12 Dec: Donald Trump has been recognized as Time’s “Person of the Year” for the second time, the magazine announced on Thursday. This honor follows last year’s recipient, Taylor Swift. Trump first earned the title in 2016 after his initial election as president.
In its announcement, Time highlighted Trump’s unprecedented political comeback, calling it “unparalleled in American history.” The magazine noted that his first term ended amid controversy, including attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, which culminated in the Capitol attack. Despite being the first former president convicted of a crime earlier this year, Trump emerged as a resilient political figure, unshaken in his pursuit of leadership.
“Trump’s political rebirth is remarkable,” the magazine wrote. “He has realigned American politics, reshaping the GOP and leaving Democrats reckoning with what went wrong. If America was craving change, it is about to see how much Trump can deliver.”
Time detailed Trump’s achievements during his 2024 campaign, including surviving an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, defeating two Democratic opponents, winning all seven swing states, and becoming the first Republican to win the popular vote in two decades.
On Thursday, Trump marked the occasion by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, just blocks away from the courthouse where he was convicted earlier this year.
Trump’s victory over a formidable list of finalists—including Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Kate Middleton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Mexico’s first female president Claudia Sheinbaum—cements his status as a defining figure of modern politics.
Time’s tradition of naming a president-elect as Person of the Year dates back nearly nine decades. Trump’s historic inauguration as the 47th president is scheduled for January 20, 2025.
Trump, who first appeared on Time’s cover in 1989 as a real estate mogul, has had a dynamic journey from business and entertainment to the pinnacle of American politics. As the magazine noted, his influence continues to shape the nation’s political and cultural landscape.
