Staying true to the chaotic vibe of 2024, Donald Trump became the TIME’s Person of the Year—again! The TIME Person of the Year list has a solid roundup with names like Yulia Navalnaya, the widow battling Vladimir Putin’s regime single-handedly, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who’s busy defending his country from, you know, actual bombs, Vice-President Kamala Harris, and Elon Musk.
But TIME magazine chose Donald Trump as the Person of the Year 2024. While we were hoping the honor might go to, say, someone fighting for human rights or leading a nation through war or at least a decent human being, TIME opted for the first convicted criminal to take the presidential oath.
Time Magazine Person of the Year 2024: Donald Trump
TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs explained the logic behind choosing Trump as the TIME Person of the Year 2024: “For marshaling 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.”
This announcement follows a turbulent year where Trump dominated headlines not just as a U.S. presidential candidate but also for being a really horrible person overall, particularly the hush-money scandal involving adult film star Stormy Daniels. Americans are buzzing over the irony of honoring someone who represents the worst of American society.
Yulia Navalnaya: Fighting Dictators, but Couldn’t Beat Tick-Tok Algorithms
One of the real greats on the TIME Person of the Year list includes Yulia Navalnaya, a woman who literally stared down a dictator who swims with sharks and murders political opponents – the most recent one being Navalnaya’s husband. A few personal tragedies aside, Navalnaya has actively advocated for political prisoners – all while dodging assassination attempts.
Yulia Navalnaya dubbed the “first lady” of the Russian opposition, has been in the spotlight this year after her husband Alexei Navalny died in February. She, along with major global political powers, accused Russian Dictator Vladimir Putin of killing her husband.
Maybe if she’d done tax fraud or let’s say, assaulted a porn star, she’d have had a shot at becoming TIME Person of the Year. Maybe she could benefit from having her own marketable catchphrase; we think it could be something like “You’re fired”.
Why Pick a Hero When You Can Pick Drama?
Taylor Swift was the TIME Person of the Year 2023, beating Hollywood strikers, Trump prosecutors, and Sam Altman to the punch. But hey, maybe this isn’t all bad. At least it will be entertaining to watch how much lower TIME magazine can go.
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