The year is coming to a close, which means that TIME’s 2018 Person of the Year announcement is just around the corner. A tradition dating all the way back to 1927, every year TIME identifies the “Person of the Year”, a title given to the person or group of people who most influenced the news and the world — for better or for worse — during the past year. Last year, the Silence Breakers of the #MeToo movement landed the top spot. And while the winner won’t be announced until tomorrow morning, TIME has released the shortlist of 10 finalists– and oh, what a list it is. Here are some of the most notable from the TIME editors’ shortlist.
First up, President Donald Trump. As TIME’s 2016 Person of the Year, it’s really no surprise that he has made the shortlist. As mentioned earlier, Person of the Year goes to someone who has had the most global influence– good or bad. But I think I speak for many people when I say that Trump receiving Person of the Year one time is enough.
Reminder: The consequences of family separation will far out-last this administration.
Watch one family's reunion after months of separation. #FamiliesBelongTogether pic.twitter.com/ECahAhgOtG
— ACLU (@ACLU) August 24, 2018
Next up is the separated families. If there is one thing that Trump has had the most unfortunate influence on this year, it’s our immigration policies and border relations. More than 2,000 families were separated this year under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, with children being held in federal government facilities while their parents were sent to jail. And while this policy formally ended in June, its effects have been long-lasting, and many families still remain separated.
Also on the list is Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist who was critical of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. His suspected murder in Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul is believed to have been ordered by the Crown Prince, and his death caused international outrage and further criticism of the Saudi regime.
In keeping with the political theme of this year’s shortlist, also included are Special Counsel Robert Mueller and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, both of whom have had a significant effect on our current political climate for starkly opposite reasons: Putin for his undue influence on the 2016 election, and Mueller for working to uncover and reveal that influence in full.
Similar to last year’s #MeToo Silence Breakers, another group of activists has been included in this year’s finalists: the March For Our Lives activists. After the February school shooting in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students organized to create the #NeverAgain movement in the hopes of stricter gun control laws.
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford © Pool
Two potential persons of the year stand out for a glaring reason. Only four TIME People of the Year have been women in the history of the franchise, and none of those women have been American. So for this reason, Christine Blasey Ford and Meghan Markle are quite special on this list. Now, in my opinion, having Christine Blasey Ford as 2018’s Person of the Year would be incredible. She became a strong symbol for survivors of sexual assault when she testified about her allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Her courage was remarkable. And she represents everything I think we need more of in our current society: hope, bravery, honesty, and humanity. And while having any American woman grace the cover of TIME Magazine as Person of the Year for the first time would be phenomenal, I think we can all agree that pretty much anyone on this shortlist would be a deserving choice. Anyone, that is, except for Donald Trump.