Donald Trump has once again been named Time magazine’s coveted “Person of the Year,” securing the annual award for the second time in less than a decade.

The president-elect, who had already won the title in 2016, defeated Vice President Kamala Harris; Catherine, Princess of Wales; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum; billionaire Elon Musk and podcast sensation Joe Rogan.

The title – historically given to figures who have dramatically shaped global events, from world leaders to cultural revolutionaries – serves as a barometric reading of contemporary significance. Every U.S. president since Franklin D. Roosevelt — with the exception of Gerald Ford — has worn the crown at least once, making the Times’ annual election something of a presidential rite of passage.

The title, now won twice, also underscores Trump’s continued appeal to the global narrative, despite – or perhaps because of – his turbulent political trajectory, which culminated in a decisive victory in the presidential election in November.

Trump told Time in an interview alongside his nomination that one of his first acts as president would be to pardon most of the rioters accused or convicted of storming the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of Biden’s victory.

“It will start in the first hour,” he says. “Maybe the first nine minutes.”

The president-elect also told the magazine his thoughts on ending the war in Ukraine.

“The Middle East is an easier problem to deal with than what is happening with Russia and Ukraine. The number of dead young soldiers lying everywhere in the fields is shocking. It’s crazy what’s happening,” he said, before taking aim at Kiev for firing US-made missiles into Russian territory last month: “I vehemently oppose sending missiles hundreds of kilometers into Russia. “Why are we doing this? We are only escalating this war and making it worse.”

Trump further said he would use U.S. support for Ukraine as leverage against Russia to end the war.

“I want to reach an agreement,” he said, “and the only way to reach an agreement is not to give up.”

On the subject of inflation, Trump told Time that he would work to specifically reduce food prices.

“It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up,” he said. “You know, it’s very hard.”

Aside from the most recent award, Trump has appeared on the cover of Time three times this year.

While he first appeared on the cover in 1989, Trump’s relationship with the magazine has long been volatile. After dismissing the 100 Most Influential People list as a “joke and a stunt,” he also longed for its validation.

In 2015, when then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel won the nod, Trump wrote on Twitter: “I told you @TIME Magazine would never choose me as Person of the Year, even though I’m the heavy favorite. You have chosen the person who…“ruined Germany.”

When he was announced as the title winner the following year, Trump told NBC News, “It’s a tremendous honor to be on the cover of Time as Person of the Year.”

His recognition in 2024 comes at a similar political moment. Trump joins the list of 14 US presidents honored by the magazine.