When a president lands on the cover of Time magazine, it’s usually a moment to savor. But this October, the spotlight has proven more contentious than celebratory for Donald Trump, whose reaction to his latest Time cover photo has set off a media firestorm, drawn international commentary, and even inspired late-night comedy. The controversy reveals the complicated dance between political achievement and public image—and how, in today’s world, a single photograph can overshadow even the most significant diplomatic victories.
The story begins with what should have been a triumphant feature: the November 10, 2025 issue of Time magazine, which ran an extensive article praising Trump’s role in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The piece highlighted the freeing of living Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners, hailing the deal as a potential signature achievement of Trump’s second term and a possible turning point in the Middle East. On October 13, Time tweeted, “The living Israeli hostages held in Gaza have been freed under the first phase of Donald Trump’s peace plan, alongside a Palestinian prisoner release. The deal may become a signature achievement of Trump’s second term, and it could mark a strategic turning point for the Middle…”
Yet, as Time lauded Trump’s diplomatic prowess, the cover photo—a close-up shot taken from a low, upward angle, with sunlight haloing the president’s head—quickly became the focus of public attention. The image, snapped by photographer Graeme Sloane during an October 5 White House session for Bloomberg, was intended to communicate power and grandeur. According to Guardian Australia picture editor Carly Earl, “Photographing subjects from below typically creates heroic impressions and feelings of importance.” The technical execution received praise from industry professionals, with some noting the contemplative, almost serene moment captured—quite different from Trump’s usual public persona. The backlighting, which created a sort of ‘halo’ effect, may have been an attempt to suggest an angelic or statesmanlike quality.
But Trump saw things differently. On October 15, he took to Truth Social, lambasting the photo as “a super bad picture” and “possibly the worst image ever published.” He complained about the upward angle and the lighting, which, in his words, “disappeared” his hair and left “something floating on top of my head that looked like a floating crown, but an extremely small one. Really weird!” Trump continued, “I never liked taking pictures from underneath angles, but this is a super bad picture, and deserves to be called out. What are they doing, and why?”
This wasn’t the first time Trump’s relationship with magazine covers became headline news. As Time’s own archives and several news outlets have noted, Trump has appeared on the magazine’s cover four times in the past year alone, underscoring his preoccupation with how he’s portrayed. Back in 2017, Time even had to request the removal of mock covers from Trump’s golf clubs, a testament to the value he places on favorable media representation. As BBC and others have reported, Trump’s fixation on his image has often rivaled his interest in the stories themselves.
This latest episode, however, took on a life of its own. Late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel wasted no time poking fun at the president’s outrage. On the October 14 edition of The Late Show, Colbert quipped, “Worst Georgia O’Keeffe ever,” before adding, “It’s one of those optical illusions where you can’t tell if it’s an old woman or a young ballsack.” Colbert didn’t stop there, reading Trump’s Truth Social rant aloud and riffing on the president’s complaints about his hair and the so-called floating crown. “Why didn’t Time magazine just use one of his beautiful NFTs?” Colbert joked, suggesting AI-generated images of Trump as alternatives, including a “Sheriff Trump” and even a surreal “King Flaming Space Lion.”
Jimmy Kimmel, too, leapt into the fray, gleefully mocking both the photo and Trump’s reaction on his own show. The late-night hosts’ lampooning underscored a broader point: even as Trump was being praised for brokering a historic ceasefire, the conversation was dominated by his response to a single, unflattering image.
The debate didn’t stop at comedy. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office joined the conversation, sharing a pixelated version of the cover photo—specifically obscuring Trump’s chin and neck area—as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the president’s complaints. The move added a layer of political humor, but also, perhaps, a dash of sympathy for the notion that editorial choices can sometimes be, well, less than flattering.
Surprisingly, the controversy crossed international lines. Maria Zakharova, director of information at Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, weighed in on Telegram, calling the image “self-incriminating” and suggesting that only those “obsessed with malice and hatred” would select such a photo. Zakharova contrasted the Trump cover with what she saw as more complimentary images used for President Biden, despite Biden’s “physical limitations.” Her comments injected an unexpected global dimension into what started as a domestic media squabble.
Meanwhile, photography experts and media analysts tried to make sense of the editorial decision. As noted by Guardian Australia’s Carly Earl, the choice of angle and lighting was likely meant to evoke strength and victory, in keeping with the article’s content. Yet, as Earl acknowledged, “aesthetic concerns often conflict with conceptual goals in editorial photography.” Sometimes, the very techniques meant to elevate a subject can backfire, especially when the subject is as image-conscious as Trump.
The entire episode highlights the complex, often fraught relationship between politicians and the media. Even when the coverage is positive, as with Time’s celebration of Trump’s diplomatic breakthrough, a single visual misstep—or perceived misstep—can become the story. Trump’s public complaints, amplified by comedians and politicians alike, demonstrate how in the age of social media, appearance can easily eclipse substance.
For all the noise about upward angles and floating crowns, the underlying achievement remains: under Trump’s peace plan, Israeli hostages have been freed and Palestinian prisoners released, marking a rare moment of progress in the Middle East. But as this saga shows, in politics as in life, the picture really can be worth a thousand words—sometimes more than the story itself.
