By Chris Sommerfeldt
New York Daily News
NEW YORK — After Turkey Day, Donald Trump felt like crowing.
The president boasted Friday afternoon that he had turned down an offer to be Time’s person of the year — but the weekly magazine disputed that claim.
“Time Magazine called to say that I was PROBABLY going to be named ‘Man (Person) of the Year,’ like last year,” Trump tweeted.
A few hours later, Time rebutted, “The President is incorrect about how we choose Person of the Year.”
“TIME does not comment on our choice until publication, which is December 6,” the magazine added.
The White House did not immediately return a request for comment from the New York Daily News.
Every year since 1927, Time has featured one person who has “for better or for worse” done “the most to influence the events” of that year.
The weekly magazine gave Trump that distinction last year and motivated it with a scathing feature piece that appeared to lean more toward “worse” than “better.”
But Trump didn’t mention that in his Friday tweet, instead hinting that interviews are a waste of time.
“I would have to agree to an interview and a major photo shoot,” his tweet continued. “I said probably is no good and took a pass. Thanks anyway!”
The president hasn’t been interviewed by a major news organization other than Fox News since this spring. He does, however, regularly lash out against what he calls the “fake news” media.
Trump’s Friday tweet quickly became a target of seething Twitter satire.
“Hollywood just called to say that I was PROBABLY going to be named the next James Bond 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!” English comedian David Schneider tweeted.
Richard Stengel, the under secretary of state for President Barack Obama, referenced a June expose that Trump has fraudulent Time covers of himself hanging at several of his golf clubs.
“Hate to tell you but that PROBABLY means you’re NOT Person of the Year,” Stengel tweeted. “But I’m sure you still have that fake TIME cover somewhere in storage.”
