CNN Morning Crew Takes on Trump’s TIME Person of the Year Win: ‘Gunning for’ Disgraced Ex-President’s Record
CNN’s morning show crew took on Trump’s affinity for old-style media after he was honored by Time Magazine, noting that he’s chasing the “legacy” of a disgraced former president who holds the publication’s record for most covers.
This week, Trump was named Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” for the second time — an achievement that was accompanied by a lengthy bombshell interview that included scores of newsworthy and otherwise provocative declarations and comments. But he’s still well short of the record for the most Time covers — currently held by the late former President Richard Nixon, who appeared on 55.
On Thursday’s edition of CNN This Morning, Kasie Hunt and her panel talked about Trump’s fascination with Time and other dinosaur media, as Alex Thompson and Kate Bedingfield made note of the Nixon record:
KASIE HUNT: All right, let’s turn to this.
It’s almost the end of 2024, which means a nearly century old tradition about to be announced.
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JIMMY KIMMEL: Time has unveiled their short list of nominees for Person of the Year. The list includes Joe Rogan, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Benjamin Netanyahu, Kate Middleton and Elon Musk.
Can you imagine if Elon Musk gets Person of the Year over Donald Trump? That’ll be the end of that relationship.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Well, no need to worry, Elon. Time Magazine has chosen Donald Trump as Person of the Year, a distinction bestowed upon the individual or group deemed most influential this past year.
Trump held the title once before, back in 2016. He will celebrate today by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. This puts Trump in the ranks of past winners Winston Churchill, Taylor Swift, Joseph Stalin and nearly every U.S. president since FDR. Despite previously claiming the magazine lost credibility for not including him in past rankings, Trump had this reaction when he first earned the title in 2016.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP: Well, it’s a great honor. It means a lot, especially me growing up reading Time Magazine. And, you know, it’s a very important magazine. And I’ve been lucky enough to be on the cover many times this year. So – and last year. But I consider this a very, very great honor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: A very, very great honor. If you’ve ever been in Donald Trump’s office in Trump Tower, you know that there are framed Time Magazines on his wall. He – I mean, for someone – a creature of the ‘80s, it’s like the ultimate honor.
ALEX THOMPSON: Absolutely. And I think he’s really gunning for Richard Nixon’s long – long standing title of having the most Time covers. But – but, yes, he is like a – I think this is something that’s underappreciated. Even though we talk about all the podcasts and everything else. Trump fundamentally is still sort of a creature of the ‘80s. He still reads the print New York Times, the print New York Post, and Time Magazine.
KATE BEDINGFIELD: Perhaps gunning for Nixon’s legacy in other ways as well. We – we shall see, I suppose.
HUNT: I will say, the print New York Post is really the way to go. Like the New York Post would.
Mike, what do you make of this choice?
MIKE DUBKE: Look, I think – I think it’s a logical choice when you give everyone that – that was on that list. Just look at the – the ceremony in – in Notre Dame. He was treated as an incumbent president coming and sitting at that – at that ceremony. We’ve had multiple foreign dignitaries come to Mar-a-Lago to – to meet with Trump. This is, you know, it’s – he had a gap of four years, but this is the second term for Donald Trump.
HUNT: Yes.
DUBKE: He came back from the ashes in multiple ways. It makes a whole heck of a lot of sense.
Watch above via CNN This Morning.
