Trump named Time’s Person of the Year
President-elect Donald Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange after being recognised for the second time by Time magazine as its person of the year.
The honours for the businessman-turned-politician are a measure of Mr Trump’s remarkable comeback from an ostracised former president who refused to accept his election loss four years ago to a president-elect who won the White House decisively in November.
Before he rang the opening bell at 9.30am, a first for him, Mr Trump spoke at the exchange and called it “a tremendous honour”.
“Time Magazine, getting this honour for the second time, I think I like it better this time actually,” he said.
Raised fist
Mr Trump, accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany and vice president-elect JD Vance, grinned as people chanted “USA” before he rang the bell.
He then raised his fist.
In his remarks, he talked up some of the people he has named to his incoming administration, including Treasury pick Secretary Scott Bessent, and some of his announced policies, including a promise this week that the federal government will issue expedited permits, including environmental approvals, for projects and construction worth more than one billion dollars.
“I think we’re going to have a tremendous run. We have to straighten out some problems, some big problems in the world,” he said.
“Most influence”
Sam Jacobs, Time’s editor in chief, announced on NBC’s Today show that Mr Trump was Time’s 2024 Person of the Year. Mr Jacobs said Mr Trump was someone who “for better or for worse, had the most influence on the news in 2024”.
“This is someone who made an historic comeback, who reshaped the American presidency and who’s reordering American politics,” Mr Jacobs said.
“It’s hard to argue with the fact that the person who’s moving into the Oval Office is the most influential person in news.”
He added that “there’s always a hot debate” at the magazine over the honour, “although I have to admit that this year was an easier decision than years past”.
In an interview with the magazine published on Thursday, Mr Trump spoke about his final campaign blitz and election win.
“I called it ‘72 Days of Fury’,” Mr Trump said. “We hit the nerve of the country. The country was angry.”
Wall Street
Mr Trump was on Wall Street to mark the ceremonial start of the day’s trading. The Time magazine cover featuring him was projected onto a wall at the stock exchange, flanked by American flags.
Trump took the stage at the exchange flanked by family members and members of his incoming administration while his favoured walk-on song, God Bless The USA, played.
Mr Trump was also Time’s Person of the Year in 2016, when he was first elected to the White House. He was listed as a finalist for this year’s award alongside notables including Vice President Kamala Harris, X owner Elon Musk, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Princess of Wales.
The NYSE regularly invites celebrities and business leaders to participate in the 9.30am ceremonial opening trading. Last year, Time CEO Jessica Sibley rang the NYSE opening bell to unveil the magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year: Taylor Swift.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Funny that. Lost an election and still refuses to accept it but accepts the last win despite saying it was rigged. Seems the press and various outlets are lining up to kiss the ring with this grifter. They could have put the headline under that, “Convicted felon and convicted sex abuser”, you know, as found in a court of law by a jury his defence picked. But then his own musk says they are comming for you.
Farage still his minion?
I know it hurts Jeff – I’ll light a candle for you.
In Berlin in 1933, a torch light parade was held in honour of Mr A Hitler becoming chancellor of Germany, just shows how wrong they get some of these ” honours”.
I do enjoy so enjoy Nazi comparisons from the hard-of-thinking.
Camps didn’t appear overnight. That is the thing when you try that tack, you miss the process. It happened slowly and in this instance the camps are unlikely anyway though there are still families that were separated on trumps orders that have never found their children. And now he has staffers that are going to go after the press and celebs etc. who told the truth about trump. musk is amplifying hate to people that oppose him and there is a sly joke going around that Canada needs to be a new US state and musk is interfering there as… Read more »
Trump was president of the USA of four years Gareth: I don’t remember any jack boots or extermination camps, do you?
No, but I do remember him calling Neo-Nazis ‘very fine people’ after they killed a protester in Charlottesville.
I do remember him inciting an insurrection at the Capitol Building in an attempt to overturn democracy in his favour.
I do remember him praising Putin as a genius for invading Ukraine.
So forgive me for feeling concerned about the future of American democracy.
..and if he ever visits the UK and travels to the north he would be sure to win the World Gurning Competition. As for those sycophants he is putting in place to promote his policies……!..
Trump is known for paraphrasing Hitler, also praising Hitler when he said ” Hitler did some good things” and using the ” poisoning the blood” remarks, there are links to the two.
Trumps’ buddy Vance thought of him as Americas’ Hitler and he wasn’t joking. Texas cages, migrant separation, removing children from parents. Unnecessary and extreme distress caused by wilful abuse of human life. Sounds like a little bit of history repeating.
Time magazine named Hitler Man of the Year in 1938.