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This is a glowing feature in a publication that the president has consistently praised – with one exception. The magazine's cover photo, Trump declared, "may be the Worst of All Time".

Time magazine's tribute to Donald Trump's part in brokering a Gaza ceasefire, leading its 10 November issue, was paired with a photo of Trump shot from a low angle and with the sun behind his head.

The effect, he says, is ""terrible".

"The publication wrote a quite favorable story about me, but the image may be the lowest quality in history", he shared on his preferred network.

“My hair was ‘disappeared’, and then there was an object above my head that looked like a hovering crown, but quite miniature. Really weird! I have consistently disliked being photographed from below, but this is a awful image, and it deserves to be called out. What is their goal, and why?”

Trump has made no secret of his desire to feature on Time magazine's front page and did so multiple times in the past year. The obsession has extended to Trump’s golf clubs – years ago, the editors demanded to remove mocked up covers on display at some of his properties.

The latest edition’s photo was shot by Graeme Sloane for a news agency at the White House on 5 October.

The perspective was unflattering to Trump’s chin and neck – an opening that the governor of California Newsom seized, with his press office sharing an altered image with the offending area obscured.

{The Israeli captives detained in Gaza have been liberated under the first phase of Trump's ceasefire agreement, in exchange for a freeing of Palestinian inmates. The arrangement might turn into a defining accomplishment of the president's renewed tenure, and it may represent a pivotal moment for the Middle East.

At the same time, a defense of the president’s appearance has come from unusual quarters: the communications chief at Russia’s ministry of foreign affairs came forward to denounce the "revealing" picture decision.

It's amazing: a photo says more about those who chose it than about the person in it. Only sick people, people driven by hatred and hatred –maybe even degenerates – could have selected such an image", the official posted on her social channel.

"And given the complimentary photos of Biden that that magazine featured on the front, despite his physical infirmity, the case is self-damaging for the publication", she said.

The answer to Trump’s questions – why did they choose this, and why? – might involve creatively capturing a sense of power says Carly Earl, a media professional.

"The actual photo itself is professionally taken," she explains. "They selected this photo because they wanted the president to look commanding. Looking up at a person gives a sense of their grandeur and his expression actually looks thoughtful and almost somewhat divine. It’s not often you see pictures of him in such a serene moment – the image has a softness to it."

His hair seems to vanish because the rear illumination has washed out that area of the image, producing a glowing aura, she explains. Even though the story’s headline marries well with Trump’s expression in the image, "it's impossible to satisfy the subject matter."

Nobody enjoys being photographed from below, and although all of the conceptual elements of the image are highly effective, the visual appeal are not complimentary."

The publication reached out to Time magazine for feedback.