During this year's Christmas Eve festivities, former President Donald Trump participated in the traditional NORAD Tracks Santa program, engaging with young callers from various states while weaving political themes into the holiday discussions.
Coal Industry Advocacy
When an 8-year-old girl expressed her Christmas wish by stating "Not coal," Trump humorously responded, "You mean clean, beautiful coal." He later emphasized, "Sorry, I had to do that. I'm sorry. No, coal is clean and beautiful. Please remember that at all costs. But you don't want clean, beautiful coal, right? What would you like?"
The former president has consistently positioned himself as a supporter of the coal sector. Earlier this year, he implemented measures aimed at strengthening the industry through regulatory adjustments.
Election References and Santa Monitoring
Speaking with a child from Oklahoma, Trump remarked, "Santa loves Oklahoma like I do. You know, Oklahoma was very good to me in the election. So I love Oklahoma. Don't ever leave Oklahoma, OK?"
He also shared that NORAD, the joint U.S.-Canadian defense command, monitors Santa's global movements. "We track Santa all over the world. We want to make sure that Santa is being good," Trump explained. "We want to make sure he's not infiltrated, that we're not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa."
During a conversation with a Pennsylvania caller, Trump revisited election topics, asserting he had won the state multiple times. "I know Pennsylvania is great. We won Pennsylvania, actually, three times," he stated, adding, "I bet your mom voted properly."
Holiday Traditions and Lighthearted Moments
Trump maintained a festive tone with most participants, avoiding a repeat of his 2018 comment questioning a child's belief in Santa. When a North Carolina girl asked if Santa would be angry about missing cookies, he responded, "I think he won't get mad, but I think he'll be very disappointed."
"You know Santa, he tends to be a little bit on the cherubic side. You know what 'cherubic' means? A little on the heavy side," Trump joked. "I think Santa would like some cookies."
Following the event and subsequent calls with military personnel, Trump returned to political messaging on his social media platform, extending Christmas greetings while criticizing political opponents and highlighting his administration's achievements.
