TIME names Donald Trump 2016 “Person of the Year”

United States president-elect Donald Trump has been named Person of the Year by TIME magazine, calling him “President of the Divided States of America.”

The business tycoon-turned-politician defied the polls to win the US 2016 presidential election and is seen by many as a divisive standard bearer for right-wing anti-establishment movements across the globe.

“It’s hard to measure the scale of his disruption,” a statement released on TIME magazine’s website reads, describing its choice as “for better or worse.”

“I don’t think that we have ever seen one person, operating in such an unconventional way, have an impact on the events of the year,” said TIME editor Nancy Gibbs.

TIME editor Nancy Gibbs tells NBC News that his selection was “one of the more straight forward” choices that the magazine has made.

“It comes after the political novice scored a surprise victory in the November 8 elections.

“When have we ever seen a single individual who has so defied expectations, broken the rules, violated norms, beaten not one but two political parties on the way to winning an election that he entered with 100-to-1 odds against him?” she asked.

“I don’t think that we have ever seen one person operating in such an unconventional way have an impact on the events of the year quite like this.”

Trump beat runner-up Hillary Clinton for the distinction, which Gibbs said is given to the newsmaker who has the biggest influence on world events, for better or worse.

Placing third was “the hackers,” to cover people who breached the records of major government organizations, politicians, celebrities and everyday citizens.

The short list also included President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, scientists who developed new DNA-related technology and Beyonce.

The announcement was revealed on NBC’s “Today” show. Speaking on the show via phone, Trump called the title a “very, very great honor.”

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