Why has Time Magazine named Donald Trump 2024 'Person of the Year'?

TIME magazine says choosing Person of the Year for 2024 was easy, as the individual shaped world events significantly.

US President-elect Donald J Trump was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year on Thursday, marking his second time receiving the title. Time magazine explained why Trump was chosen for the honour, stating that, compared to previous years, this year’s choice was not difficult.

"For 97 years, the editors of TIME have been picking the Person of the Year: the individual who, for better or for worse, did the most to shape the world and the headlines over the past 12 months. In many years, that choice is a difficult one. In 2024, it was not," the magazine stated.

Time elaborated, saying, "Since Trump began running for president in 2015, perhaps no single individual has played a larger role in changing the course of politics and history. He shocked many by winning the White House in 2016, then led the US through a chaotic term that included the first year of a pandemic as well as a period of nationwide protests. His presidency ended with him losing the election by 7 million votes and provoking the violent attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The smart money wagered that we had witnessed the end of Trump."

Donald Trump first earned the distinction in 2016. AFP

The magazine continued, "On the cusp of his second presidency, all of us—from his most fanatical supporters to his most fervent critics—are living in the Age of Trump. He dispatched his Republican rivals in near-record time. For weeks, he campaigned largely from the New York courtroom where he would be convicted on 34 felony counts. His sole debate with President Joe Biden in June led to his opponent’s eventual exit from the race. Sixteen days later, he survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally. In the sprint that followed, he outlasted Vice President Kamala Harris, sweeping all seven swing states and emerging from the election at the height of his popularity."

Time also noted, "Trump has remade American politics in the process. He won by enlarging his base, seizing the frustration over rising prices, and benefiting from a global turn against incumbents. With those tailwinds, exit polls suggest that he won the largest percentage of Black Americans for a Republican since Gerald Ford and the most Latino voters of any GOP nominee since George W. Bush. He became the first Republican in 20 years to win more votes than the Democrat, with 9 of 10 American counties increasing their support for Trump from 2020."

In a matter of weeks, Trump will return to the Oval Office with clear intentions: impose tariffs on imports, deport millions, and threaten the press. He also plans to place Robert F Kennedy Jr in charge of vaccines and potentially escalate tensions with Iran. "Anything can happen," he told Time.

Three weeks after the election, Time noted that Trump appeared more subdued than when the magazine visited him at Mar-a-Lago in March. He is happiest when in a fight, but now that he has won, he seemed almost wistful, acknowledging that this would likely be his final campaign.

“It’s sad in a way. It will never happen again,” Trump told Time. Despite reflecting on the end of this chapter, he recognised that a new one is beginning. "Trump is once again at the centre of the world, and in as strong a position as he has ever been," the magazine added.