Trump Organization Asked to Take Down Fake TIME Covers Displayed in Several Golf Clubs Worldwide

Stephanie Petit
Updated

President Donald Trump is quick to try to discredit journalism he doesn’t like by calling it “fake news.” But now he’s been caught red-handed using literally fake news magazine covers to impress visitors to his golf clubs — and the real news media is demanding he stop.

Twitter users had a field day Tuesday after The Washington Post reported that at least four of Trump’s golfing properties — stretching from Florida to Scotland — had hung up a framed copy of TIME magazine with Trump on the cover that was not authentic.

The cover, dated March 1, 2009, was not published by the magazine, a spokesperson for TIME confirmed. In fact, no issue of TIME featured Trump on the cover in 2009.

Now, a TIME spokesperson confirms to PEOPLE (a Time Inc. sister publication) that it has asked the Trump Organization to remove the fake covers from the clubs.

The image shows Trump against a black background with the headline “Donald Trump: The ‘Apprentice’ is a television smash!” Another headline above the nameplate reads, “TRUMP IS HITTING ON ALL FRONTS . . . EVEN TV!”

The real issue from that week in March 2009 featured Kate Winslet on the cover following her Oscars success.

The fake cover even features a barcode that appears to be lifted from an online Photoshop tutorial that teaches users how to mock up their own cover.

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The cover was reportedly hanging in at least two of Trump’s golf clubs in the United States. Copies were also displayed at Trump’s resort in Ireland and the Trump’s Turnberry club in Scotland, but both were recently removed. Trump has previously touted his appearances on the cover of the magazine.

“I think I was on the cover of TIME magazine twice in my life and like six times in the last number of months,” Trump said during a July 2016 press conference, according to the Post. “So you tell me which is more important, real estate or politics, okay? I have six for politics and I have two for real estate or whatever they put me on for.”

Before launching his presidential bid in 2015, Trump had only been on the cover once before, in 1989, according to TIME.