Trump Warns Against Infiltration by a 'Bad Santa,' Defends Coal in Jovial Christmas Calls With Kids
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
The president and first lady Melania Trump participated in the tradition of talking to youngsters dialing into the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
The mainstream write-ups on the Trump family’s NORAD calls keep landing on the “jovial” oddities, as if the only story is a quip about a “Bad Santa.” That framing is convenient: it turns a public moment into a personality sketch and avoids the larger point sitting in plain view.
NORAD isn’t a cute prop. It is a reminder of national security and public trust in institutions that actually do a serious job. When a president talks about infiltration, even playfully, it reflects a country that has learned the hard way that weak borders and lax vetting don’t stay abstract.
The same goes for coal. Media treat defending it as nostalgia, but it’s really about energy independence and working-class communities that can’t run on slogans. In the end, the principle is simple: serious institutions deserve respect, and so do the people who keep the lights on.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.