Walking the tightrope between truth and lies seems an impossible feat for US President Donald Trump.
He seems to have an unfortunate ability to court controversy in word and deed.
His latest gaff is over appearing on the cover of Time magazine.
The revered American publication has asked he remove framed front covers of the magazine featuring Trump’s photograph because they are fakes.
Dated March 1, 2009, the cover shows a portrait of a stern Trump with arms crossed looking menacingly at the camera.
As journalists do, a reporter at the Washington Post called Time and asked how many times Trump had graced the front cover as he claimed making the publication a record 14 or 15 times.
Front page was a mock-up
Not so, responded Time.
In fact, Trump did not make the cover at all in 2009 and no edition was published on March 1. However, on March 2, a magazine did hit the streets with actress Kate Winslet on the cover.
And the record number of times someone has made the cover is 55 – by disgraced President Richard Nixon.
The inquiry has prompted Time to politely request the Trump Organisation remove any fake front page mock-ups from display in hotel and golf club house public areas.
One magazine cover was hung at the same golf course overlooking the Potomac River where the Trump Organisation laid a plaque detailing how a bloody Civil War battle was fought on the spot.
No record
Historians have debunked this as fake as well, arguing no record shows the event ever took place.
Trump made his claim about Time covers in January when he spotted one of the magazine’s reporters at a press conference.
I have been on there cover, like, 14 or 15 times,” Trump said.
“I think we have the all-time record in the history of Time Magazine. Like, if Tom Brady is on the cover, it’s one time, because he won the Super Bowl or something, right? I’ve been on it for 15 times this year. I don’t think that’s a record, Mike, that can ever be broken. Do you agree with that? What do you think?”
Trump has declined to comment about the Time fakes, while his White House press aides decline to comment about the décor at his business premises.
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