Politics: 5 stories from this week
Personalized for you.
On Politics
December 20, 2025

Here are some stories you might have missed this week, curated by Times editors and personalized for you.

Mr. Trump with two of his children and Mr. Epstein.

Dafydd Jones

‘Don’s Best Friend’: How Epstein and Trump Bonded Over the Pursuit of Women

The president has tried to minimize their friendship, but documents and interviews reveal an intense and complicated relationship. Chasing women was a game of ego and dominance. Female bodies were currency.

By Nicholas Confessore and Julie Tate

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Department of Justice

6 Takeaways From the First Batch of the Epstein Files

Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, and President Trump’s name was rarely mentioned. The White House also sought to make political hay of the release of photos of Bill Clinton.

By Alan Feuer

Trump seated looking up while people stand behind him.

Eric Lee for The New York Times

News Analysis

Shouting, Ranting, Insulting: Trump’s Uninhibited Second Term

Many of President Trump’s supporters love his professional-wrestling style of leadership. But some of his recent attacks have sickened even some of his own political allies.

By Peter Baker

A couple, dressed casually, sit on their living room couch, smiling at their child. A dog and a Christmas tree are nearby.

Kim Raff for The New York Times

These Young Adults Make Good Money. But Life, They Say, Is Unaffordable.

Economists say that a typical middle-class family today is richer than one in the 1960s. Americans in their 20s and 30s don’t believe it.

By Sabrina Tavernise

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Kenny Holston/The New York Times

‘Here We Go Again’: In Melania Trump’s Movie, This Time She Knows What She’s Doing

The first lady is behind a movie that she has said will give a better idea of what it was like for her to move into the White House for a second time.

By Katie Rogers

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MORE ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

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The New York Times

Latest Polls: Do Americans Approve of President Trump?

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The New York Times

Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda

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