President Donald Trump warned about preventing a “bad Santa” from infiltrating the country while participating in Christmas Eve calls with children tracking Santa’s progress through NORAD‘s annual tradition. The president and First Lady Melania Trump spoke with youngsters calling into the North American Aerospace Defense Command from their Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on Christmas eve.
During conversations with children ages four and 10 from Oklahoma, Trump assured callers about Santa’s character while injecting his trademark concerns about border security. Trump said Santa is a very good person, and expressed concern about not letting a bad Santa infiltrate the country. The president did not elaborate on what constituted a “bad Santa” or how such infiltration might occur.
The jovial exchange took an unexpected turn when Trump defended coal as a Christmas gift. An eight-year-old caller from Kansas told the president she wanted Barbie doll clothes and candy, specifically stating she did not want coal. Trump seized the moment to promote his longtime energy policy stance, laughing as he joked about coal being clean and beautiful before acknowledging the child’s actual preferences for a Barbie doll, clothes, and candy.
The president and first lady sat side-by-side at Mar-a-Lago, taking about a dozen calls between them from children across the country. Trump demonstrated his characteristic humor when discussing Santa’s physical appearance with an eight-year-old from North Carolina who asked whether Santa would be angry if no one left cookies for him. Trump reassured the child that Santa would not be mad but added he would likely be disappointed, joking that Santa is on the heavy side or cherubic and would like some cookies.
Despite the lighthearted nature of the calls, Trump acknowledged competing demands on his time. He mentioned at one point that while he could conduct the calls all day, pressing matters required his attention, specifically citing efforts to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The president’s reference to international affairs during the Christmas Eve tradition highlighted the constant balance between ceremonial duties and policy concerns.
The holiday calls represented a stark contrast to messages Trump posted on social media after concluding the NORAD conversations. Shortly after wrapping up the calls with children on Christmas Eve, the president returned to familiar political themes, posting a message directed at the “Radical Left Scum” that is doing everything possible to destroy the country.
This pattern of Christmas messages targeting political opponents has become a tradition for Trump. In 2024, he posted a message to the “Radical Left Lunatics.” During his first term, on December 24, 2017, Trump used the holiday to criticize a top FBI official he believed was biased against him, along with targeting news media organizations.
The annual NORAD Tracks Santa program has provided a platform for presidents to engage with American families during the holidays for decades. The North American Aerospace Defense Command playfully monitors Santa’s journey around the globe each Christmas Eve, allowing children to call in and learn about his progress. The tradition offers presidents an opportunity to connect with young Americans in a non-political setting, though Trump’s comments about infiltration and coal policy demonstrated his tendency to blend personal political messaging with ceremonial duties.
Trump’s defense of coal during the children’s calls reflected his longstanding campaign promise to revive domestic coal production. Throughout his political career, he has frequently promoted coal as clean and beautiful, despite scientific consensus about fossil fuels’ environmental impact. Even in the whimsical context of discussing Christmas stockings with children, the president found an opportunity to advance this policy position.
The president appeared relaxed and engaged during the calls from his Palm Beach residence. His interactions with the children revealed both his improvisational communication style and his consistent focus on signature policy themes, even in holiday conversations. The first lady participated quietly alongside him, taking her own calls with children while Trump occasionally commented on her ability to focus without being distracted by his conversations.
The calls occurred on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025, marking another year of the presidential tradition at Mar-a-Lago. Trump’s participation in the NORAD program demonstrated continuity with past administrations while maintaining his distinctive approach to public engagement. His willingness to joke about Santa’s weight and champion coal policy during conversations with young children illustrated his unconventional style of blending entertainment, policy advocacy, and traditional presidential duties into a single Christmas Eve event.