OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
12:34 PM – Tuesday, October 14, 2025
President Donald Trump took aim at TIME Magazine on Tuesday morning, slamming the publication for what he labeled an “absolutely terrible” and “super bad” photograph of him on its latest cover — despite the accompanying article praising his recent diplomatic achievements.
Nonetheless, supporters of President Trump have since praised his candor, cheering on his willingness to speak his mind openly.
“This is why we love him!! You always know he’s authentically himself, not fake like other presidents we’ve had. That picture IS terrible and it’s disrespectful they chose it. Love that he called them out,” said one social media user.
The TIME cover features Trump from a low-angle shot taken outdoors in bright sunlight.
The image prominently displays his neck from an unflattering angle, while the lighting causes the wisps of hair above his forehead to appear partially transparent.
The cover story, titled “His Triumph,” highlights how President Trump successfully brokered the recent Middle East peace deal, involving the ongoing ceasefire and hostage exchange, between Israel and Hamas — a major foreign policy success.
The deal, finalized at a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, brings an end, at least for now, to one of the most protracted and devastating conflicts in the Middle East in modern times. Under its first phase, all living Israeli hostages were freed and returned to their families. The agreement also outlines a temporary withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of Gaza and the establishment of an international monitoring and reconstruction mission. Trump’s diplomatic push relied heavily on regional coordination, engaging Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to pressure Hamas into compliance, while applying what the White House described as “maximum pressure” on Israel to accept key terms.
However, despite his success in brokering the deal, in addition to the accompanying article highlighting the president’s perseverance and patience, Trump continued to call out the unflattering photograph — questioning why the outlet “purposefully” chose it.
“It may be the worst photo of all time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They could have used one of a thousand better pictures, but they chose this one on purpose. It’s really bad — shot from below, terrible lighting, and it makes my hair look see-through. Disrespectful!”
Trump went on to question whether TIME, an outlet known for publishing articles with a left-leaning political spin, deliberately selected the unflattering image of him. However, Trump also emphasized that the piece was a “fairly positive” article — unlike the majority of articles the outlet has published about him.
“The story was actually pretty good,” he added. “But the picture? Super bad! What are they doing over there?”
One professional photographer who reached out the press stated that low-angle shots, often used to convey power or dominance, can easily distort facial features and emphasize the neck or jawline.
The image featured on the recent TIME cover was reportedly selected internally by the publication’s photo and editorial team. According to reports from The Washington Post and People Magazine, the decision was part of TIME’s “standard editorial process,” which involves collaboration between the director of photography, creative directors, and senior editors.
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