Trump Tells Children Santa on His Way, Thanks Service Members

Santa Claus is coming to town!

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump surprised American children as they participated in NORAD Santa Calls from his residence in Palm Beach on Dec. 24. The president also spoke to U.S. military service members by phone and thanked them for their service.

“How long until Santa will be here?” an 8-year-old in Kansas asked Trump during a call that was on speaker phone.

“Well, Santa’s now in Sweden,” Trump responded during the festive annual event.

While speaking to a 4-year-old and a 10-year-old in Oklahoma, Trump said: “We want to make sure that Santa is being good. Santa’s a very good person. We want to make sure that he’s not infiltrated, that we’re not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa.”

The first couple, who answered North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa Calls on opposite sides of a Christmas tree in Mar-a-Lago hall, didn’t need to use Christmas magic to find Old Saint Nick.

Instead, they were able to easily locate him delivering presents across the world using the Santa tracker powered by NORAD.

“Santa’s got quite a trip to get to your great area, your great part of the world because you live in a terrific place, but I would say Santa would make it in record time. Probably in about five hours.”

When he asked the girl what she wanted Kriss Kringle to bring for Christmas, she replied, “Not coal.”

Trump quipped, “Coal is clean and beautiful, please remember that at all costs.”

The president also answered children’s most pressing questions, like what they wanted for Christmas and if Santa would get mad if they didn’t leave out milk and cookies.

“He won’t get mad, but I think he’ll be very disappointed. You know, Santa tends to be a little bit on the cherubic side,” Trump said while speaking to an 8-year-old in North Carolina. “Do you know what cherubic means? [It means] a little on the heavy side. I think Santa would like some cookies.”

Melania, who spoke to kids using a landline phone on the other side of the tree, reiterated Santa’s desire for milk and cookies.

The president also spoke to kids from Pennsylvania and Washington before pivoting to speak to members of the U.S. military by phone and wish them and their families a merry Christmas.

“I know it’s not easy when duty separates you from your loved ones, but you’ve earned the gratitude of all Americans for keeping our country safe, strong, and free, and tonight and tomorrow, countless millions of Americans have you in their prayers,” Trump said.

“We are praying for all of you. You have no idea how respected you are, how loved you are,” he added.

Trump’s Christmas address to the military members included a reminder that their special tax-free “warrior dividend” of $1,776 should be in their bank account now.