Time picks women who sparked ‘#MeToo’ movement as ‘Person of the Year’

Time magazine’s 2017 Person of the Year is “The Silence Breakers” who sparked the #MeToo movement.

The magazine’s cover included actress Ashley Judd, singer Taylor Swift and former Uber engineer Susan Fowler.

“The galvanizing actions of the women on our cover …  along with those of hundreds of others, and of many men as well, have unleashed one of the highest-velocity shifts in our culture since the 1960s,” the magazine’s editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal said in a statement, according to NBC’s “Today.”

{mosads}”Social media acted as a powerful accelerant; the hashtag #MeToo has now been used millions of times in at least 85 countries. … The idea that influential, inspirational individuals shape the world could not be more apt this year. … For giving voice to open secrets, for moving whisper networks onto social networks, for pushing us all to stop accepting the unacceptable, The Silence Breakers are the 2017 Person of the Year,” he added.

President Trump was the runner up.

The decision to name The Silence Breakers comes as a growing number of women have come forward in recent weeks to allege sexual misconduct against prominent men and public officials.

Political figures including Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) face multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Conyers announced Tuesday he was retiring, effective immediately.

Several figures in Hollywood and the media — including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer — have also been accused by multiple people of sexual misconduct. The allegations resulted in several figures being fired from their jobs.

The #MeToo movement grew quickly this year, as more and more people shared their stories of sexual harassment and abuse.

Felsenthal called The Silence Breakers the voices that “launched a movement.”

“This is the fastest-moving social change we’ve seen in decades and it began with individual acts of courage by hundreds of women, and some men too, who came forward to tell their own stories of sexual harassment and assault,” he said on NBC’s “Today.”

WATCH: “The image you see partially on the cover is of a woman we talked to… who doesn’t feel that she can come forward without threatening her livelihood.” @TIME EIC @efelsenthal talks #TIMEPOY cover pic.twitter.com/q3bPbKNPbg

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 6, 2017

He said Trump is No. 2 on the list because he has “changed the very nature of the presidency and the way the White House functions.”

Last month, Trump, who was the 2016 Person of the Year, said in a tweet that the magazine called him to tell him he would “probably” be given the honor.

“Time Magazine called to say that I was PROBABLY going to be named ‘Man (Person) of the Year,’ like last year, but I would have to agree to an interview and a major photo shoot. I said probably is no good and took a pass. Thanks anyway!” Trump tweeted last month.

Time quickly shot back at the president, refuting his statement. The magazine said in its own tweet that the president was “incorrect about how we choose Person of the Year.”

“TIME does not comment on our choice until publication, which is Dec. 6.”

This report was updated at 8:12 a.m.