Trump becomes first president since Ronald Reagan to ring NYSE bell as he celebrates second Time Person of the Year win
DONALD Trump has become the first president since Ronald Reagan to ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he celebrated his second Time Person of the Year win.
He marked the honor in New York City after a historic year that saw him survive two assassination attempts and storm to victory in the US election, signaling his remarkable comeback.
Flanked by his wife, Melania, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, Trump looked ahead to his upcoming presidency as he addressed his big win.
"We're gonna give tremendous incentive like no other country has," he said, vowing that people will be able to "afford their groceries very soon."
While this is Trump's first time ringing the iconic bell, it's his second time winning Time's accolade.
“Time Magazine, getting this honor for the second time, I think I like it better this time, actually,” he said.
He first won the cover when he unexpectedly defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
Trump prevailed in this year's contest, beating Kamala Harris, Tesla mogul Elon Musk, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, for the honor.
Time editor Sam Jacobs described 2024 as an "extraordinary year" for the president-elect, and the publication called the tycoon's "rebirth" unparalleled.
In addition to Trump's 2016 Person of the Year award, Trump first appeared on the for a story about his business empire and Atlantic City casinos.
This year, Trump was named the publication's Person of the Year after a tumultuous campaign.
In May, he was convicted of falsifying business records before surviving two assassination attempts months later.
Trump's ear was grazed at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.
In September, he was whisked to safety as gunshots were heard while he was playing golf in Florida.
10 Days that Changed America
AN attempted assassination of a former US president, the standing down of a current president, and a political speech by a former wrestler. Senior News reporter Anthony Blair looks back on a crazy 10 days in American politics.
- Saturday, July 13 - Donald Trump is shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The Republican frontrunner is hit in the ear but stands up and pumps his fist to the crowd. Shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, is shot dead but the Secret Service is slammed for suspected security blunders. Ex-fire chief Corey Comperatore is killed protecting his family.
- Sunday, July 14 - President Joe Biden calls on Americans to unite and "cool down" political rhetoric in the wake of Trump's shooting. The Democrat had faced growing calls since his disastrous performance in June's CNN debate. Shocking video reveals how close Trump came to being killed after turning his head at the last minute.
- Monday, July 15 - The Republican National Convention kicks off in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Trump is formally nominated as the Republican candidate. An emotional-looking Trump makes his first appearance since surviving the shooting wearing a large ear bandage. It quickly becomes a must-have fashion item at the RNC. Ohio Senator JD Vance is named as Trump's running mate. Previously anti-Trump, Vance at just 39 is an inexperienced choice, but seen as having a connection with ordinary Americans. In an interview, Biden admits it was a "mistake" to talk about putting Trump in "the bullseye" days before the assassination attempt.
- Tuesday, July 16 - The FBI warns of more potential violence in the wake of Trump's shooting. Intelligence claims Iran had a separate plot to assassinate Trump, but there is no proven link to Crooks. Biden returns to the campaign trail for the first time since the assassination attempt and insists he isn't stepping down.
- Wednesday, July 17 - Joe Biden tests positive for Covid, just days after saying he would drop out of the presidential race if he was diagnosed with a medical condition. It intensifies the calls for him to step aside with Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom floated as potential replacements. At the RNC, JD Vance makes his first speech since being selected as Trump's VP pick, to the delight of the MAGA crowd.
- Thursday, July 18 - Donald Trump addresses the RNC, his first speech since surviving an attempted assassination. He appears slower and more subdued than usual but gives the longest convention acceptance speech in US history. Just before he goes on, former wrestler Hulk Hogan rips his shirt off and tells cheering crowds "Trumpomania" will sweep America. Former First Lady Melania, who has barely been seen on the campaign trail, makes an appearance but does not speak. Barack Obama joins calls for Biden to step aside.
- Friday, July 19 - President Biden appears to consider resigning, as a source says he is in a "contemplative stage" while isolating with Covid. Video emerges showing Biden appearing to lean into the wrong woman after mistaking her for his wife Jill. Meanwhile, the world's biggest tech outage sparks travel chaos for Republicans leaving the RNC in Milwaukee.
