President Donald Trump mocked Time magazine for their cover featuring Elon Musk sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office (Getty Images, @TIME/X)
Trump’s jibe at the publication comes weeks after he boasted about being named the magazine’s 2024 Person of the Year for the second time. He has long coveted the honor and first received it in 2016 after taking over the Oval Office for the first time.
The 82-year-old real estate tycoon’s esteem for Time magazine was evident from his decision to hang a fake cover story featuring him at his residence in Mar-a-Lago at one point, per
In their latest cover story, Time discusses Musk’s “war on Washington”, as the SpaceX CEO had been appointed by Trump as the chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
What did Donald Trump say about Time’s latest cover with Elon Musk?
While speaking with reporters during a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the White House on Friday, February 7, Donald Trump was asked about his take on Time magazine portraying Musk as apparently the actual person in charge.
“Mr President, do you have any reaction to the new Time cover that has Elon Musk sitting behind your Resolute Desk?” asked a journalist, to which Trump promptly replied, “No. Is Time Magazine still in business? I didn’t even know that.”
He went on to praise Musk for “doing a great job” as part of his new administration, “finding tremendous fraud and corruption and waste”.
Since taking charge, Musk has essentially shut down the United States Agency for International Development, which is responsible for delivering civilian foreign aid and development assistance.
“He‘s got a staff that’s fantastic,” Trump further added, in spite of one DOGE staffer resigning within weeks after alleged racist comments made by him in the past came to light.
Internet lauds Donald Trump for his saucy comeback
Internet had various opinions on TIME magazine’s Elon Musk cover. Some saw the hilarity of it, and some said it would wound Trump greatly while others lauded the president for his epic comeback when asked what he thought about it.
