Staff Reports
On the evening of December 24, 2025, President Donald J. Trump answered calls from children across America as part of the NORAD Santa tracking tradition, phoning in from his Mar-a-Lago residence to share in the holiday cheer. This was not a staged photo op but a direct, personal engagement with families at a time when most politicians duck and hide. The White House itself posted video of the president taking part in the NORAD hotline, underscoring that this was real, unfiltered presidential outreach.
Those calls were lighthearted and unapologetically warm — Trump joked about making sure “Santa is good,” warned about a “bad Santa” infiltrating the country, and even defended “clean, beautiful coal” to a worried child who feared coal under the tree. He complimented a youngster’s intellect, calling a child who wanted a Kindle a “high-IQ person,” moments that played like a president who knows how to connect with everyday Americans. Mainstream outlets captured the exchanges but often couched them in partisan tones instead of celebrating the simple joy he brought to families.
It’s telling how the establishment press couldn’t resist refocusing a heartwarming, bipartisan tradition into a political narrative, parsing every quip instead of sharing the smiles. Some outlets led with his political asides rather than the dozens of innocent, merry interactions with kids who only wanted to hear about Santa’s route. The American people should see the whole picture: a commander-in-chief choosing to spend his holiday hours making children laugh and feel safe.
NORAD’s Santa Tracker has been a beloved national ritual for seven decades, and presidents who participate in those calls are carrying on a very American tradition of comforting families during the holidays. Trump’s willingness to pick up the phone and speak directly to callers shows a respect for ordinary citizens that the coastal elites like to pretend doesn’t matter. When a president uses his platform to bring joy rather than just stage-managed messaging, it deserves attention, not dismissal.
While critics scramble to weaponize every offhand remark, ordinary Americans watching this Christmas saw something conservatives already know: leadership is more than speeches and press releases, it’s about showing up for the people. Whether he’s protecting our borders in policy or protecting our culture with a laugh about Santa, President Trump made a small but meaningful investment in the country’s future on a night that belongs to kids. The contrast between his hands-on approach and the media’s reflexive scorn couldn’t be clearer.
Hardworking patriots should celebrate that their president spent Christmas Eve listening to wishes, calming fears, and spreading cheer instead of hiding behind talking points. Share these moments with your neighbors, remind people what leadership looks like, and don’t let the narrative thieves in the press steal another honest memory from American families. This was leadership in its simplest, most human form, and it’s time the country sees it for what it was.
