President Donald Trump has blasted TIME magazine for what he called “the worst photo of all time” — even though the accompanying feature hails his administration’s role in brokering the Gaza ceasefire.
The article credits Trump’s leadership with helping secure a truce that freed all surviving Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. It also notes that Israel has begun pulling troops from parts of Gaza, clearing the way for humanitarian aid to enter the devastated enclave.
According to TIME, Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan is progressing steadily, including the creation of a new “Board of Peace” co-chaired by Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. The board is expected to guide reconstruction and long-term diplomatic efforts.
But Trump took offense at the magazine’s cover photo — a low-angle shot with the sun directly behind his head, washing out his trademark hair and creating a glowing silhouette.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“TIME Magazine wrote a relatively good story about me, but the picture may be the Worst of All Time. They ‘disappeared’ my hair and added something that looked like a tiny crown — really weird! I never liked photos taken from underneath angles, but this one is super bad and deserves to be called out.”
The cover headline reads “His Triumph” with subheadings “The Leader Israel Needed” and “How Gaza Heals.”
While the story frames Trump’s foreign policy as a potential legacy moment, his supporters called the photograph “disrespectful” and “deliberately unflattering.” Photographer Matt Sweetwood said, “No one takes a picture of a world leader from that angle. It’s deliberate, it’s awful, and it’s evil.”
Another photographer, Pam D., added, “As a professional, I’d be ashamed to release that shot. Shooting up someone’s nose? Huge no-no.”
Others, though, defended TIME’s artistic choice. “It’s clean, symbolic, and presidential,” one reader wrote. “He looks like he’s just won a war — the image says relief and victory.”
The debate comes as speculation grows that Trump could once again be named TIME’s Person of the Year in 2025, following his 2024 selection after returning to office.
If the Gaza peace deal holds and regional stability improves, analysts say Trump could make history as one of the few presidents ever to win the title back-to-back — regardless of how he feels about the photo.
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