On Monday, Time magazine revealed its “Person of the Year” shortlist, which included both President Donald Trump and the man leading an investigation into his alleged ties to Russia, Robert Mueller.
Time made the decision to include Trump despite the president tweeting that he wanted to pass on the opportunity:
Time Magazine called to say that I was PROBABLY going to be named “Man (Person) of the Year,” like last year, but I would have to agree to an interview and a major photo shoot. I said probably is no good and took a pass. Thanks anyway!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2017
Time, which uses the “Person of the Year” title to acknowledge people who most influenced the news, included special counsel Mueller, who charged former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn on Friday with to lying to the FBI.
While Trump has refrained from attacking Mueller on Twitter, his tweets and other statements likely helped elevate his other competitors’ publicity and chances at winning “Person of the Year.”
In September, for example, Trump kicked off a series of public attacks against NFL players for kneeling during the national anthem. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say ‘Get that son of a b***h off the field … he’s fired!’” Trump said during a rally in Alabama.
Time included football player Colin Kaepernick, one of the first to kneel during a game, on its shortlist.
Both Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, no strangers to attacks from the president, made it on the list as well. While Trump has described Kim as “short,” “fat,” and “Rocket Man,” he’s repeatedly attacked Bezos’s Washington Post and online retailer Amazon.
Jong Un’s nomination comes amid widespread concern about his country’s nuclear program, and intense rhetoric between his regime and the U.S.. Although the U.S. imposed several rounds of sanctions to deter North Korea’s nuclear program, the regime continued its provocative missile launches and, according to U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, brought the two countries even closer to war.
Time said it considered The #MeToo movement, “Dreamers,” and Chinese President Xi Jinping for the honor as well.