chamber's oldest serving member, took an extended absence as her health worsened. Her return in May tried to calm the growing calls for her resignation. She later passed away in September after a trailblazing career.

More than 75 million Americans came under air quality warnings as wildfires raged in Canada in June. The haze was so thick that in visibility was difficult in places like New York.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell led to further concern about the state of America's so-called "gerontocracy" after he froze up multiple times while speaking to reporters. His office would later release a note from the Capitol physician clearing him of any major ailments. 

Despite his multiple indictments, Trump had avoided a mug shot until August. That's when the Fulton County Sheriff's office released what may become one of the most lasting photos of our time. His campaign and many others quickly hawked merch with the image.

Special counsel Jack Smith was already prosecuting Trump for refusing to turn over classified documents. In August, he announced that a grand jury had indicted the former presidentfor efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The stage at the first GOP presidential primary debate seemed so crowded and yet there was one glaring absence. Trump had decided not to participate, leaving eight primary foes to fight it out amongst themselves. By the end of the year, Trump was still skipping the events. While the rest of the field shrank considerably ahead of the Iowa caucuses. 

Biden, who the White House touts as the most pro-union president ever, made history when he decided to join workers on the picket line. United Autoworkers later reached a major deal with car makers after an unprecedented strike against the three major companies.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, made history of his own when he teamed up with seven Republicans to engineer Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster. The eight Republicans along with House Democrats formally vacated the speakership, throwing the chamber into chaos. 

No one expected Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana to become the top House Republican. But after multiple high-profile Republicans, including Steve Scalise, Tom Emmer, and Jim Jordan, failed to show they had the votes his colleagues decided to turn the lawmaker some of his congressional colleagues had never heard of before.

Abortion rights advocates entered November in the middle of an unprecedented winning streak. They found out pretty quickly on election night that their victories would continue, including a major win in Ohio that enshrined protections for abortions up to the point of fetal viability. 

Biden has long been an outspoken proponent of US relations with Israel. In the wake of the horrific October 7 Hamas terrorist attack that killed some 1,200 people, the president was quick to assure the US ally that America would stand with them. 

Outrage over Biden's response quickly began to spread. Key groups within the Democratic Party questioned the White House's strong allegiance to Israel. 

For months, enough fellow Republicans protected Rep. George Santos as the serial fabulist braced their the scandal du jour. Over time, his fellow New York Republicans' patience ran out. In the wake of a damning House Ethics Committee report, their effort to expel Santos from Congress succeeded. For the first time in decades, a sitting lawmaker was cast out of Congress.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned to Washington near the end of the year with a desperate message: without more US aid his nation's efforts to repel Russia's invasion would falter. He didn't seem to find a receptive audience. Some lawmakers tried to broker a deal whereby more Ukraine aid would be exchanged for tougher immigration laws. But senators left the Capitol just before Christmas with no deal in sight.