In his discussion of Ron DeSantis on the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People in 2022, Jeb Bush did admit, “the Beltway crowd may not like his style” but added his record speaks for itself. It should come as no surprise that many Twitter users were not happy about DeSantis making the prestigious list — which also includes so-called innovators like Zendaya and titans like Oprah Winfrey and Kris Jenner, as well as leaders (DeSantis falls in this category) such as Ketanji Brown Jackson.
For including the controversial figure on its list, one Twitter user said, “You were once a respected publication @TIME. Not anymore.” Someone else put it more starkly, tweeting that Time supports racists, homophobic people and fascists. But Governor DeSantis had his supporters on Twitter as well, with some people celebrating his spot on the list.
It’s worth noting that according to editor-in-chief and CEO of Time, Edward Felsenthal, selection for the list is not about picking favorites. “When our team gets together to choose the TIME100, we have one barometer: influence,” he explained, which may help critics understand why Vladimir Putin also made the cut (via The Hill).
