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It is a positive story in a magazine that Donald Trump has frequently admired – with one exception. The cover picture, he stated, ""could be the worst ever".

Time magazine's paean to Donald Trump's part in brokering a Gaza ceasefire, headlining its early November edition, was accompanied by a image of Trump shot from a low angle while the sun shining from the back.

The effect, Trump claims, is "super bad".

"Time wrote a quite favorable story about me, but the photo may be the most awful ever", Trump wrote on his social media platform.

“My hair was erased, and then there was an object above my head that seemed like a floating crown, but quite miniature. Truly strange! I have never liked being photographed from below, but this is a awful image, and it merits criticism. Why did they choose this, and why?”

The president has expressed no secret of his desire to be pictured on the cover of Time and did so multiple times in the past year. This fixation has made it as far as his golf courses – years ago, the magazine asked him to remove fake issues shown in a few of his establishments.

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

Its angle was unflattering to the president's jawline and throat – an opportunity that California governor Newsom seized, with the governor's office tweeting a version with the offending area pixelated.

{The living Israeli hostages held in Gaza have been freed under the opening part of Donald Trump's peace plan, together with a freeing of Palestinian inmates. This agreement might turn into a defining accomplishment of Trump's second term, and it may represent a strategic turning point for the region.

At the same time, a support for the president’s appearance has emerged from unusual quarters: the communications chief at the Russian foreign ministry came forward to denounce the "damaging" image choice.

It's remarkable: a photo says more about those who selected it than about the subject. Just unwell persons, people obsessed with malice and resentment –maybe even degenerates – could have chosen such a photo", Maria Zakharova posted on the messaging platform.

In light of the positive pictures of President Biden that the periodical used on the cover, despite his physical infirmity, the situation is self-revealing for the magazine", she added.

The explanation for his queries – why did they choose this, and why? – might involve creatively capturing a feeling of authority according to Carly Earl, a media professional.

The photograph technically is well-executed," she notes. "They selected this photo because they wanted trump to look impressive. Staring up at someone creates an impression of their importance and the president's visage actually looks thoughtful and almost slightly angelic. It's uncommon you see photos of Trump in such a peaceful state – the picture feels tender."

Trump’s hair seems to vanish because the light from behind has washed out that area of the image, creating a halo effect, she explains. Even though the article's title marries well with his facial expression in the image, "one cannot constantly gratify the individual in question."

Few people appreciate being shot from underneath, and although all of the conceptual elements of the image are highly effective, the appearance are not complimentary."

The Guardian reached out to the magazine for feedback.