President Donald Trump is earning rare praise from across the political spectrum for brokering a landmark peace agreement between Israel and Hamas, but the president is directing his ire toward Time magazine for what he described as an “unflattering” cover photo.
In a post early Tuesday on his Truth Social platform, President Trump complained about the image featured on Time’s upcoming November 10 issue, which includes an in-depth story on the Gaza peace deal. “Time Magazine wrote a relatively good story about me, but the picture may be the Worst of All Time,” Trump wrote. “They ‘disappeared’ my hair, and then had something floating on top of my head that looked like a crown—but an extremely small one. Really weird!”
The magazine cover depicts Trump from a low angle, with sunlight illuminating his hair and partially blending it into the bright sky behind him. The image has a cinematic tone, with his head slightly blocking the sun and his silhouette contrasting sharply against the background. Time’s white logo fades subtly into the light, giving the cover an ethereal look that some have interpreted as symbolic.
The article accompanying the photo focuses on Trump’s role in brokering the peace deal between Israel and Hamas, a diplomatic breakthrough that has drawn praise from international leaders and even some of his frequent critics in liberal media circles. The agreement, which ended months of violence in Gaza, was negotiated with the assistance of senior members of Trump’s Cabinet and foreign policy team.
During his remarks before the Israeli Knesset, Trump described the accord as a “historic turning point” that would reshape the future of the Middle East. “This is not only the end of a war,” Trump said. “This is the end of an age of terror and death—the beginning of an age of faith, hope, and of God.”
Under the terms of the deal, Hamas released all 20 surviving hostages held since the October 7, 2023, attacks, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange. The U.S.-brokered agreement, announced last week, has been hailed by world leaders as a “new horizon of hope” and a potential foundation for longer-term stability in the region.
While Time magazine’s report credited Trump’s direct diplomacy and his coordination with Egypt and Qatar for the breakthrough, the president seemed more preoccupied with the magazine’s visual presentation. “I never liked taking pictures from underneath,” Trump added in another post. “But this is a super bad picture and deserves to be called out. What are they doing, and why?”
Trump has a long and complicated history with Time magazine. He was named the publication’s Person of the Year in both 2016 and 2024, the same years he was elected president. His relationship with the outlet, however, has often been tense, with Trump frequently criticizing its editorial choices and photo selections.
This latest dispute comes just days after the president returned to the United States following visits to Israel and Egypt to mark the start of the peace agreement’s implementation. In Tel Aviv, thousands gathered to celebrate the release of hostages, while in Gaza, local residents expressed cautious optimism that the ceasefire would hold.
Despite the controversy surrounding the magazine cover, the Gaza peace accord stands as one of Trump’s most significant diplomatic achievements to date. For the first time in years, both Israeli and Palestinian leaders publicly acknowledged the potential for “a future free from fear.”
For President Trump, however, the spotlight—whether in diplomacy or on a magazine cover—remains a double-edged sword. As he wrote in his social media post, “The story is fine. But the picture? Total disaster.”
