NEW YORK: Time magazine on Thursday named US president-elect Donald Trump its “person of the year,” marking the second time he has won the accolade, in acknowledgement of the mogul’s stunning political comeback.

Trump, who defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov 5 election, adorns the magazine’s title cover sporting his distinctive red tie and striking a commanding pose.

“For marshaling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a-generation political realignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering America’s role in the world, Donald Trump is Time’s 2024 — Person of the Year,” the magazine said.

This year saw Trump convicted on charges of business fraud and nearly assassinated twice — and will end with him preparing to return to the White House with Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress.

“We are witnessing a resurgence of populism, a widening mistrust in the institutions that defined the last century, and an eroding faith that liberal values will lead to better lives for most people. Trump is both agent and beneficiary of it all,” the magazine added.

Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to applause from traders on Thursday, flanked by his wife Melania Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, with his Time Magazine cover displayed prominently behind him.

In remarks before the markets opened, Trump sounded a note of caution about the promises he made on the campaign trail to bring down stubbornly high US grocery prices.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2024