Trump sparks controversy with “bad Santa” comments to children on Christmas Eve
President Donald Trump provoked online outrage during NORAD’s traditional Christmas Eve Santa-tracking call. While speaking with children from Mar-a-Lago alongside First Lady Melania Trump, he intermixed holiday greetings with a warning about a “bad Santa” attempting infiltration.
The president’s word choice drew swift criticism during the 21-minute call. He stated the need to ensure Santa was “not infiltrated” and that the country was not “infiltrating… a bad Santa.” Many online commentators labeled the remarks inappropriate and unsettling for a children’s event.
The conversation frequently turned political. Trump referenced elections, telling children from Oklahoma the state was “very good to me in the election.” Observers interpreted his use of “infiltrate” as an allusion to his administration’s strict immigration policies.
There were lighter exchanges, such as when he joked with a child about not receiving “clean, beautiful coal.” However, the overall tone was overshadowed by political references, including a misstatement about winning Pennsylvania “three times,” despite losing there in 2020.
Later on Truth Social, Trump extended a combative “Merry Christmas” message, attacking political opponents and listing policy achievements like closed borders.
The incident contrasted sharply with the nonpartisan tradition of NORAD’s tracking program, which began accidentally in 1955 and is operated by volunteers.
What is designed as an apolitical holiday event became a flashpoint, highlighting how Trump’s divisive rhetoric permeates even traditionally neutral spaces, leaving many to question the appropriateness of merging political messaging with a festive call for children.
