🔗 Share this article

This is a glowing story in a periodical that Trump has frequently admired – with one exception. The cover picture, Trump declared, ""could be the worst ever".

Time magazine's tribute to Donald Trump's part in facilitating a Gaza ceasefire, headlining its early November edition, was paired with a photo of the president taken from below and with the sun shining from the back.

The outcome, he says, is "super bad".

"Time wrote a relatively good story about me, but the picture may be the Worst of All Time", he shared on Truth Social.

“My hair was obscured, and then there was an object above my head that seemed like a floating crown, but quite miniature. Very odd! I have consistently disliked being shot from underneath, but this is a awful image, and it merits criticism. Why did they choose this, and why?”

Donald Trump has shown no secret of his desire to be pictured on Time magazine's front page and accomplished it on four occasions in the previous year. The preoccupation has made it as far as Trump’s golf clubs – in 2017, the magazine asked him to remove fake issues on display at some of his properties.

The latest edition’s photo was taken by a photographer for Bloomberg at the White House on October 5.

The shot's viewpoint highlighted negatively Trump’s chin and neck – a chance that the governor of California Gavin Newsom took advantage of, with the governor's office sharing an altered image with the offending area pixelated.

{The living Israeli hostages in Gaza have been released under the initial stage of the president's diplomatic initiative, alongside a Palestinian prisoner release. The deal may become a defining accomplishment of his next term, and it might signify a pivotal moment for the Middle East.

Meanwhile, a support for his portrayal has been offered by a surprising origin: the communications chief at Moscow's diplomatic office came forward to denounce the "damaging" photo selection.

It's amazing: a photo reveals far more about those who selected it than about the individual pictured. Only sick people, people obsessed with malice and hatred –possibly even deviants – could have picked this picture", Maria Zakharova wrote on the messaging platform.

In light of the positive pictures of Biden that the periodical displayed on the cover, even with his age-related challenges, the situation is self-revealing for Time", she said.

The explanation for the president's inquiries – why did they choose this, and why? – might involve creatively capturing a impression of strength according to a picture editor, a media professional.

The photograph technically technically is good," she says. "They chose this shot because they wanted trump to look commanding. Gazing upward evokes a feeling of their grandeur and Trump’s face actually looks thoughtful and almost slightly angelic. It's rare you see images of the president in such a calm instance – the photo appears gentle."

His hair appears to “disappear” because the sunlight behind him has overexposed that part of the image, creating a halo effect, she says. And, while the story’s headline complements the president's look in the image, "you can’t always please the person photographed."

"No one likes being shot from underneath, and while all of the conceptual elements of the image are highly effective, the appearance are not flattering."

The publication contacted the periodical for comment.