Overview
- President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participated in the annual NORAD Santa calls on Wednesday night from Mar-a-Lago, engaging children in holiday conversations.
- The president used a speakerphone for the live feed while the first lady wore a headset, according to coverage of the event.
- During the calls, Trump joked about Santa liking cookies and made a quip about receiving “clean, beautiful coal,” drawing laughter in the room.
- The White House had scheduled the president for the NORAD call at 4:30 p.m. ET followed by Christmas calls to U.S. service members at 5:30 p.m. ET.
- PBS notes that the public can reach the NORAD Santa line at 1-877-HI-NORAD from 4 a.m. to midnight Mountain Standard Time on Christmas Eve, and media outlets shared links to watch the president’s calls live.