Not the distinction he thinks it is
In 1938, Time Magazine named Adolf Hitler its “Man of the Year.” In 2016, Time Magazine named Donald Trump its “Person of the Year.” In both cover photos both men are sitting in similar chairs striking similar poses. Some say that was no accident, that the Time photographer arranged a historically oblivious Trump in a deliberately Hitler-esque pose. Whatever the case, the British broadsheet “Independent” notes that it seems Time is about to do it again. Trump has a good chance to become its “Person of the Year” for 2024.
That’s not the distinction Donald Trump claims it is. Time Magazine has always hastened to note that their annual pick has nothing to do with greatness or worthiness. The distinction is reserved strictly for the most consequential individuals in a given year. Sometimes those individuals are exemplary human beings, like Ghandi, Churchill and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. More often not, they’re bad people,like Putin, Nixon, Stalin, Rudy Giuliani — and Hitler, of course.
But if the news is true, that won’t stop Trump from crowing about it, or MAGA cheering the decision and putting it in the column that “proves” their toad-god is somehow “great.” Whatever the case, the annual cover is set to be revealed this morning, as I write this. Whatever it turns out to be, I think they would be technically correct. Nobody has influenced the news more than Trump. Nobody has screwed up the world more, nobody has imperilled the world more, nobody has depressed the world more.
If they do make Trump “Person of the Year,” this time they should pose him exactly, precisely like Hitler. Same kind of chair, same pose, same look. Politically astute individuals would probably notice immediately and refuse to strike such a pose. Not only would Trump not notice, he would love it if one of his flunkies one day had the courage to point it out to him.
Of course it won’t happen. No photographer would pose Trump that way, and Time’s board would never countenance such a move. It won’t happen because people no longer have the essential, determined courage to do such a thing. But damn, it would be nice, wouldn’t it? It would almost make Time naming him their “Person of the Year” worth it. Whatever they decide to do, and you should know by the time you read this, brothers and sisters, take care of yourselves, and if you can, take care of someone else too.
Robert Harrington is an American expat living in Britain. He is a portrait painter.