The latest Time magazine cover features a depiction of billionaire Elon Musk sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, as if he were the President of the United States.
The image accompanies a cover story titled "Inside Elon Musk's War on Washington," detailing Musk's unique and controversial role in President Donald Trump's administration as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The new cover of TIME. pic.twitter.com/EK1BNyleRE
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 7, 2025
Musk, a major Republican donor who has referred to himself as the President's "First Buddy," has been leading an aggressive push for government spending cuts, federal workforce reductions and sweeping bureaucratic reforms—efforts that have drawn backlash from Democrats, career government officials and the public. His targeting of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which he called "full of radical-left Marxists," and access to closely-guarded internal systems, including within the U.S. Department of Treasury, have been particularly controversial.
The Time cover, which visually suggests Musk's immense influence over the administration, has drawn comparisons to a 2017 cover featuring Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, who was once considered the "second most powerful man in the world." That issue reportedly angered Trump, contributing to Bannon's downfall in the White House.
Trump is particularly sensitive to perceived slights from Time Magazine. He publicly berated 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg when she received Time Person of the Year over him in 2019. Trump even arranged his own portrait to be edited into a fake Time magazine cover, which was hung in at least five of his properties, according to the Washington Post.
Now, some political analysts speculate that this latest "President Musk" portrayal could provoke Trump, who has a history of responding negatively to those who question his leadership. Being cast a power player in Trump's White House can be a precarious position—placing mounting pressure on Musk to tread carefully.
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