Donald Trump has been named Time Magazine ‘person of the year’ for the second time – he previously won the honour after winning the presidential election in 2016.
The BBC reports that Sam Jacobs, Time Editor-in-Chief wrote a letter to readers, in which he credited Trump saying “perhaps no single individual has played a larger role in changing the course of politics and history”
“On the cusp of his second presidency, all of us—from his most fanatical supporters to his most fervent critics—are living in the Age of Trump,” the magazine said.
“For marshalling 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.”
The Newly elected president rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday to mark the honour alongside several of his family members and chants of “U-S-A”.
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In an interview with Time magazine, Trump reiterated some of his plans for his second term.
He pledged to look “case-by-case” at the convictions of his supporters who rioted at the US Capitol in January 2021, having previously pledged to issue pardons.
In further comments before ringing the stock exchange opening bell, he promised “an economy the likes of which nobody’s ever seen before”, and he vowed to cut taxes “very substantially”.
In a description of Trump on the short list, Time said he won the 2024 election “in a stunning political comeback”.
“He has reshaped the American electorate, activating young male voters who propelled him to a decisive victory that saw him win the popular vote for the first time and turn every swing state red,” the outlet said.
“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 magazine’s tradition – which started in 1927 as “Man of the Year” – recognises a person or movement that “for better or for worse… has done the most to influence the events of the year”.
Other previous winners include climate change activist Greta Thunberg, former President Barack Obama, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Pope Francis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Time Magazine editors ultimately decide who wins the award.
The outlet was considering 10 people for the person of the year award, including Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Princess of Wales and Tesla CEO Elon Musk,
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