President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump participated in the annual NORAD Tracks Santa program from their Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida On Wednesday, December 24, 2025. The event, which marks its 70th anniversary this year, saw the President fielding calls from children across the country while blending holiday cheer with his signature political rhetoric.
“Bad Santa” and Border Security Jokes
During an interaction with children from Oklahoma, aged 4 and 10, the President made a playful reference to his administration’s strict border policies.
- The Quote: When asked why the military tracks Santa, Trump replied: “We want to make sure that Santa is being good… We want to make sure that he’s not infiltrated, that we’re not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa.”
- The Verdict: He reassured the children that after careful tracking, they found that “Santa is good” and “loves Oklahoma.”
Humor and “Cherubic” Santas
The President remained in a jovial mood throughout the dozen or so calls he and Melania fielded.
- The Cookie Debate: An 8-year-old from North Carolina asked if Santa gets angry if no one leaves cookies. Trump joked: “I think he’ll be very disappointed. You know, Santa’s — he tends to be a little bit on the cherubic side… A little on the heavy side. I think Santa would like some cookies.”
- The Distraction: At one point, Trump poked fun at Melania’s ability to multitask, noting she was so focused on her call she wasn’t listening to him: “She’s able to focus totally, without listening.”
The “Clean Coal” Defense
In a moment that went viral on social media, the President defended the coal industry to an 8-year-old girl from Kansas who expressed her desire not to receive coal in her stocking.
- The Exchange: “You mean clean, beautiful coal?” Trump asked, referencing his long-standing campaign promise to revive the industry.
- The Reaction: After the child doubled down on wanting a Barbie doll instead, Trump laughed and said to Melania, “I had to do that, I’m sorry… Coal is clean and beautiful. Please remember that, at all costs.”
Truth Social: From Festive to Fiery
While the phone calls were lighthearted, the President’s traditional Christmas message on Truth Social took a sharper turn just hours later.
- The Message: “Merry Christmas to all, including the Radical Left Scum that is doing everything possible to destroy our Country, but are failing badly.”
- Context: The post also touted recent GDP numbers, which Trump briefly mentioned during the Santa calls before admitting, “I don’t think the kids are too interested in that.”