Trump Blasts ‘Worst of All Time’ Time Magazine Cover

In a surprising twist, former President Donald Trump has vehemently condemned the cover photograph accompanying a largely favorable article about him in *Time* magazine. Despite the publication’s glowing portrayal of his role in brokering a Gaza ceasefire, Trump declared the visual representation “may be the Worst of All Time,” igniting a fresh social media storm.

The contentious image, featured on the November 10 issue, depicts the former president from a low angle with the sun positioned behind his head. This photographic choice, according to Trump, resulted in a “super bad” outcome that distorted his appearance. Writing on his Truth Social platform, he elaborated, “Time Magazine wrote a relatively good story about me, but the picture may be the Worst of All Time.”

A Peculiar Critique of Photography

Trump’s critique delved into specific details, claiming the photograph made his hair “disappeared” and created an illusion of “something floating on top of my head that looked like a floating crown, but an extremely small one. Really weird!” He further expressed a long-standing aversion to such photographic perspectives, stating, “I never liked taking pictures from underneath angles, but this is a super bad picture, and deserves to be called out. What are they doing, and why?”

The former president’s fascination with appearing on *Time*’s cover is well-documented. He graced the magazine’s front four times last year alone, a testament to his enduring desire for such visibility. This obsession has even extended to his private properties; in 2017, the magazine famously requested the removal of fabricated *Time* covers featuring Trump that were on display at some of his golf clubs.

The Photo’s Origin and Public Reaction

The photograph in question was captured by Graeme Sloane for Bloomberg at the White House on October 5. Its particular angle, as Trump noted, did not flatter his chin and neck area. This perceived imperfection did not escape the notice of California Governor Gavin Newsom, whose press office promptly shared a digitally altered version of the image online, with the “offending area” strategically pixelated.

Interestingly, a defense of Trump’s appearance emerged from an unexpected source: Maria Zakharova, the director of information at Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Taking to Telegram, Zakharova lambasted *Time*’s photo selection, branding it “self-incriminating” for the publication. “It’s astonishing: a photograph reveals far more about those who selected it than about the person in it. Only sick people, people obsessed with malice and hatred—perhaps even perverts—could have chosen such a photo,” she wrote. She also drew a comparison to “complimentary photos of Biden that the same publication used on the cover, despite his physical infirmity,” suggesting a double standard.

This latest incident underscores Trump’s unique and often contentious relationship with the media, where even a positive narrative can be overshadowed by his exacting standards for visual representation. The “super bad” cover now joins a long list of moments where the former president’s personal aesthetic preferences have clashed publicly with journalistic output.

Source: The Guardian