WASHINGTON: Time Magazine named US President-elect Donald Trump its person of the year on Wednesday, citing the upheaval in American politics brought about by the New York businessman鈥檚 election campaign and victory.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to measure the scale of his disruption,鈥� Time said in its announcement, noting Trump鈥檚 career as real estate magnate and reality television star before he won the presidency on Nov. 8.
The Republican president-elect, who will be sworn in on Jan. 20, ran an unconventional and controversial campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton. Time noted that views of him were deeply divided.
鈥淔or those who believe this is all for the better, Trump鈥檚 victory represents a long-overdue rebuke to an entrenched and arrogant governing class,鈥� the magazine said.
鈥淔or those who see it as for the worse, the destruction extends to cherished norms of civility and discourse, a politics poisoned by vile streams of racism, sexism, nativism.鈥�
The magazine said its short list for person of the year included Clinton, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and singer Beyonce.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great honor, it means a lot,鈥� Trump told NBC鈥檚 鈥淭oday鈥� show in an interview shortly after the announcement.
But he rejected Time鈥檚 characterization of the country as fractured. The magazine鈥檚 cover called him the 鈥減resident of the divided states of America.鈥�
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 divide them, they鈥檙e divided now,鈥� he told NBC. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to put it back together.鈥� He added: 鈥淚 think putting 鈥榙ivided鈥� is snarky.鈥�
Time makes its annual choice based on the impact a person has on world events, for better or for worse. Last year the magazine chose German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Previous winners have ranged from Mahatma Gandhi to Adolf Hitler.