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

Donald Trump; Martin Luther King Jr.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty Images; Jack Sheahan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Trump Ripped After Forcing National Parks To Drop Free Entry On MLK Day And Juneteenth For Infuriating Reason

President Donald Trump was criticized after the National Park Service announced it will be dropping Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth for next year's calendar of free-entry days and adding Trump's birthday, which happens to fall on Flag Day, on June 14.

Last month, the Department of the Interior unveiled changes to what it now calls its “resident-only patriotic fee-free days,” expanding the calendar to include new dates like the Fourth of July weekend and President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday, while dropping others that had honored the department itself, including the Bureau of Land Management’s anniversary.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Juanita Broaddrick's tweet overlayed against a picture of the J. Crew sign
@atensnut/X; Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

MAGA Is Melting Down Over A Pink J. Crew Sweater For Men—And Our Eyes Can't Roll Hard Enough

MAGA fans are melting down over a $168 men's sweater from J. Crew with a fair-isle collar, claiming, in yet another example of the idiocy of the culture wars, that only liberals would actually wear it.

We know what you're thinking... Really?!

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Garcia; Marjorie Taylor Greene
WWHL/Bravo; Daniel Heuer/AFP via Getty Images

Dem Rep. Has An Idea For A New Line Of Work For MTG After She Leaves Congress—And It Would Certainly Be Something

California Democratic Representative Robert Garcia was elected in November 2022 and even before being sworn in, he was locking horns with one-time MAGA darling and Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.

For years, MTG was best known as the QAnon conspiracy theory-spewing, State of the Union heckling, crossfit hyping, Trump ride-or-dying, anti-LGBTQ+ racist MAGA minion from Georgia.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump Jr.
Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty Images

Don Jr. Sparks Outrage After Startup Company He Backed Scores Massive Contract With Pentagon

Donald Trump Jr. is facing criticism after The Financial Times reported that Vulcan Elements, a startup he backed, scored a $620 million government contract with the Department of Defense.

The company said the deal falls under a broader $1.4 billion collaboration with the federal government and ReElement Technologies aimed at scaling up U.S. magnet production and strengthening the domestic supply chain.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Deepest Internet 'Rabbit Hole' They've Ever Fallen Down

Who amongst us hasn't wasted HOURS of life surfing the web for things we couldn't help being intrigued by?

Going on the internet for one quick look at a sale, then staying up until sunrise trying to uncover a 50-year-old unsolved murder mystery is totally normal.

Keep ReadingShow less