Donald Trump may not be the most popular person among government employees currently impacted by a partial government shutdown in a fight over proposed border wall funding. It’s put a lot of people out of work around the holiday season, and hurt plenty of families who have shared their stories online.
But in a more literal sense, he also directly impacted the life of one child on Christmas Eve when he called a seven-year-old boy as part of a media event at the White House. These calls are pretty common for a president, and much like the pardoning of a turkey, it’s usually pretty easy to coast through the holiday tradition.
But when the topic of Santa Claus came up on Monday, Trump nearly ruined the whole gambit by asking a child if he believed in Santa and then, you know, suggesting that it’s about time he gives up the proverbial ghost.
Lol it's even worse with video! 😂😂
Trump to seven year old that called in to talk to Santa: "Are you still a believer in Santa? Because at seven it's marginal, right?"
You just can't make this up!pic.twitter.com/VaGl47Rx5Y
— The Darkest Timeline Numbersmuncher (@NumbersMuncher) December 25, 2018
“Are you still a believer in Santa?” Trump asked, then implied that, at his age his faith should be waining. “Because at seven it’s marginal, right?
Trump probably didn’t shatter the poor kid’s belief in the holiday hero, but it’s yet another example of how the most powerful man in the free world lacks the basic decorum to, you know, not ruin Christmas unprompted. Believing in Santa just makes Christmas better when you’re a little kid, and there really was no reason for Trump to say at seven it’s “marginal” if you haven’t figured it out just yet.
So people kind of freaked out on Twitter, some debating whether at seven you should still believe in Santa but mostly people being outraged Trump killed Christmas spirit for no reason. A lot of politicians were not happy with Trump’s questioning, including some who wanted all the seven-year-olds on Twitter to know that it’s still cool to like Santa.
Merry merry Xmas all. If you’re 7, yes, Santa Claus exists and loves you. And he’s on his way.
— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) December 25, 2018
This is actually a good point, I guess.
At least this kid’s “how I found out Santa wasn’t real” story will be interesting https://t.co/8SvfyUb1fY
— Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) December 25, 2018
It really did need some Curb Your Enthusiasm music attached to it.
POTUS or Larry David? pic.twitter.com/ncuTMeWCOQ
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 25, 2018
Trump continued to have a weird Christmas on Tuesday, spending Christmas Day at the White House rallying against James Comey, Chuck Schumer and other enemies shortly before offering a halfhearted Merry Christmas to the masses.
https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1077585404797292544
““Its a disgrace what’s happening in this country,” Trump said. “But other than that, I wish everybody a merry Christmas.”
Just another great day in America.