Truth is, Trump hated 'Time' until it put him on the cover

To the Twitter archives!
 By 
Nicole Gallucci
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

By now, you've probably heard the news.

President-elect Donald Trump has been given the coveted title of Time magazine's 2016 Person of the Year, and he is thrilled, of course.

Despite the fact that Time labeled him as president of the "Divided States of America," Trump told NBC's Today show receiving the title was a "great honor" that "meant a lot" to him.

However, being the openly opinionated and indecisive man he is, Trump has not always shown Time love. In fact, he has had some truly terrible things to say about the magazine in the past. Very sad! The worst.

After taking a terrifying trip through Trump's Twitter archive, we learned something very enlightening: Trump only likes Time when he is on the cover of Time.

Trump hating on 'Time'

Let us travel back in time (hah) to 2012 to gather some proof.

Here we have what appears to be Trump's first mention of the magazine on Twitter. He insulted a 2012 Time cover that featured a photo of a mother breastfeeding rather than a photo of himself, before he called the magazine "sad," claiming the magazine used the photo to get attention.

Ooh, here we have Trump bashing another Time cover featuring Justice Roberts.

Actually, Trump hated the magazine so much for not including him in its "Top 100" list of most influential people in 2012, that he declared they had lost all credibility.

Trump delivered another sick burn that year, insulting both the cover art and the thickness of Time at once.

Here we have Trump offering his suggestion for a decent CEO of Time.

And after being snubbed by the publication again in 2013, Trump dubbed Time's Influential People list a "joke" and a "stunt." Bad list. Bad list, he said!

In 2013 Trump actually thought Time was headed out of business, you know, since it's basically akin to a "flimsy free handout at a parking lot."

Then while suggesting David Pecker for CEO yet again, Trump took a jab at the magazine staff's intelligence.

Trump continued to bluntly address his negative feelings towards the magazine in a direct tweet to MSNBC's weekday morning broadcast co-host, Mika Brzezinski. He shared he was watching former Republican representative Joe Scarborough "fondling" (ugh) the "skimpy" and "once great" Time in November of 2013.

Trump even took the time to retweet a fan who also felt Time was being unfair to him, adding that the magazine has "no guts!"

In December 2015, after not being chosen as Person of the Year, he was so discouraged by his rocky relationship with the publication he threw this tiny Twitter tantrum.

Though the man clearly has some complicated feelings towards the magazine, occasionally, he finds it tolerable.

Trump sparing the magazine when they please him

Aside from several tweets in which he bragged that Time polls showed him in the lead during campaigns, the truth is Trump only has kind things to say about the magazine on Twitter when it celebrates him.

In August and December of 2015, January 2016 and of course, December 2016, Trump was prominently featured in the magazine, and thus, spared them his Twitter wrath.

Oh Donald, you are a constant surprise.

Mashable Image
Nicole Gallucci

Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
'Stardew Valley' major update will let you marry its most hated character
A screenshot of a farm in 'Stardew Valley.'

Jimmy Kimmel responds to Trump attacking him in a fundraising email
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage surrounded by screenshots from a newsletter.


Jimmy Kimmel uses a 10-year-old tweet to roast Trump
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage. An old tweet from Donald Trump is visible at the bottom of the screen.

Jimmy Kimmel trolls Trump with old footage of him talking about Obama and Iran
Jimmy Kimmel presents his show.

More in Life

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 4, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 4, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!