President Donald Trump was named a finalist for TIME Magazine‘s 2020 Person of the Year, making a shortlist comprised of three other candidates who affected the news of our lives the most, for better or worse. The candidates — including Trump, President-elect Joe Biden, frontline health care workers and Dr. Anthony Fauci; and the movement for racial justice — were announced Thursday morning on the TODAY show.
TIME has picked a Person of the Year since 1927. Usually, the publication chooses an individual, but sometimes multiple people who, as a group, greatly impacted the country and world during the calendar year are also chosen. Last year’s Person of the Year was Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish environmental activist who challenged world leaders to fight climate change. Time Magazine editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal told the TODAY show on Thursday that 2020 was “the hardest year” that he has been involved in choosing the distinction.
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“So many massive stories all over the world, racial justice, the pandemic, presidential elections, wildfires, a really, really challenging year to make this call,” Felsenthal said. He noted that Trump, who was named the 2016 Person of the Year, is “still very much in control of the Republican Party” and said that he “changed so many norms throughout his term.”
As could be expected, Trump’s name appearing on the shortlist sparked many strong social media reactions. While some were supportive of the nomination, others wondered why an impeached president who refuses to concede the White House a month after losing the election should be deserving of the prize. Still, others remembered that being awarded Person of the Year does not necessarily equate to an honor, as the publication chooses the person who affected lives the most, for better or worse.
The 2020 Person of the Year will be announced Thursday night during the first-ever broadcast special on NBC at 10 p.m. ET. Until then, scroll down to see how social media is reacting to Trump’s Person of the Year nomination.
BREAKING: Joe Biden has another chance to beat Trump
— PoliticsVideoChannel (@politvidchannel) December 10, 2020
Joe Biden could outpoll Trump in the TIME’s Person of the Year for 2020
If @TIME chooses Trump as their Person of the Year, then I will be canceling my subscription.
— Erie Siobhan 🌱 (@ErieNotEerie) December 10, 2020
Just to complete trump’s circle of losing, Time’s 2020 Person of the Year should go to Joe Biden.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) December 10, 2020
Or Dr. Fauci. Anyone but trump.
I’ve got room for yet another temper tantrum in my schadenfreude viewing schedule. https://t.co/HyoAYBaGr0
#TimeMagazine – don’t you dare give the Person of the Year to Trump.
— 🖕🏻Aunt Crabby calls Bullshit 🖕🏻 (@DearAuntCrabby) December 10, 2020
Can we go ahead and give Time’s person of the year to healthcare personnel? I said this 6 months ago and it’s more obvious today. We have no idea what they go through on a regular basis. Trump has put them in an awful situation and under tremendous stress. They are heroes.
— RBH (@kingbritt11) December 5, 2020
How @TIME came up with Trump as a candidate for The Person of the Year is beyond my comprehension.
— Mike B (@bahiapilot) December 10, 2020
If @TIME gives Trump the “Person of the Year ” award, they may as well give a co-award to coronavirus.
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) December 10, 2020
.@realDonaldTrump should be Time Magazine’s Person of The Year solely on his “Operation Warp-speed” accomplishments!
— Philip T. Tirino (@philiptirino) December 10, 2020
RT if you think so too.
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