Outlook Year-Ender: What The Internet Found Interesting In 2025

Some jokes really do write themselves — especially in the world of political memes. More often than not, it is photojournalists capturing the most mundane moments that, when placed in a popular context, elevate the immediate reality into something broader and often unintentionally funny.

Memes, fundamentally, are a public discourse that does not reach the door-blocked board rooms where decisions for the masses are taken. 

For India, and the world, 2025 was a heavy year. The United States returned President Donald Trump to office, a development that upended economies across the globe. 

For India, too, the year was politically crucial. We witnessed an election that served as a litmus test for several more consequential contests to follow in the coming year. The tone has now been set.

Here is a look back at what people found interesting on the internet over the past year.

Trump getting a “Peace Prize” from FIFA

After the escalation between India and Pakistan, the Twelve-Day War between Israel and Iraq, the Thailand and Cambodia military combat; amongst others, President Trump claimed that overall, he has "ended 8 wars in just 8 months.”

He has repeatedly claimed that he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in brokering ceasefires. 

In the months that followed, several leaders — from Israel, Pakistan, Cambodia, Armenia and Azerbaijan — publicly backed Trump for the award, alongside figures within his administration. However, Trump did not make it this year.

But when the FIFA prize award ceremony took place at the 2026 World Cup draw in the US, he received a “Peace Prize”. The absurdity of the price was taken over by the fact that Trump placed the medal around his own neck. 

The image circulated widely online, further reinforcing Trump’s carefully cultivated brand. 

People in the comment section called his behaviour “embarrassing”, another one said, “Not the Burger King Peace Prize.” One said, “It's like those kids who get a gift too when it’s their siblings birthday because they'll throw a tantrum otherwise lol.”

Indian National Congress’ Social Media 

The BJP enjoyed a first-mover advantage on social media and rode platforms such as Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook to victory in the 2014 and 2019 elections, building a vast digital infrastructure in the process. 

While the BJP and PM Modi may still be well ahead of the Congress and its leaders, including  Rahul Gandhi, in overall reach, the Indian National Congress (INC) has managed to edge past its rival when it comes to engagement.

From ‘thirst traps’ to political satire, to Modi’s previous speeches, the Congress party’s Instagram handle managed to capture an audience base, with reels garnering millions of views. 

One of the more recent reels on INC’s page is about 9,000 students in Odisha appearing for an exam meant for 187 posts. The reel has 2.7 million views, and almost 2,000 comments. The page itself has 11.3 million followers, compared to 8.6 million of BJP

Vote Chori

This year, the Congress party levelled detailed allegations of fraudulent practices involving the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission of India, claiming that voter irregularities had been uncovered across several state elections.

An Instagram reel from one such presentation by Gandhi has garnered 36.3 million views. It highlights the case of a Brazilian woman allegedly listed on Haryana’s electoral rolls, who is claimed to have voted 22 times across 10 different booths under names such as Seema, Sweety and Rashmi. “Brazilian Jumla Party”, read one of the comments. 

Bihar Elections

The Bihar elections were a major political spectacle that gripped national attention, marked by lofty promises, fiery speeches, packed rallies and sharp rivalries. The contest was seen as a crucial test for the Mahagathbandhan, another alliance between the BJP and Nitish Kumar, as well as for the Jan Suraj Party’s electoral debut, and was widely expected to go down to the wire.

Instead, the victory of the BJP and Kumar surprised many across the electorate and the media, triggering a flood of memes. Some poked fun at Kumar’s reputation for switching political alliances to suit personal advantage, while others underscored the Congress’s poor showing and Prashant Kishor’s failure to win even a single seat, despite his earlier claim of securing at least 150 seats.

The Epstein files

The year’s end has been dominated by the steady release of images linked to Jeffrey Epstein’s island, laying bare a disturbing nexus of wealth, power and whispered sexual secrets. “Never a dull moment right now in the good ole USA”: one comment read.

Among the most striking visuals to resurface amid the political fallout is a painting of Bill Clinton that was prominently displayed in Epstein’s mansion. “

The bizarre artwork depicts the former US president wearing a blue dress and red heels, seated in the Oval Office with his legs draped over a chair, gesturing in a pose reminiscent of Uncle Sam. The painting, reportedly hung by Epstein himself at his residence, drew widespread attention for its unsettling symbolism.

At the time, some commentators suggested the blue dress was a reference to the infamous garment central to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, while others speculated it resembled the outfit Hillary Clinton wore to the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors. “The simulation is absolutely breaking with this one” said another commentator.