Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Time Magazine's Latest Trump Cover Is Actually the Third in a Series, and It's Genius

Time Magazine's Latest Trump Cover Is Actually the Third in a Series, and It's Genius
US President Donald Trump portrait behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office (National Archives)

Well played.

People may experience a sense of déjà vu when looking at the latest Time magazine cover. The artwork by Tim O'Brien also sets a record for the 95-year-old newsmagazine.

While other Time covers related to each other, this is the first time the magazine featured a series showing a sequence of events in the same setting with the same person: President Donald Trump.


While Trump may see his frequent covers as an honor, they hardly offer a flattering view of the 45th President. The September 3, 2018 cover is no different.

O'Brien's latest continues to show Trump's mounting troubles in the White House.

The first in the series of three Time covers—titled "Nothing to See Here"—depicted the President seated behind the famed Resolute Desk—a large 19th-century desk used by seven Presidents as the White House Oval Office desk. A storm rages while Trump sits seemingly unaffected.

"Nothing to See Here" by artist Tim O'Brien (Time)

Describing his inspiration for the February 2017 cover, O'Brien stated:

"When I painted the ‘Nothing to See Here’ cover art, like many, I assumed the level of chaos could not last... as the never-ending flood of breaking news washed over the White House, and the firings, the scandals and the general mayhem filled each news cycle, I felt the storm metaphor was as relevant as ever."

Watch video of the creation of Nothing to See Here" below:

The second cover, "Stormy," came in April 2018 after the FBI raids on Trump long-time personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen. It is a nod both to the mounting issues being faced by Trump and a nod to Stormy Daniels—the pseudonym and preferred name of the dancer, actress, writer and director who performs in adult films.

The President again looks unfazed by the rising water and chaos around him, matching his strategy of denying or discrediting the truth.

"Stormy" by artist Tim O'Brien (Time)

O'Brien's latest is titled "In Deep". While Trump no longer sits behind the Resolute Desk, he still keeps his head above water. In describing his latest artwork, O'Brien stated:

"I felt that it was too comical or perhaps morbid to see him sitting there. But to have him at the top suggests he’s still fighting despite the deepening issues."

"In Deep" by artist Tim O'Brien (Time)

The latest O'Brien Trump cover comes after a tough week for the President. A jury found his former campaign manager Paul Manafort guilty on 8 charges and deadlocked on 10 other charges.

And that Trump fixer and lawyer who inspired the second cover, Michael Cohen, cut a plea deal with federal prosecutors implicating Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator in several crimes.

Reactions to the latest Time cover on Twitter range from admiration for O'Brien's artistic efforts to commentary on the man they depict as the following tweets show.

The detail accurately depicted in O'Brien's artwork cannot be overstated.

Although a few pointed out some details they think O'Brien got wrong.

While some wondered, if O'Brien continues the series, what would come next?

More from People/donald-trump

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less