- Saturday, July 20 - Donald Trump holds his first campaign rally since the shooting in Butler. He appears in Michigan without his ear bandage. His former doctor Ronny Jackson describes his injuries. He appears in his first interview alongside his running mate Vance. Senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi speaks for the first time since being linked to growing calls for Biden to resign. Meanwhile, Biden's reelection campaign continues to insist he is running, as a spokesperson slams Trump's rally remarks as showing he is "focused only on himself."
- Sunday, July 21 - Joe Biden announces he isn't running in November in a shock letter, just hours after insisting he was staying in the race. He is the first incumbent to step down in their first term since 1968. Biden endorses Kamala Harris for president as senior Dems through their support behind the Vice President. The news appears to throw the Republicans off their stride. Biden vows to continue his term until November's election.
- Monday, July 22 - Kamala Harris raises a record $81 million in 24 hours as she secures the Democratic candidacy. She also inherits some $91 million in leftover campaign funds from Biden. Harris gives her first speech since Biden stepped out, and speaks to the president on the phone, although he doesn't appear in person. Under-pressure Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle appears on Capitol Hill and faces increasing calls to resign over the shooting of Trump. She admits the Secret Service "failed" on July 13 and resigns the following day.
Trump's popular vote victory was the first time in 20 years that a GOP presidential candidate had won the nationwide ballot.
The Person of the Year award goes to someone who has impacted the world – good or bad.
"For 97 years, the editors of TIME have been picking the Person of the Year: the individual who, for better or for worse, did the most to shape the world and the headlines over the past 12 months," Jacobs said.
"In many years, that choice is a difficult one. In 2024, it was not."
Trump and 13 other presidents have been named Person of the Year.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris received the prize in 2020, the same year that Trump was on the list of finalists.
We hit the nerve of the country. The country was angry.”
Donald Trump
Since the award began as Time's Man of the Year in 1927, only three presidents have missed out on the honor: Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and Gerald Ford.
And 2024 marked the seventh consecutive time the winner of the presidential election was named Person of the Year, dating back to George W. Bush in 2000.
RINGING THE BELL
Trump rang the opening bell at the NYSE on Thursday morning at 9:30 am - two hours after Person of the Year was announced.
He arrived at the exchange with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and shook Ben Carson's hand during his speech.
The president-elect was surrounded by his wife and daughters during the historic moment.
The magazine cover was projected on a wall at the stock exchange, surrounded by American flags.
Vance posted a picture of Trump preparing to do the honors on Thursday morning.
"President Trump will lead a great American comeback!" Vance wrote.
The display comes just weeks before Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president on January 20.
Trump sat down with Time before Thanksgiving, and the publication said he was more subdued than his usual bombastic self.
He had bruises on his right hand, but he attributed it to "shaking hands with thousands of people."
The president-elect reflected on his whirlwind year and campaign win with the outlet.
“I called it ‘72 Days of Fury,’” Trump said.
“We hit the nerve of the country. The country was angry.”
FIRST MOVES AS PRESIDENT
In a wide-ranging interview with the magazine, Trump delved into what he plans to do immediately after being sworn into the White House.
He said he will pardon most of the rioters accused or convicted over the January 6 Capitol insurrection.
“It’s going to start in the first hour,” he said of his first move as president.
“Maybe the first nine minutes.”
He also shared plans to tighten the US border and lower taxes for the American people.
This year’s Time shortlist also featured activists, politicians, and former winners.
Who was on the shortlist for Time Person of the Year?
DONALD Trump has been named the 2024 Time Person of the Year. There was a 10-person shortlist before it was whittled down to five candidates.
- Donald Trump
- Kamala Harris
- Jerome Powell
- Joe Rogan
- Claudia Sheinbaum
- Elon Musk
- Kate Middleton
- Yulia Navalnaya
- Benjamin Netanyahu
- Mark Zuckerberg
A total of 10 candidates were on the list when it was announced on Monday before it was whittled down to five.
Benjamin Netanyahu made the final five on the shortlist.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued Netanyahu with an arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity as the war in Gaza rages on.
Podcaster Joe Rogan was on the list but didn't make the cut for the final five.
Jerome Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, and the widow of Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, were among the list of finalists.
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