"The Worst Picture Ever" : Trump Explodes Over New Time Magazine Cover

October 15, 2025 - Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump unleashed a midnight rant on Truth Social Tuesday, blasting Time magazine's latest cover featuring him as the "Worst of All Time"—even as the accompanying story hailed his role in brokering a historic Gaza ceasefire as a potential "signature achievement" of his second term.

The November 10 issue, unveiled on Monday, showcases a low-angle photo of Trump gazing upward against a bright backlight, creating a halo effect around his head that renders his signature hair nearly translucent. Shot by Bloomberg photographer Graeme Sloan at the White House on October 5, the image accompanies headlines like "His Triumph," "The Leader Israel Needed," and "How Gaza Heals." Time correspondent Eric Cortellessa's feature credits Trump's 20-point peace plan—first pitched at the United Nations General Assembly last month—with marking a "strategic turning point for the Middle East."

Yet, Trump zeroed in on the optics. In a 1:30 a.m. ET post from Air Force One, returning from a summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, he wrote: "Time Magazine wrote a relatively good story about me, but the picture may be the Worst of All Time. They 'disappeared' my hair, and then had something floating on top of my head that looked like a floating crown, but an extremely small one. Really weird! I never liked taking pictures from that angle—super bad picture that deserves to be called out. Hope it does well but used worst cover photo of me!"

The outburst, which racked up over 2.5 million views within hours, drew swift backlash and mockery across social media. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel quipped on his show: "Trump's mad about a bad hair day on a cover that's calling him a peacemaker—priorities!" Meanwhile, allies rallied to his defense. Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake, now overseeing Voice of America, posted: "Time magazine uses the most unflattering photos of President Trump at a moment when they should be honoring him. Fake news!" Conservative influencer Mario Nawfal, with 2.6 million X followers, decried it as "deliberately terrible," contrasting it with "flattering" covers of Democrats like Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Barack Obama.

Surprisingly, support came from abroad: Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova slammed the photo choice on Telegram as "astonishing" and "self-incriminating," suggesting only "sick people, obsessed with malice and hatred—perhaps even perverts—could have chosen such a photo." She contrasted it with Time's "complimentary" Biden covers, amid Moscow's efforts to mend ties with the Trump administration.

Time's piece details the first phase of the Israel-Hamas deal, finalized October 13 at the Egypt summit. Israel released over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, while Hamas freed all 20 living Israeli hostages and four bodies of the 28 deceased—drawing ire from victims' families for the delay. Trump, flanked by Cabinet members, signed the agreement alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas representatives, touting it as fulfilling his campaign promise to end the conflict that erupted in October 2023.

"This is a deal that could heal Gaza and reshape the region," Cortellessa wrote, noting bipartisan praise even from critics like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called it "a rare win for diplomacy." Trump has leveraged the breakthrough amid domestic woes, including the ongoing government shutdown now in its third week. At Monday's signing, he declared: "Peace through strength—nobody does it better!"

Trump's fixation on Time dates back decades; he once displayed fabricated covers at his golf clubs, prompting the magazine to demand their removal in 2017. He's graced the cover multiple times in 2025 alone: a February illustration of him "swiping" Oval Office items captioned "He's Back," and a May close-up titled "Dealing With It." He was named Person of the Year in 2016 and 2024—election years—yet has frequently accused the outlet of bias.

This isn't his first photo gripe. Trump has ranted about unflattering portraits, from official White House paintings to rally shots. Guardian columnist Emma Brockes mused: "This is a man who once mocked a disabled reporter's movements, so we'll take what schadenfreude we can get."

Time editors did not immediately respond to requests for comment. As the shutdown drags on and midterm elections loom, the cover spat underscores Trump's thin skin—even for accolades. "They praise me, but sabotage with a bad pic? Sad!" he added in a follow-up post.