2025 A Nightmare Year in Review & The Brave Responses

On this episode of The Common Good Podcast, Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse reflect on what this year reveals, what it has cost the country, and why people committed to democracy, faith, and the common good cannot look away.

This year unfolded as a steady reminder of how damaging the Trump administration has been to democracy, human dignity, and the moral fabric of the country. Month after month brought new controversies—each one reinforcing a pattern of chaos, cruelty, and abuse of power.

January began with sweeping tariff announcements that rattled global markets and raised costs for American families, paired with renewed threats against immigrants and asylum seekers. February saw attacks on the free press intensify, with journalists publicly targeted and credibility undermined as retaliation for unfavorable coverage. March brought purges and firings across federal agencies, removing career public servants seen as insufficiently loyal. April escalated attacks on immigrants and refugees, including rhetoric aimed at Muslim and Somali communities that fueled fear and division. May highlighted ongoing ethical scandals, as Trump family business dealings continued to blur the line between public office and private profit. June saw open defiance of court rulings and norms, signaling that the rule of law applied selectively. July brought renewed pressure on prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement officials perceived as obstacles. August exposed fresh revelations tied to the Epstein files, raising disturbing questions about power, protection, and accountability. September featured retaliation against death-row inmates whose sentences had been lawfully commuted, turning justice into vengeance. October continued assaults on democratic institutions, including elections, oversight bodies, and watchdog agencies. November amplified nationalist and authoritarian rhetoric, framing dissent as disloyalty. December closed the year with symbolic and literal damage to democratic norms, including reckless decisions impacting the White House itself and the peaceful transfer of power.

Taken together, this was not a series of isolated incidents—it was a sustained pattern. A year defined by grievance over governance, loyalty over law, and power over people.

A Year of Courage: Month by Month

January At the inauguration, Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, preached directly to Trump, calling for mercy, humility, and care for the vulnerable—naming moral truth in the presence of power.

February Journalists, editors, and independent media organizations pushed back publicly against attacks on the free press, refusing to self-censor despite threats, firings, and intimidation.

March Civil rights organizations and state attorneys general filed and advanced court challenges against immigration policies, executive overreach, and retaliatory actions—using the rule of law to slow abuse of power.

April Faith leaders across traditions organized prayer vigils, statements, and public witness events defending immigrants and refugees, especially Muslim and Somali communities targeted by administration rhetoric.

May Mass nonviolent demonstrations—including renewed No Kings rallies—rejected authoritarianism and the idea that any leader stands above the law.

June Judges and career civil servants continued to uphold legal and ethical standards, even as they faced political pressure, proving that institutions still matter when people inside them have courage.

July Whistleblowers and former administration officials came forward, testifying, publishing, and speaking publicly about corruption, retaliation, and abuses of power.

August Survivors’ advocates and accountability groups demanded transparency around the Epstein files, insisting that wealth and influence not shield wrongdoing.

September Abolitionists, clergy, and justice reform advocates spoke out against retaliatory actions toward death-row inmates, reaffirming that mercy and due process are not weaknesses.

October Voters, organizers, and election workers defended democratic processes—registering voters, monitoring elections, and countering misinformation at the local level.

November Interfaith coalitions and community groups mobilized against nationalist rhetoric, offering a different vision of patriotism rooted in pluralism and shared dignity.

December Grassroots organizations closed the year by raising funds, protecting vulnerable communities, and preparing for continued resistance—choosing long-term faithfulness over short-term outrage.

In this episode, with Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse, we dive into the shocking and disturbing details surrounding the latest Epstein file release.

Newly surfaced documents include a deeply troubling letter from Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar, raising urgent questions about power, protection, and the systems that allowed abuse to persist for so long.

Doug and Robb unpack what’s actually known, what’s still unclear, and why this moment matters—not just as a headline, but as a window into how institutional silence, influence, and moral failure intersect. This is an honest, sober conversation about accountability, truth-telling, and why confronting uncomfortable facts is essential if we hope to prevent future harm.

In moments of national crisis, leadership is revealed—not by strength of ego, but by depth of empathy. In this episode of The Common Good Podcast, Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse discuss Donald Trump’s repeated inability to lead during moments of struggle and tragedy. From public disasters to personal suffering, we examine how a lack of empathy and a pattern of narcissistic behavior undermine the basic responsibilities of moral and civic leadership. We explore what real leadership requires in times of pain: the capacity to listen, to grieve with others, to take responsibility, and to place the common good above personal grievance or self-promotion. When leaders cannot see beyond themselves, tragedy becomes politicized, wounds deepen, and trust erodes. This conversation is not about partisanship—it’s about character, accountability, and the kind of leadership a healthy democracy depends on, especially when people are hurting. Topics include: • Why empathy is not optional in leadership • How narcissism distorts decision-making during crisis • The moral cost of self-centered leadership • What the common good demands in moments of tragedy

In this week’s episode, Doug and Robb dig into one of the most alarming stretches of the Trump presidency so far. From Trump’s dehumanizing attacks on Somali immigrants to a pair of lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean now raising war-crime concerns, the administration is leaning hard on fear and force while dodging accountability. We unpack Trump’s attempt to seize more control over immigration judges, America’s downgrade in global civic-freedom rankings, and a federal judge’s smackdown of Trump’s unlawful freeze on wind-energy permits. It’s a week that reveals a dangerous governing pattern: escalating fear, expanding executive power, shrinking democracy, and policies that undermine both human dignity and the common good. This is the state of America under Trump in December 2025—and why people of conscience need to stay awake, organized, and engaged.

What happens when a presidential administration treats law as optional and accountability as a threat? In this episode, we take a clear-eyed, fact-based look at the cascading legal, moral, and political crises emerging from the Trump Administration in 2025. Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse break down the three arenas where these dangers are most urgent: 🔹 State Crime – The misuse of government power, the erosion of checks and balances, and the normalization of authoritarian behavior. 🔹 Sex Crimes – The ongoing legal cases, civil findings, and the cultural impact of excusing or minimizing sexual misconduct by powerful leaders. 🔹 War Crimes – Reckless foreign policy moves, threats to international norms, and the destabilization that follows when presidential power goes unchecked. We explore how these patterns affect everyday Americans, the rule of law, vulnerable communities, and the future of democracy. And, as always, we talk about what people of conscience can do—how we can respond with courage, clarity, and a commitment to the common good.

In this episode of The Common Good Podcast, we dig into the documented scandals and alleged corruption that defined the Trump administration and why so many Americans see this moment as unprecedented in modern political history. We reflect on what these past years have revealed about our democracy, the stakes of integrity in public office, and why the coming election represents a critical opportunity for renewal, accountability, and hope. Join us for a candid conversation grounded in our shared belief that the common good is neither partisan nor sectarian—it's the foundation of a healthy democracy.

In today’s episode of the Common Good Podcast, Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse dig into the growing rift inside MAGA world — the public break between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump.

What does this split really mean? Why is it happening now? And how does it fit into the larger pattern of Republicans, conservatives, and former loyalists quietly (and not-so-quietly) backing away from Trump as his influence weakens?

Doug and Robb unpack the political, cultural, and moral implications of this fracture — and why it signals yet another crack in Trump’s once-unified base.

If you’re tracking the collapse of Trumpism and the rise of a better way forward for the country, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.