TIME magazine has named Donald Trump its Person of the Year for 2016, so obviously it’s time for half of Twitter to scream in disbelief, foam dribbling from their mouth onto the keyboard.
They’re forgetting, of course, that TIME doesn’t honour its favourite person of the past year but recognises the individual(s) who have had the biggest political and/or cultural impact. As it once put it in a 2002 edition, the profile covers whichever person, group, idea or object that “for better or for worse...has done the most to influence the events of the year”.
I guess people can be forgiven for missing this clarification, but a quick look at previous winners ought to tell you it’s not about picking positive world influences - in 1938, Adolf Hitler was named Person of the Year (then 'Man of the Year'), followed the next year by Joseph Stalin.
Moreover, with a couple of exceptions, every President of the United States of America has been named Person of the Year, almost always in the year they are first elected.
Trump, who delivered one of the biggest shock election victories in history, has caused a seismic shift in politics that will be felt all around the world.
He was chosen by TIME from a shortlist that also included Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin, Simone Biles, Beyoncé Knowles and Mark Zuckerberg, and given the tagline 'President of the Divided States of America'.
Another thing, was that cover design a subtle dig?
Trump is set to be inaugurated on 20 January, if he can find anyone to play it that is.
Incumbent vice president Joe Biden has discussed the possibility of running against him in 2020 this week, the thinking being: "what the hell man."
