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This is a positive feature in a publication that Trump has long exalted – except for one issue. The cover picture, he stated, "may be the Worst of All Time".

Time's paean to Trump's role in mediating a ceasefire in Gaza, leading its 10 November issue, was paired with a photo of Trump taken from below while the sun behind his head.

The effect, the president asserts, is ""terrible".

"Time Magazine wrote a fairly positive story about me, but the photo may be the lowest quality in history", he shared on his social media platform.

“My hair was erased, and then there was a shape over my head that appeared as a suspended diadem, but extremely small. Truly strange! I have consistently disliked being captured from low angles, but this is a extremely poor image, and it deserves to be called out. What is their goal, and why?”

Trump has made no secret of his desire to feature on the cover of Time and achieved this on four occasions in the previous year. The obsession has reached Trump’s golf clubs – previously, the publication requested to remove mocked up covers on display at several of his venues.

The most recent cover image was shot by Graeme Sloane for Bloomberg at the White House on October 5.

The perspective did no favours for his chin and neck area – an opening that the governor of California Newsom did not miss, with the governor's office posting a modified photo with the offending area blurred.

{The living Israeli hostages held in Gaza have been liberated under the opening part of the president's diplomatic initiative, alongside a Palestinian prisoner release. This agreement might turn into a major success of his next term, and it may represent a strategic turning point for that part of the world.

Meanwhile, a support for Trump's image has come from a surprising origin: the director of information at Russia’s ministry of foreign affairs came forward to denounce the "self-incriminating" photo selection.

"It’s astonishing: a image exposes those who chose it than about the individual pictured. Just unwell persons, people driven by hatred and resentment –maybe even degenerates – could have selected such an image", Maria Zakharova posted on the messaging platform.

In light of the positive pictures of Biden that that magazine used on the cover, despite his physical infirmity, the case is self-damaging for the publication", she noted.

The answer to the president's inquiries – why did they choose this, and why? – might involve artistically representing a sense of power says Carly Earl, an Australian publication's photo editor.

The image itself is well-executed," she notes. "They picked this image because they wanted Trump to look commanding. Gazing upward creates an impression of their majesty and Trump’s face actually looks reflective and almost somewhat divine. It's uncommon you see photos of Trump in such a serene moment – the photo appears gentle."

His hair seems to vanish because the sunlight behind him has washed out that area of the image, creating a halo effect, she adds. And, while the feature's heading pairs nicely with his facial expression in the image, "you can’t always please the person photographed."

Few people appreciate being shot from underneath, and even if all of the conceptual elements of the image are highly effective, the visual appeal are not flattering."

The Guardian reached out to the periodical for comment.