The accolades keep coming for President Claudia Sheinbaum: The Financial Times last week included her on its “25 most influential women of 2024” list, while Time magazine announced Monday that she is among 10 finalists in the running for its 2024 “Person of the Year” designation.
Sheinbaum, who was sworn in as Mexico’s first female president 10 weeks ago, responded to Time’s announcement at her Tuesday morning press conference.
Since 1927, TIME has named a person, group, or concept that had the biggest impact—for good or ill—on the world. See the shortlist for TIME’s Person of the Year 2024: https://t.co/SzNi7g5aJn
— TIME (@TIME) December 9, 2024
She also elaborated on her desire to not engage in a public slanging match with Donald Trump, and revealed that she and her husband have moved into the National Palace.
Inclusion on Time’s shortlist is not ‘a personal recognition,’ says Sheinbaum
A reporter asked Sheinbaum about Time’s announcement that she is on the shortlist for the magazine’s 2024 “Person of the Year” designation. He also noted that former president Enrique Peña Nieto once appeared on the cover of Time — in 2014 with the headline “Saving Mexico” superimposed on his image.
“One thing is one thing and another thing is another thing,” Sheinbaum said in response to the reporter’s mention of Peña Nieto’s appearance on the cover of Time.
With regard to her inclusion on Time’s “2024 Person of the Year” shortlist, the president declared that it wasn’t “a personal recognition,” but rather an acknowledgment of the work the government is doing as a team.
That work, she added, “provides continuity to a model of development and a vision of how to govern.”
Sheinbaum was referring to the governance of her political mentor and predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who made the provision of support for Mexico’s most disadvantaged citizens and the responsible administration of public resources central objectives of his administration.
“We govern with closeness [to the people], with honesty … and provide results, first and foremost, for those who have the least,” the president told reporters.
“That is the vision of the fourth transformation,” Sheinbaum said, using the nickname for the political project that was initiated by López Obrador and of which she claims to be building the “second story.”
Time, which will announce its “Person of the Year” this Thursday, noted in an article announcing the 10 finalists that Sheinbaum “made history when she was sworn in as Mexico’s first-ever female President.”
“Sheinbaum, a lifelong leftist, is also the first Jewish leader in the country’s more than 200 years of independence,” the magazine added.
“Sheinbaum focused her campaign on fighting for the poor, and has taken office at a time when Mexico faces issues ranging from a struggling economy to rising organized violence,” Time said.
The other nine contenders for Time’s 2024 “Person of the Year” are Kamala Harris, Kate Middleton, Elon Musk, Yulia Navalnaya, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jerome Powell, Joe Rogan, Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg.
Sheinbaum says she won’t engage in tit-for-tat public dialogue with Trump
Asked on Monday about Trump’s suggestion that Mexico should become a state of the United States due to the trade imbalance between the two countries, Sheinbaum expressed her desire to cease “dialogue” with the former and future U.S. president “through the media.”
On Tuesday, she explained that what she meant was that her government won’t respond to every “declaration” made by Trump with a public statement of its own.
Trump is well known for making provocative and inflammatory remarks, especially on social media. In a post to Truth Social early Tuesday, he taunted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by referring to him as the “governor” of the “great state of Canada,” a reference to his suggestion that Canada could become a state of the U.S. as well.
Sheinbaum said Tuesday that her government will “always” defend Mexico as a “free, sovereign and independent country” in the face of insults, accusations and attacks, but emphasized that “everyone has a different way of communicating.”
“This question of entering into permanent dialogue … [by responding to] every statement that is made [by Trump], I don’t think that helps us in the bilateral relationship, right?” she said.
Home sweet palace!
“I’ve already moved. Now I’ve given you another story. A few days ago my husband and I moved here,” Sheinbaum told reporters at the tail end of her press conference in the Treasury Hall of the National Palace.
“We’re going to spend Christmas and the New Year here, and I hope to spend it with family,” she said.
Sheinbaum confirmed in September that she would follow in the footsteps of López Obrador and make her residence in the National Palace.
Located in the historic center of Mexico City, the colonial-era building was fitted out with an apartment during AMLO’s presidency. López Obrador ended the tradition of Mexican presidents living in “Los Pinos,” turning the erstwhile official residence of Mexico’s head of state into a cultural complex that is open to the public.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
I am soooooo proud to be a Permanent Resident of Mexico and our FABULOUS Presidenta! What an amazing woman!!!
Amen. She is not a fool and it’s too soon to tell if AMLO has that type of control over her. Suerte Sra Presidenta
Really? She is not only a puppet of AMLO, but an arrogant fool. Poor Mexico
And, in my opinion, you know nothing about our Presidenta and Mexico. I thought all MAGAs were living in the U.S. and loving it.
oh come on Sondra, tell us you are not living in “San Antonio SOUTH” . . .
Me too!!
Time to go back to the U.S. and hug your Daddy Donny!
Smart, no point in responding, all he wants is publicity. New is news, even if it is nonsense, that’s the problem.
100%
Sheinbaum has to keep “blowing her own horn” every day because she has her “back to the wall”. Come January 20, she is in for a “big surprise” . The Mexican people will just have to wait till then to see her “true colors”, She is a “puppet to Obrador and a “VERY ARROGANT WOMEN”. She is not an “amazing “woman, that is for sure, and just a very 62 yr. old naive person. What a “sad” shame for all the people of Mexico.
I sure hope you don’t live in Mexico. Stay in the racist US.
Have you traveled much? You think the US is the most racist place? Very ignorant. Go visit Asia.
Above all, narcissists seek and require attention to thrive. Trump is THE poster child for this horrible personality disorder. Presidenta Sheinbaum is an amazing and astute leader who clearly understands this. Trump is terrified of strong women! Suerte Sra. Presidenta and Viva Mexico!
Thank you. We’re so proud and impressed with our new president. She is an amazing and brilliant woman. Viva Mexico!
If Sheinbaum was a male she would not be considered arrogant, but considered having strong leader ship qualities. It’s a gender thing.
Amo a Claudia! Good for her for not stooping to Trump’s level and engaging in a tit-for-tat.
nn
What has she done yet that is a success? I think it is too early to think she is good or bad for Mexico. The currency has dropped by 25% since she was elected and the rating agencies have downgraded the country’s credit rating, hurting everyone in the country.