Trump mocks Time Magazine as cover puts Musk behind president's desk

Washington DC: The latest cover of Time magazine portrayed billionaire Elon Musk sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, a move that was likely intended to enrage US President Donald Trump.

The otherwise plain red cover depicted Musk, coffee in hand, sitting behind the presidential desk, sandwiched between the American and presidential flags. The provocative cover was accompanied by a lengthy piece on Musk's "war on Washington" by upending the federal government, which has led "millions of government workers [to] find themselves" at the mercy of the DOGE head.

The journal appears to have reached its target, with President Trump dismissing it, claiming he hadn't seen the most recent issue, NDTV reported.

He mockingly wondered if Time was "still in business" just weeks after boasting about being selected the magazine's 'Person of the Year' for 2024--an honour he first got after winning the presidential election in 2016.

When asked by reporters at the White House during a meeting with the Japanese prime minister if he had seen the cover. He replied that he hadn't yet seen the cover and said, "No... Is Time Magazine still in business? I didn't even know that."

He continued by praising the billionaire, who was born in South Africa, saying that "Elon is doing a great job" by "finding tremendous fraud and corruption and waste," which includes the CEO of Tesla and his DOGE lieutenants effectively seizing control of America's federal workforce, which consists of 2.2 million people, and starting a dramatic transformation of government.

Trump has appointed Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, as both men refer to it.

"He's got a staff that's fantastic," Trump said about Musk's DOGE team and declared that the founder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla will soon be accessible for press conferences to discuss his work on the significant government restructuring.

Even though Trump claimed not to know that Time is "still in business," he was thrilled to be featured on the magazine's cover and to have been named their "Person of the Year" award a few months prior.

"Time Magazine, getting this honour for the second time, I think I like it better this time actually," he said in December.