Trump Really, Really Wants to Be ‘TIME’ Person of the Year

Donald Trump has finally weighed in on who he thinks deserves to be named TIME‘s 2018 Person of the Year: Donald Trump.

This week, the magazine launched its annual poll to give readers a chance to vote on who should take home the title before TIME editors announce their official pick next month. The choices include everyone from the Thai Cave Divers to Christine Blasey Ford to BTS, which is apparently a band or something. But during a chat with the press on the White House lawn on Tuesday, Donald Trump said he couldn’t “imagine” anyone deserving the honor more than he does.

TRUMP closes by saying this about Time Person of the Year: "I can't imagine anybody else other than Trump. Can you imagine anybody else other than Trump? Have a good time, everybody. Thank you." pic.twitter.com/M8XVyZO4LI

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 20, 2018

“It’s up to TIME Magazine,” Trump said after a reporter asked him who he thinks the Person of the Year should be. “I can’t imagine anybody else other than Trump. Can you imagine anybody else other than Trump?”

For what it’s worth, Trump doesn’t seem to be blessed with a particularly deep or rich imagination, so maybe he means exactly what he says here—as in he literally just can’t think of any other candidates. You could also generously read that quote as a joke, but this is coming from the same guy who apparently thinks his presidency thus far has been “A-plus,” so, you know, he’s probably not kidding.

TIME already named Trump Person of the Year back in 2016, for “reminding America that demagoguery feeds on despair and that truth is only as powerful as the trust in those who speak it, for empowering a hidden electorate by mainstreaming its furies and live-streaming its fears, and for framing tomorrow’s political culture by demolishing yesterday’s,” the magazine’s then-head Nancy Gibbs wrote. And seeing as how Trump’s on-going shitshow is still driving those same points home, two years later, maybe he really does deserve it, as depressing as that is.

Thankfully, there’s a silver lining to all of this: The fact that TIME is about to crown a Person of the Year means we’re mercifully close to the end of 2018. Just give the damn award to Gritty already and let’s put a pin in this year before we stumble into whatever fresh hell 2019 has in store.

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