Donald Trump has appeared on the cover of TIME magazine – but he’s branded the picture they chose as ‘the worst of all time’.
The piece details how the Trump administration ‘sealed the Gaza ceasefire deal’ which has so far seen all living hostages abducted by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners exchanged.
Israel’s forces have withdrawn from parts of Gaza and international aid has started to enter the territory – which was officially determined to be in famine by the UN in August.
So far the US president’s 20-point plan for Gaza is making progress, and the formation of a ‘Board of Peace’ headed by Trump and former UK prime minister Sir Tony Blair is being established.
But it seems the US president feels the TIME magazine front cover has overshadowed his important moment.
The picture, taken from below, shows Trump with the sun behind his head, meaning his pale hair is rather difficult to see against the light backdrop.
While the US president seems fairly happy with the article itself, he certainly isn’t impressed with the choice of photograph.
Writing on his Truth Social account, he said: ‘Time Magazine wrote a relatively good story about me, but the picture may be the Worst of All Time.
‘They “disappeared” my hair, and then had something floating on top of my head that looked like a floating crown, but an extremely small one. Really weird!
‘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?’
TIME magazine chose ‘His triumph’ as the headline, alongside subheadings ‘The leader Israel needed’ and ‘How Gaza heals’.
The picture choice has certainly been controversial, with some supporters of the US president calling it ‘evil’.
The cover has also been compared to a recent front page of The Jerusalem Post, titled ‘God bless the peacemaker’ and featuring a black-and-white image of Trump looking sternly into the camera.
Matt Sweetwood commented: ‘As a pro photographer myself, if they used that photo of mine I would freak out. No one takes a picture of a world leader up the nostril. It’s deliberate, it’s awful, and it’s evil.’
Another photographer, Pam D, said on X: ‘As a photographer, I would be ashamed to put this out there as my work.
‘Shooting up someone’s nose? HUGE no no. If they gave him options and he chose this, that’s different, but if they chose it? No.’
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But the reaction hasn’t all been negative.
One user commented: ‘The image is shot from below and is clean, sky-dominant, presidential.
‘No American flag. No Capitol. No chaos. Just posture, light, and title.
‘It’s the brand move: authority without apology. The headline? His Triumph.
‘The subtext? Framing peace in Gaza, getting this Israel and Palestine deal as legacy, not accident. Design speaks loud here.’
Another said: ‘I know most people don’t like the photo. I’m seeing all the comments.
‘I think it’s powerful. I think he looks like he just won a war. His face says grateful to me. He looks relieved that it’s over. He won it.’
The TIME front page has sparked speculation that Donald Trump could be named as the magazine’s ‘person of the year’ in 2025.
The accolade has been awarded annually since 1917, and Trump won it in 2024 after he was elected for a second term.
Depending on how well his ceasefire deal for Gaza pans out, he could well be in line to win the award for a second year in a row.
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