President Donald Trump spent Christmas Eve vacillating between holiday tradition and partisan attacks, participating in annual calls with children about Santa Claus then using social media to lash out at political opponents in the early hours of Christmas Day.
The First Family’s Christmas Eve was packed with the usual events like calling service members, hosting a Christmas Eve party, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump joined the longstanding NORAD “Tracks Santa” program from Mar-a-Lago, fielding calls from children eager for updates on Santa’s location. During the calls, Trump joked about political topics, warning against a “bad Santa” who could be “infiltrating” the United States, while also praising coal as an energy source.
The NORAD calls are a tradition dating back to 1955 and are typically lighthearted, focused on reassuring children about Santa’s Christmas Eve journey. Trump has participated in the event during both of his presidencies.
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Hours later, Trump turned to his Truth Social platform, posting over 100 messages that adopted a far more combative tone and brought up familiar topics like election fraud and Somali immigration. He started his Christmas Eve with a Christmas greeting that included attacks on what he called the “Radical Left,” accusing political opponents of trying to “destroy our Country” while claiming they were failing.
In additional Christmas Eve posts, Trump promoted his administration’s policies and continued to frame political divisions in stark, adversarial terms, blending holiday messaging with campaign-style rhetoric.
The contrast between the family-focused NORAD calls and Trump’s overnight social media posts underscores a pattern that has defined his presidency: the merging of ceremonial moments with aggressive political messaging. Trump has frequently used holidays and national observances to issue partisan statements alongside or instead of traditional messages of unity.
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