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Time magazine's latest cover featured billionaire Elon Musk sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, a move likely aimed at stoking US President Donald Trump's ire. The otherwise simple red cover showed Musk, coffee in hand, sitting behind the presidential desk, sandwiched between American and presidential flags.
The provocative cover was accompanied by a lengthy article on Musk's "war on Washington" by upending the federal government that has left "millions of government workers [to] find themselves" at DOGE chief's mercy."
The publication seems to have hit its mark, with President Trump shrugging it off claiming he hadn't seen the latest issue. He mockingly asked if the Time was "still in business", just weeks after boasting about being named the magazine's 'Person of the Year' for 2024-- an honour he first received after winning the presidential election in 2016.
Addressing the media at the White House during a meeting with the Japanese prime minister, Trump was asked if he had seen the cover. Replying, he said he had not yet seen the cover and said, "No... Is Time Magazine still in business? I didn't even know that."
NEW: Reporter asks Trump about his reaction to the new TIME cover depicting Elon Musk as president, Trump replies by saying he didn't realize TIME was still in business.
Reporter: "Do you have a reaction to the TIME Magazine cover that has Elon Musk sitting behind your resolute… pic.twitter.com/GlcoGPqvKh
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 7, 2025
He went on to praise the South African-born billionaire saying, "Elon is doing a great job" by "finding tremendous fraud and corruption and waste," which has included the Tesla CEO and his DOGE lieutenants essentially taking control of America's 2.2-million-member federal workforce and begin a dramatic reshaping of government.
Trump has put Musk in charge of what both men call the Department of Government Efficiency. According to Trump,
"He's got a staff that's fantastic," Trump said about Musk's DOGE team and announced that the CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX will soon be made available for press briefings so he could talk about his efforts in massive government restructuring.
Though Trump pretended to be unaware that Time is "still in business", he was ecstatic about making the magazine's cover just a few months ago when he was named its "Person of the Year."
"Time Magazine, getting this honour for the second time, I think I like it better this time actually," he said in December.