Fact check: The viral post claiming Time Magazine called Trump ‘Man of the Ear’ is not authentic

A viral image shared on X purports to show a TIME Magazine cover referring to 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump as the “Man of the Ear” following a shooting that occurred at his July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

😂😆Man of the Ear pic.twitter.com/fldBW2Pn3s

— Dorrit Harazim (@dorritharazim) July 17, 2024

Verdict: False

The claim is false. A TIME Magazine spokesperson told Check Your Fact the image was not authentic via email.

Fact Check:

Trump recalled the shooting that occurred at his rally during his speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention, where he formally accepted the party’s presidential nomination, according to CBS News. Trump said he survived the shooting due to the “grace of almighty God,” the outlet reported.

The image, which has garnered over 100,000 views as of writing, purports to show a TIME Magazine cover referring to Trump as the “Man of the Ear” following a shooting that occurred at his July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The purported magazine cover features a photo of Trump wearing a bandage on his right ear.

The claim is false, however. The purported cover is neither referenced on TIME Magazine’s website nor its verified social media accounts. Likewise, Trump has not shared the purported magazine cover via his official website, his TRUTH Social account, or his verified social media accounts.

In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to suggest TIME Magazine published the purported cover. Actually, the opposite is true. On July 18, Boom Live reported the cover was not authentic. According to the outlet, a real TIME Magazine cover “will feature a thin white border separating the iconic red frame from the photograph.” The outlet also indicated that a fake TIME Magazine cover could easily be created using online editing tools such as Kapwing, a website where users can make their own TIME “Person of the Year” magazine covers. (RELATED: Did Trump Golf The Day After He Was Shot?)

Furthermore, a TIME Magazine spokesperson told Check Your Fact the image was not authentic via email.

“This image is not an authentic TIME cover,” the same spokesperson said.

Although the TIME Magazine cover circulating via the X post is fake, the magazine did publish a cover of Trump after the shooting at his campaign rally. The cover, which has been shared via TIME Magazine’s verified Instagram account, shows Trump being escorted off the stage following the shooting by members of the U.S. Secret Service.

Trump was struck in the ear when shots rang out at his July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, according to CNN. The shooting claimed the life of one attendee and injured two others, the outlet reported.