TIME publishes remarkable revised Trump cover after criticism for unflattering low-angle portrait

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has gotten a much better look on the cover of the TIME Magazine this week. The change follows after the president publicly criticized a low-angle portrait by the magazine earlier this month.

The new cover, declaring "TRUMP'S WORLD," is a dignified, straight-on image with the hands of the president clasped at his chin.

President Donald Trump's rejection of the first cover

The controversy started when the first of a pair of November issues included a shot taken from a very low angle by Graeme Sloan.

The photo evoked an instant and angry protest from the president's supporters while Trump also vented his displeasure on Truth Social. While the supporting article was "relatively good" and centered on his diplomatic victory in negotiating a Gaza peace accord, the photo, he claimed, "may be the Worst of All Time."

He complained by stating: “They ‘disappeared’ my hair, and then had something floating on top of my head that looked like a floating crown, but an extremely small one. Really weird! I never liked taking pictures from underneath angles, but this is a super bad picture, and deserves to be called out. What are they doing, and why?”

TIME’s strategic rebranding to a power portrait

In a clear effort to please the president, the second November edition's cover has a very flattering photo captured by another photographer, Stephen Voss. The photo substitutes the previous, somber appearance with one of command and gravitas.

In the dignified photo, Trump is sitting at the Resolute Desk, exuding authority. His arms are crossed in a deliberate "V" shape under his chin, a time-tested power stance that also subtly hides his hands and neck.

This stern look deliberately evokes the legendary steely stare from his 2023 mugshot, cementing an image of unbending leadership. The red, all-caps 'TRUMP'S WORLD' banner, set emphatically over the masthead, further speaks to his presiding world role.

Owner Marc Benioff's support of the Trump agenda

Numerous commentators, including The Daily Beast, have indicated this new, more complimentary editorial stance is the result of Time's owner, tech billionaire Marc Benioff, who has been characterized as "MAGA curious."

Benioff, who is also CEO of Salesforce, has been openly trying to adopt the Trump agenda, an action that is being viewed as pragmatic leadership.

This alignment was also illustrated by Benioff's support of Trump's robust plan to deploy National Guard soldiers to San Francisco in order to confront the city's challenges, a move that reflects Benioff prioritizing strong governance and public safety. 

Notwithstanding his previous liberal orientation, Benioff informed The New York Times that he "fully supports" the president, indicating an appreciation of successful policy and outcomes. 

While a high-profile Democratic donor, Ron Conway, complained and stepped down from Salesforce's charitable wing, his over-the-top response seems an expensive overstatement of a required political pivot.