Greta Thunberg, Megan Rapinoe, and Rudy Giuliani made Time magazine's Person of the Year shortlist for 2019, Business Insider - Business Insider Singapore
by Ashley Collman, Business Insider US- A soccer player, an environmental activist, and multiple political figures have made the shortlist for Time magazine’s 2019 Person of the Year.
- Multiple figures are caught up in President Donald Trump’s impeachment, from his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, to the whistleblower who sparked the investigation.
- Trump himself made the shortlist for the fifth year in a row.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
President Donald Trump’s impeachment is a key issue uniting multiple contenders for Time’s 2019 Person of the Year.
The shortlist was released Monday on the “Today” show, and making the list are President Trump himself, his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the whistleblower whose report sparked the investigation into the administration’s dealings with the Ukraine.
Like many years, politics was a leading force in choosing contenders for the shortlist. Chinese leader Xi Jinping, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg, and the Hong Kong protesters round out most of the rest of the list.
Soccer player Megan Rapinoe, who helped lead the US women’s national soccer team to their second straight World Cup victory, was likely taken into consideration for her outspoken activism for pay equity in sports and beyond.
Jamal Khashoggi and other murdered or oppressed journalists were named the 2018 Person of the Year.
The 2019 Person of the Year will be announced Wednesday on the “Today” show. Continue to read the full shortlist.
1. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
The California representative was elected as House Speaker after the Democrats won back the House in the 2018 midterm elections.
She authorized the impeachment inquiry into Trump in September.
2. President Donald Trump
President Trump’s administration faced highs and lows in 2019, from the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, to the start of impeachment hearings scrutinizing his dealings with the Ukraine.
3. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
The social network that Zuckerberg founded and continues to run has faced harsh criticism in the past year for its handling of user data and privacy.
4. China leader Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping made the list in the middle of a tense US-China trade war, and as China is trying to stifle anti-government protests in Hong Kong and criticism over his government’s coordinated mass crackdown on the Uighur Muslim minority.
5. The whistleblower who sparked the impeachment investigation into Trump
The anonymous CIA officer wrote a report alleging Trump withheld aid to Ukraine to get the country to investigate the son of his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. That allegation sparked the House’s impeachment inquiry.
6. US women’s national soccer team player Megan Rapinoe
Rapinoe helped lead the US women’s national soccer team to win their second World Cup in a row.
She also garnered attention for saying she would not visit the White House if they won the championship, joined her teammates in demanding equal pay to the US men’s national team players, and has been a champion for LGBTQ rights.
7. Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer
Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, has been working as Trump’s personal lawyer.
The impeachment hearings have revealed what a key player he was in Trump’s alleged quid pro quo with Ukraine.
8. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Ardern was praised for the way she responded to her country’s darkest hour – March’s attacks in Christchurch.
Dozens were killed when terrorists targeted mosques and Islamic centers in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Many found it refreshing when she showed emotion and cried in public, as well as her choice to wear a hijab to visit with members of the impacted Muslim community.
9. Teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg
Swedish teen Greta Thunberg, 16, brought new attention to climate change with her school strikes that grew to more than a million students across the world.
This year, she sailed across the Atlantic to deliver remarks at the United Nations climate change conference – where she chastised world leaders for not doing enough to curb emissions and tackle the issue.
10. The Hong Kong protesters
Protests erupted in Hong Kong this summer, when a new bill was introduced that would have allowed prisoners to be extradited to mainland China.
Residents took to the streets to express their outrage at what they perceived to be a concerted effort for China to exert more control over the island.