‘Time’ Names Donald Trump Person of the Year
Donald Trump has been named Time‘s “Person of the Year.” It should be noted that the title isn’t “Best Person of the Year” or even “The Most Famous Okay Person of the Year.” But the initial shock that many felt after the announcement is justified. This could easily be seen as another attempt to normalize all of the negatives that Trump has brought into American politics.
While the “Person of the Year” covers have welcomed the likes of multiple popes, Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg, it’s also featured Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin (twice). The magazine claims that the long-standing feature is meant to highlight the most influential person of the year, regardless of if that influence is positive or negative.
Donald Trump is TIME’s Person of the Year 2016 #TIMEPOY https://t.co/5pTGOksevE pic.twitter.com/N8BtqTu9Nl
— TIME (@TIME) December 7, 2016
When Trump appeared on “Today” to help announce the cover, it was unclear whether or not he’d seen the cover. But he was prepared enough to field questions regarding the “President of the Divided States of America” title he was given on it.
“When you say divided states of America, I didn’t divide them,” he said. “They’re divided now. I mean there’s a lot of division, and we’re going to put it back together and we’re going to have a country that’s very well healed.”
Among the other 10 finalists for the cover were Simone Biles, Beyoncé, Mark Zuckerberg, Flint, Michigan whistle-blowers and residents and, most notably, Hillary Clinton, who reportedly came in second place.
Photo Credit: TIME Magazine