Google's Year in Search 2025 reveals that conservative activist Charlie Kirk topped the list of trending U.S. searches, driven by a massive surge following his assassination on September 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
The 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA was shot and killed during a campus event. Authorities charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the politically motivated attack.
Ranking second was the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the sweeping tax and spending legislation signed by President Donald Trump on July 4 that extended 2017 tax cuts, introduced new deductions, and reshaped federal programs.
Other top trending searches included"
- Charlie Kirk
- KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix's animated hit musical fantasy film)
- Labubu (the viral collectible toy phenomenon)
- iPhone 17 (Apple's latest tech release)
- Zohran Mamdani (New York City's Democratic socialist mayor-elect)
- DeepSeek (the emerging AI platform)
- Government shutdown (the prolonged federal disruption)
- FIFA Club World Cup
- Tariffs (renewed trade policy debates)
The year also saw notable spikes in searches for the No Kings protest, the election of a new pope, and renewed interest in the Jeffrey Epstein files, reflecting a mix of political controversy, cultural moments, and global events that captured public attention.