Former CNN host Don Lemon blasted Time Magazine as a “joke” after revealing President-elect Donald Trump as their Person of the Year.
Lemon hosted a TikTok Live where he referenced the long-running publication for honoring Trump after winning the 2024 presidential election and overcoming both felony convictions and assassination attempts.
“For marshaling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a-generation political realignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering America’s role in the world, Donald Trump is Time’s 2024 Person of the Year,” the magazine wrote.
Lemon was furious at the decision, attacking the magazine for picking someone who he said doesn’t stand for democracy.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a reception at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) after being named TIME’s “Person of the Year” for the second time on December 12, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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“If they wanted to make someone Person of the Year, I don’t know, they could’ve done it with any person. They could have done it to someone who actually stood for democracy, who stands for democracy in the country,” Lemon said.
Although Time Magazine has chosen the winner of the presidential election as Person of the Year every election season since 2000, Lemon insisted that becoming president does not automatically make one qualified for the title.
“Time Magazine, what are you doing? Let me ask you, Time Magazine, what would you say to those women who I guess still read Time Magazine?” Lemon asked.
“You have someone on the cover of your magazine who is an adjudicated assaulter,” he continued. “You have someone who inspired an insurrection. We have someone who, without a doubt, the evidence is there, tried to overturn a free and fair election. You had someone who had multiple criminal accounts and was found guilty on multiple criminal counts. And you name them Person of The Year.”
Don Lemon took to TikTok to attack Time Magazine for picking Trump as Person of the Year. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“Is this a joke? Did we get something wrong? Did someone scam us? Are we sure about this, producers? There is a convicted felon on the cover of Time Magazine as the Person of the Year. Maybe we’re being scammed. Did someone put out a fake tweet or something about this? I don’t know,” Lemon finished.
Trump was also named Person of the Year after winning the presidential election in 2016. Time wrote that since his campaign, Trump has completely restructured the “course of politics.”
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“Since he began running for President in 2015, perhaps no single individual has played a larger role in changing the course of politics and history than Trump,” Time wrote. “Trump is once again at the center of the world, and in as strong a position as he has ever been.”
The other Time finalists this year included Harris, billionaire Elon Musk – who was named Person of the Year in 2021 – podcast giant Joe Rogan, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump was previously chosen as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2016. ((Photo by Angel Valentin for The Washington Post via Getty Images))
Last year’s Person of the Year was pop star Taylor Swift, who just concluded her record-breaking “Eras” concert tour.
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Fox News’ David Rutz contributed to this report.
