Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were included in TIME’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2026, released on Wednesday.
The annual list highlights figures shaping global conversations across politics, culture, religion and international affairs. President Trump and Rubio were named in the “leaders” category.
Several administration officials were also named, including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, envoy Steve Witkoff and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine.
“This time last year, we were just taking measure of what Donald Trump’s return to Washington meant for the U.S. and beyond,” TIME wrote. “We remain, as we wrote on a cover last fall, very much in Trump’s world. As I write this, the Iran war is approaching its 40th day of fighting, and our list this year includes four members of his Administration, including those who focus on foreign policy.”
“Donald Trump’s presidency resists easy historical comparison. In the past year alone, he has pushed through a massive tax overhaul despite objections from some in his own party, imposed sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries, and pursued an expansive deportation agenda, deploying military-style units into major U.S. cities,” the outlet continued.
“Abroad, he has wielded force with startling scope—escalating from ordering strikes on Iranian nuclear sites to waging broader war with Tehran, and from campaigns against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean to a dramatic intervention in Venezuela that culminated in the capture of Nicolás Maduro,” TIME added.
Concerning Rubio, TIME stated, “Once a fierce rival to and bitter critic of Donald Trump, Marco Rubio has settled into two of the most consequential jobs in Washington: a double billing as Secretary of State and National Security Adviser, a power monopoly held only once before, by Henry Kissinger.”
Other leaders recognized in the category included Pope Leo XIV, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The list also features prominent global figures such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with the leaders of other nations, including Japan, Namibia and China.
In entertainment and culture, honorees include country music artist Luke Combs, actress and singer Keke Palmer, Noah Wyle of “The Pitt” and Claire Danes.