- Trump Named Time's Person of the Year Again
- Honour Recognises His "Historic Comeback"
- Trump's Second Time Receiving the Award
Time Magazine has named Donald Trump as its 2024 Person of the Year, marking the second time he has received the prestigious recognition.
“For marshaling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a-generation political realignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering America’s role in the world, Donald Trump is TIME’S 2024 Person of the Year,” Time’s Editor-in-Chief, Sam Jacobs, said in a letter to readers.
Trump, the Republican president-elect, is set to commemorate the honor by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, accompanied by several members of his family.
This marks Trump’s second time being named Person of the Year, with his first recognition coming in 2016, following his victory in the U.S. presidential election.
The tradition, which began in 1927 as “Man of the Year,” is awarded to a person or movement that “for better or for worse… has done the most to influence the events of the year.” Previous winners of the title include climate change activist Greta Thunberg, former U.S. President Barack Obama, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Pope Francis, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The winner is selected by Time Magazine’s editors, who considered 10 finalists for the award this year. Among the contenders were Vice President Kamala Harris, the Princess of Wales, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump who is set to lead an advisory board focused on government efficiency.
In describing Trump’s achievements, Time highlighted his remarkable political resurgence. The magazine noted that he won the 2024 election “in a stunning political comeback,” reshaping the American electorate by engaging young male voters. This shift helped him secure a decisive victory, winning the popular vote for the first time and turning every swing state red.
“His 2024 win is history-making in multiple ways: he will be the oldest President in U.S. history, and he was convicted earlier this year by a New York jury of 34 counts of fraud, making him the first convicted felon to be elected President,” Time added.
Trump participated in extensive interviews with Time during the campaign season, where he shared his plans for a second term, including efforts to reform the U.S. immigration system and deport millions of people.
The former president had previously expressed disappointment in 2015 when he was not selected as Time’s Person of the Year during his first presidential campaign. The title that year went to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. However, after being named Person of the Year following his 2016 election win, he expressed gratitude, calling it a “great honor.”
“It means a lot, especially me growing up reading Time magazine. And, you know, it’s a very important magazine,” Trump said at the time.
Despite this recognition, Trump has continued to criticize Time’s choices since then, including the selection of pop star Taylor Swift as the 2024 Person of the Year.
