Trump Politicizes NORAD Santa Calls, Vows to Block 'Bad Santa' Infiltration

On Christmas Eve at his Mar-a-Lago estate, President Trump and First Lady Melania took part in NORAD's annual Santa-tracking phone calls with children, a lighthearted long-standing holiday tradition.

“President Donald Trump marked Christmas Eve by chatting with children about their holiday wishes”

AP News

Trump spoke on speakerphone in several exchanges, joking that Santa was cherubic and reassuring children that Santa loves them.

AP News

He also quipped that officials must ensure they were not allowing into the country a bad Santa, a line he used when talking to youngsters in Oklahoma and elsewhere.

Melania participated as well, listening separately in at least some calls.

Reporters noted the scene was festive even as cameras and staff observed the exchanges.

During one exchange, Trump echoed a longtime campaign line, teasing about "clean, beautiful coal" when a child said she didn't want coal.

He also praised a 10-year-old for wanting a Kindle and called her a "high I.Q. person."

CBS News

Some accounts say he backtracked and apologized for certain comments during the calls.

The calls were followed by a sharply worded social-media Christmas message on his Truth platform criticizing the "Radical Left," which several outlets connected to his broader political messaging.

Reactions to the calls were reported as sharply divided along partisan lines.

Some outlets noted MAGA supporters enjoyed the banter, while many left-leaning social users and opponents criticized Trump for turning a children's tradition into a self-promotional or political moment.

Several pieces recalled his past habit of using holiday communications to attack political foes, pointing to previous posts aimed at the 'Radical Left' and other targets.

Across outlets, coverage varied in which details were highlighted and which context was supplied.

Some pieces focused on the immediate, light-hearted scene of children calling Santa via NORAD.

livemint

Others used the moment to underscore Trump's energy-policy positions, revisit past attacks on opponents, or recount specific social-media posts that followed.

One listed source (OANN) was not available in the provided material, so its perspective could not be assessed, and that absence creates a gap for complete cross-source comparison.