Donald Trump Gets A Mention In ‘Time’ Person Of Year Story — As Accused Sexual Abuser
It turns out Donald Trump got a mention in the Time Person of the Year feature after all — though not in the way he likely expected.
In the week leading up to the magazine’s annual feature on the most influential person (or group) of the year, Trump stirred up some controversy when he tweeted that Time had contacted him and told him he would probably be named to the honor for the second consecutive year. Trump boasted that he turned the publication down, which prompted a response from Time and some viral controversy.
As the Telegraph noted, Time magazine shot Trump down, saying his statement was not true.
“The President is incorrect about how we choose Person of the Year. TIME does not comment on our choice until publication, which is December 6,” the magazine tweeted.
But when Time‘s Person of the Year was announced on Wednesday, Trump ended up getting a mention after all. The magazine selected “The Silence Breakers,” the group of people who came forward to bring to light allegations of sexual abuse against people in power. The group included women like Taylor Swift and Rose McGowan, and even male actor Terry Crews.
Some of Donald Trump’s 16 sexual misconduct accusers were also featured, and the magazine noted that the viral allegations against Trump were one impetus for the movement. In particular, it highlighted the Access Hollywood tape released near the end of the 2016 campaign in which Trump appeared to brag about sexually assaulting women.
“That Donald Trump could express himself that way and still be elected President is part of what stoked the rage that fueled the Women’s March the day after his Inauguration. It’s why women seized on that crude word as the emblem of the protest that dwarfed Trump’s Inauguration crowd size. ‘All social movements have highly visible precipitating factors,’ says Aldon Morris, a professor of sociology at Northwestern University. ‘In this case, you had Harvey Weinstein, and before that you had Trump.’ “
The attention the movement has created is leading to renewed interest in Donald Trump’s sexual abuse accusers, with many calling for a thorough investigation of their claims. This comes as other lawmakers are facing scrutiny, with new calls for Democratic Senator Al Franken to resign amid growing allegations of sexual impropriety. Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore has also resisted calls for him to drop out of the race after a group of different women came forward to say that he pursued relationships and acted in a sexually inappropriate manner when they were teenagers and he was in his early 30s.
It’s time to investigate the sexual assault charges against Donald Trump#TrumpSexProbe #AMJoy #MeToo https://t.co/Dt7ItlgK7I
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) December 6, 2017
Though he was very vocal about his refusal of being named Time’s Person of the Year, Donald Trump has yet to comment on his back-handed inclusion in this year’s feature.
