Trump has slammed Time magazine for its latest cover, titled “His Triumph,” which he described as an awful image. The photograph, which accompanied an article about Trump’s recent Middle East peace summit, irritated him since it was a “super bad picture.”
Trump complained on his Truth Social platform late Tuesday that the photo “made my hair disappear” and depicted “a weird little floating crown” above his head. “It may be the worst of all time,” he said, calling the magazine’s editorial decision “really weird.”
A Cover to Celebrate or Criticize
Time revealed the cover on Monday, as Trump was winding up a trip to Israel and Egypt, where he presided over the signing of a Gaza peace statement. The magazine’s accompanying story praised the arrangement as potentially “a signature achievement of Trump’s second term,” citing it as a significant step toward Middle Eastern security.
The image, however, became the focus of attention. Designed to represent Trump’s growing worldwide power, it featured him in a dramatic position with dim lighting and a stylistic choice that, according to Trump, fell short.
“I’ve never liked pictures from low angles,” he said. “What are they doing and why?”
A Victory Tour Turns Media Feud
Trump’s outburst came after what had been one of his most high-profile international trips since returning to office. In Israel, he addressed the Knesset to roaring applause and met with families of released hostages. In Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh resort, he stood alongside regional leaders to sign a ceasefire declaration aimed at ending the Gaza war and launching a reconstruction effort.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi praised Trump’s leadership, calling him “the only man who could bring peace to the region.” Trump, loving in the praise, told assembled leaders that the Middle East now had “a once-in-a-lifetime chance to move beyond the feuds of the past.”
Despite the diplomatic triumph, his return to Washington was overshadowed by what he saw on magazine stands.
Online Reaction and White House Response
The Time cover quickly went viral, drawing both admiration and mockery online. Supporters said the photo captured Trump’s stature on the world stage, while critics teased his overreaction to the imagery. Memes comparing the “floating crown” to various emojis flooded social media within hours.
White House aides reportedly tried to steer attention back to Trump’s peace efforts, but the president himself seemed determined to keep the conversation going. “Maybe they should try hiring better photographers,” he quipped during a closed-door meeting, according to one staffer.
Looking Ahead
Trump’s focus has shifted back to domestic politics. According to administration sources, Obama intends to hold a ceremony in Washington to posthumously give conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, referring to him as “a patriot whose legacy lives on.”
Whether or not the Time controversy passes soon, one thing is certain that Trump remains as headline-grabbing as ever, even when the story is about his photo rather than his policies.
