Time magazine is at it again, trying to throw a wet blanket on the excitement surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration, scheduled to take place in the Capitol Rotunda. The cover of this new issue prominently features Trump seated in the Oval Office with his signature bravado, while ominously declaring, “He’s Back,” against a stormy backdrop that would make anyone think a tornado was brewing outside. One can’t help but wonder if the magazine hired the weather channel as their graphic designer.
In a nod to their own dramatic flair, this cover pays homage to a 2017 issue that attempted to paint Trump’s first term as the ultimate chaos fest. Back then, we were treated to an image of Trump looking as serene as a cat on a sun-drenched windowsill while a tempest carried on around him. Fast forward to the present and he’s now brushing off a pile of papers at the Resolute Desk, evidently dispensing with the Senate’s reading list and tossing President Biden’s stylish Aviator sunglasses into the mix. Because what says “ready to lead” more than a good old cleaning job while wearing shades?
TIME magazines new inauguration cover! 🇺🇲🇺🇲 pic.twitter.com/B07bXwFs2C
— 🇺🇲Ultra MAGA Trump Gal🇺🇲™ (@RedactedKelly45) January 20, 2025
Surprisingly, the current cover serves up a heaping dose of optics that may not have the intended effect of casting Trump in a sinister light. In fact, it seems to inadvertently reveal his growth and determination to hit the ground running. The veritable storm cloud hanging over the Oval Office comes off less like a legitimate weather advisory and more like a cry for help from an alarmist media struggling to come to terms with Trump’s re-ascendancy. Apparently, mainstream media outlets can’t resist drenching everything in shades of gray whenever Trump comes back into view.
Contrary to the gloominess anticipated by the folks over at Time, pro-Trump commentators on social media had a field day with the cover, taking the magazine’s gloomy portrayal and flipping it right on its head. While Time may have intended to create a visual representation of panic, Trump’s supporters seem to have turned it into a meme-worthy moment instead, in which they can chortle and rally around their guy. After all, if the media serves it up dark, why not cook some fun up with it?
The covers from outlets like The Economist may illustrate a broader media trend toward antagonism, but this is nothing new for Trump supporters. They seem to relish the chance to rebut these portrayals and engage in some good-natured ribbing. Critics of the Time cover have already started buzzing about its obviously partisan undertones and interpreted the stormy imagery—clearly a metaphor in the minds of many—as indicative of dwindling morale among the anti-Trump brigade. Instead of quaking in their boots, supporters see Trump as a lion ready to roar again, ready to tackle the pressing issues that Americans care about, despite what the mainstream media might wish for.