Trump Claims He Didn't Know TIME Magazine Is 'Still in Business' Despite Being Named 'Person of the Year' in 2024

President Donald Trump, who has appeared on TIME Magazine's cover 43 times, dismissed the publication when asked about its latest issue featuring Elon Musk sitting at his Oval Office desk.

"Mr. President, do you have a reaction to the new TIME Magazine cover that has Elon Musk sitting behind your resolute desk?" a reporter asked.

"No... Is TIME magazine still in business? I didn't even know that," Trump responded.

The remark comes despite Trump being named TIME's 2024 Person of the Year.

The February TIME cover spotlights Musk as a force to be reckoned with in Washington politics. The feature, "Inside Elon Musk's War on Washington," details his growing influence in the Trump administration and his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

"No single private citizen... has wielded such power over the machinery of the U.S. government," the TIME article reads. The multibillionaire "has been deputized to dismantle vast swaths of the federal bureaucracy—slashing budgets, gutting the civil service, and stripping independent agencies of the ability to impede the President's objectives."

Trump's dismissal of TIME Magazine could hint at a power struggle between the two. Reports have surfaced suggesting Trump privately grumbles about Musk's "clingy" behavior.

"Trump does complain a bit to people about how Musk is around a lot. He's really parked himself in Trump's face," according to New York Times White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman.

Musk poured nearly $300 million into Donald Trump's 2024 reelection bid, making him the campaign's biggest financial backer.

Despite his claim of ignorance about TIME's existence, Trump's history with the magazine is well-documented. He has previously shown a deep fascination with the publication and once falsely claimed he held the record for most cover appearances.