Off years in US politics are supposed to be relatively quiet. Heading into 2023, we expected a divided Congress to pass very little sweeping legislation. We knew that Republicans would be jockeying for the GOP presidential nomination. And you can always expect a surprise or two.
Oh, how quaint that seems now.
Congress was so dysfunctional that even by modern standards the chaos in the Capitol was hard to escape. Multiple times, it appeared that a fight might break out. There was an unprecedented criminal indictment for a former president. Then it happened again, and again, and again. But Donald Trump was not deterred as his campaign raked in donations. And for a brief moment, we looked to the skies not with wonder but with morbid curiosity as a suspected Chinese spy balloon sucked up our attention before fighter jets were dispatched to shoot it down.
Hamas terrorists staged a brutal attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people in the worst mass killing of Jews since the Holocaust. President Joe Biden's response has roiled key elements of his party. Ukraine, the conflict that once captivated world attention, is now desperately trying to get the West to continue to support its war against Russia's invasion.
Here in 23 images is a look back at the year in politics.