Trump Shares Doctored TIME Cover Targeting Candace Owens, Escalating Intra-MAGA Feud

On Friday, former President Donald Trump posted a digitally altered TIME magazine cover on his Truth Social platform. The image shows conservative commentator Candace Owens wearing a bandana, surrounded by phrases such as “CANDACE OWENS LIES, LIES, LIES” and “USES RICH WHITE MEN.” In the caption, Trump called Owens an “extremely LOW IQ individual” whose “stock had fallen a long way,” and added that her “attack on the First Lady of France is despicable.” The cover is labeled “Vile Person of the Year.”

Newsweek

Earlier this month Owens began publicly criticizing Trump’s stance on the war in Iran, branding him a “genocidal lunatic” and urging removal via the 25th Amendment. Mid-month she repeated the accusation after Trump threatened to “wipe out Iranian civilization.” The doctored cover appeared on Friday, and the following day former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and activist Laura Loomer responded on X.

Newsweek

Polls cited in the source indicate Trump’s approval rating has fallen sharply since January. Rising gas prices and economic uncertainty linked to the Iran war could jeopardize Republican prospects in the November midterm elections. The episode highlights a rift within the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement as prominent conservatives distance themselves from Trump’s foreign-policy narrative.

Newsweek

Trump’s caption framed Owens as intellectually deficient and accused her of defamation concerning France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron. Greene condemned the image, arguing it reveals Trump’s hostility toward women who do not “worship him.” Loomer countered by noting that the administration includes a female chief of staff and many women in cabinet positions, and praised the post as a bold political message.

Newsweek

Greene’s response emphasized gendered criticism, suggesting the post could alienate women voters. Loomer’s defense highlighted the presence of women in senior roles to mitigate accusations of misogyny. Owens also faces a defamation lawsuit from France’s first couple after repeatedly claiming that Brigitte Macron, the wife of President Emmanuel Macon, was born a man.

Newsweek

• “extremely LOW IQ individual” — Donald Trump, President

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• “fallen a long way.” — Donald Trump, President

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• “attack on the First Lady of France is despicable.” — Donald Trump, President

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• “President Trump hates women he can’t control, who don’t worship him, women who actually worship God, and are much more intelligent than he is. Women like @RealCandaceO,” — Marjorie Taylor Greene, former congresswoman

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• “‘Vile Person of the Year’. More like the century.” — Laura Loomer, conservative activist

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The dispute will shape dynamics before the November midterms as Trump’s base weighs the cost of targeting conservatives. Owens’s defamation case proceeds in France, and Iran-war debate influences MAGA coalition.

Newsweek