As many took a break from politics over the festive season, the actions of former US President Donald Trump provided no such respite. From a bizarre late-night social media spree to significant policy decisions and high-profile meetings at his Florida resort, the period was marked by a series of contentious events.
Festive Communications: From NORAD to 'Everybody Christmas Steve'
The annual NORAD Santa tracker event on 23rd December once again featured Trump speaking to children. In a now-familiar pattern, the conversation swiftly turned political. When a child mentioned they were from Pennsylvania, Trump launched into claims about winning the state "actually three times," despite losing it to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
The most significant outburst, however, occurred in the early hours of Christmas morning. Trump embarked on a posting spree on his Truth Social platform, issuing over 100 posts. He lashed out at comedian Stephen Colbert, threatened to terminate broadcast licences for various TV networks, and reposted a conspiracy theory from former aide Stephen Miller regarding people of Somali heritage.
Amidst the torrent, he posted in all capital letters: "EVERYBODY CHRISTMAS STEVE." The cryptic message, whose meaning and intended recipient remain unknown, quickly drew comparisons to his earlier mysterious post about "covfefe."
Policy Moves: Vetoes and Funding Cuts
In a substantive policy action, Trump issued the first veto of his second term. He rejected a bill, previously passed unanimously, that would have funded a major drinking water project in Colorado. The project was slated to provide clean water to approximately 50,000 people in the state's southeast.
The veto has sparked allegations of political retaliation. Colorado is home to Tina Peters, a former election official convicted of tampering with voting machines, whom Trump has repeatedly called a "patriot" and pledged to pardon. Furthermore, the project was based in the district of Republican Representative Lauren Boebert, who had recently challenged Trump to release the Epstein files.
In a separate move, the US Administration for Children and Families cut off all federal funding for daycare services in Minnesota. This decision, announced by Assistant Secretary Alex Adams, affects $185 million in annual funds supporting around 19,000 children.
The action was reportedly prompted by a viral video from far-right vlogger Nick Shirley, which made unsubstantiated fraud allegations against childcare centres run by people of Somali heritage. Major news networks like CBS and CNN found no evidence of widespread fraud at the centres Shirley targeted, despite ongoing, separate fraud investigations in the state.
Global Diplomacy at Mar-a-Lago
During the break, Trump summoned two key world leaders to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to discuss a 20-point peace plan for the war with Russia. Prior to the meeting, Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, later acknowledging "thorny issues" in the negotiations, likely referring to Ukrainian territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit reportedly veered off-topic, with Trump boasting about a new $400 million ballroom under construction at the White House. He suggested future presidential inaugurations should be held there, requiring the installation of bulletproof glass, and indicated the planned structure might be enlarged further.
These events, spanning from peculiar communications to hard policy decisions and unconventional diplomacy, defined a Christmas period where the political world, for many, refused to pause.
