Fresh off a Middle East tour celebrating what may be the most significant diplomatic moment of his presidency, Donald Trump is fuming — not over politics, but photography.
The U.S. President returned from Egypt and Israel only to take aim at TIME Magazine for a cover image he says made his hair “disappear” and left him looking like he had “a floating crown, but an extremely small one.”
While the story praised his role in brokering a Gaza ceasefire, Trump couldn’t get past the photo.
Trump Hit's Out At Time Magazine
“Really weird!” he wrote on Truth Social. “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 headline read “His Triumph”, with subheadings “The leader Israel needed” and “How Gaza heals.”
The feature credited Trump, advisor Jared Kushner, and envoy Steve Witkoff with spearheading the ceasefire deal that saw all living Hamas hostages released and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners exchanged.
According to TIME, the deal “could become a signature achievement of Trump's second term,” potentially marking a shift toward “a new era” in the Middle East — “defined less by conflict than by the possibility of transformation.”
But the accompanying image — shot from below, with the sun behind Trump’s head — is what lit up social media.
“Time Magazine wrote a relatively good story about me, but the picture may be the Worst of All Time,” Trump posted.
“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.”
Photographers Criticize Image: “Shooting Up Someone’s Nose? HUGE No No”
Professional photographers and Trump supporters quickly weighed in — and many weren’t impressed.
“As a pro photographer myself, if they used that photo of mine I would freak out. No one takes a picture of a world leader up the nostril. It’s deliberate, it’s awful, and it’s evil,” wrote Matt Sweetwood, per Metro.
Another, Pam D, posted on X: “As a photographer, I would be ashamed to put this out there as my work.
"Shooting up someone’s nose? HUGE no no. If they gave him options and he chose this, that’s different, but if they chose it? No.”
Peace Plan Progress: Ceasefire, Aid, and the “Board of Peace”
The TIME feature highlighted how Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza has already made waves, with Israeli forces pulling back from parts of the region, international aid flowing in, and political groundwork laid for long-term governance.
A new “Board of Peace,” led by Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, is reportedly being formed to oversee the next phase.
During his speech at the Knesset, Trump was met with applause and praise, while Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi told him, “only you” could bring peace to the region.
“We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us,” Trump said during his Sharm el-Sheikh address.
“Our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past.”