During a recent Christmas Eve event, President Donald Trump participated in the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s (NORAD) long-standing tradition of tracking Santa Claus. The president spoke with children from across the United States, sharing light-hearted moments and political commentary from his Mar-a-Lago estate.
One notable exchange occurred when a young girl named Amelia from Kansas called in. When asked what she wanted from Santa, Amelia responded, “Not coal.” Trump humorously replied, “Not coal? No, you don’t want coal … You mean, clean beautiful coal. I had to do that, I’m sorry.” His remarks playfully referenced the common belief that children receive coal in their stockings for bad behavior, while also promoting his administration’s support for fossil fuels, stating, “Coal is clean and beautiful, please remember that—at all cost.”
Engaging with Young Callers
The tradition of NORAD tracking Santa dates back to 1955, and Trump’s participation this year included calls with first lady Melania Trump, broadcasted on C-SPAN. Throughout the evening, the president made jokes and shared political victories, often speaking about his wins in key states.
In a conversation with a five-year-old from Pennsylvania, Trump declared, “Pennsylvania is great, we won Pennsylvania, actually three times. We won it in a landslide, so I love Pennsylvania.” Trump secured the battleground state in the November 2024 election, receiving 312 electoral votes and 49.8 percent of the popular vote, narrowly defeating Kamala Harris, who garnered 226 electoral votes and 48.3 percent. In contrast, Joe Biden won Pennsylvania in 2020 with 50.0 percent of the vote, while Trump previously won the state in 2016 with 48.6 percent.
Another young caller from North Carolina asked if Santa would be angry if there were no cookies left for him. Trump reassured the child, saying, “I think he won’t get mad, but he’ll be very disappointed. Santa tends to be a little bit on the cherubic side, do you know what cherubic means? He’s a little on the heavy side.” He encouraged the child to leave cookies for Santa, humorously adding, “I think Santa has a serious appetite.”
Holiday Spirit and Political Context
The interaction with children created memorable moments, with one call going viral after Trump complimented an eight-year-old girl, stating she sounded “so beautiful and cute” and “so smart.” In another instance, he explained why NORAD tracks Santa, saying, “We want to make sure that Santa is being good—that Santa is a very good person. We want to make sure that we’re not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa.”
While these festive calls were filled with cheer, they also occurred against a backdrop of Trump’s continued focus on his immigration policies. According to the White House, since his inauguration on January 20, 2025, over 605,000 people have been deported from the U.S., with an additional 1.9 million reportedly self-deporting.
The juxtaposition of holiday joy and political discourse reflects the unique nature of Trump’s presidency, where personal interactions often blend with broader policy discussions. As the calls concluded, the holiday spirit remained at the forefront, reminding all of the joy and wonder of the season.
