Still believe in Santa at your age? Trump ignites Twitter storm

[webfact]

Still believe in Santa at your age? Trump ignites Twitter storm

By Makini Brice and Peter Szekely

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in NORAD Santa tracker phone calls from the White House in Washington, Dec. 24, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump set off a Christmas social media storm when he asked whether a 7-year-old was too old to believe in Santa Claus, capping a week of plunging stocks, a government shutdown and the U.S. defense chief's unceremonious departure.

 

Twitter lit up like a Christmas tree after Trump made his remark during a holiday event with first lady Melania Trump, taking calls from children calling the North American Aerospace Defense Command Santa tracker.

 

A Christmas tradition, the tracker delights children with "real-time" updates on Saint Nick's Christmas Eve journey.

 

In one of the Christmas Eve calls, Trump chatted with a 7-year-old.

 

"Are you still a believer in Santa?" Trump asked the child. "Because at 7, it's marginal, right?"

 

In a twinkling, Twitter was bombarded with messages railing against the president for what sounded to some as if he was casting doubts on a cherished fantasy of childhood.

 

"It’s just too freaking fantastic that Trump spent his Christmas Eve calling seven year olds and telling them believing in Santa at their age is 'marginal,'" Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said on his Twitter account.

 

“Actually there is no heaven," tweeted Dan Amira, head writer for "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" comedy show. "When you die you just rot in the ground and get eaten by worms. Okay Merry Christmas, Timmy.”

 

Others defended Trump.

 

"Trump does a lot of things wrong, but suggesting to a 7 year old that Santa doesn't exist is probably the one right thing he's done while in office," said a man identified on his Twitter account as Irtiza Sheikh. "Someone's gotta do it."

 

The White House had no immediate comment on the social media response to the president's Santa comments.

 

In 2017, Trump spent the holidays at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, with his family, but for his second Christmas as president, Trump opted to cancel his holiday getaway because of the partial federal government shutdown. It began last week when top lawmakers failed to end an impasse over funding for his proposed wall along the border with Mexico.

 

Stuck in Washington on Christmas morning 2018, Trump displayed little holiday cheer while speaking with reporters after a 20-minute video conference with U.S. troops serving abroad.

 

He assailed the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates, railed against Democrats who refuse to fund the wall he wants to build on the U.S.-Mexico border, and blasted the investigation into his campaign's ties to Russia, among other regular targets.

 

The president then closed with holiday wishes of sorts.

 

"It's a disgrace, what's happening in our country," he said. "But other than that, I wish everyone a very merry Christmas."

 

(Reporting by Makini Brice and Yeganeh Torbati in Washington and Peter Szekely in New York; Editing by Frank McGurty and Howard Goller)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-26

[helpisgood]

38 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

"Are you still a believer in Santa?" Trump asked the child. "Because at 7, it's marginal, right?"

 

Geez, Trump does not even know how to be tactful with a seven-year-old kid during Christmas while being involved with a govt. program that plays along with little kids' fantasies.  So, what's he saying at high-level meetings when discussing difficult and nuanced issues?

 

Even if seven is arguably a bit old to believe in Santa, I think that's for the child's parents to handle.   

[keemapoot]

Our dear, kindly old President and leader this fine Christmas:

 

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Are you still a believer in Santa?" Trump asked the child.

The child was calling to check on Santa’s progress, so, trump, it’s fairly obvious he believed...duh!

 

The kid should have asked if trump

still believed Mexico would pay for his wall, now that was, and still is, a ridiculous thing to believe in. 

Edited December 26, 2018 by Bluespunk

[Carib]

What a plonker, cannot play along with kids, cannot ... oh forget it, the list would be too long. 

 

"The president then closed with holiday wishes of sorts

"It's a disgrace, what's happening in our country," he said. "But other than that, I wish everyone a very merry Christmas." 

 

Personally I think it is a disgrace what is happening in the White house. 

Edited December 26, 2018 by Carib

[Credo]

I think the point is he simply doesn't play well with others, whether 7 or 70.   

[keemapoot]

Is this what Fox News and Trump mean when they have been banging on about the war against Christmas for so many years?

[tifino]

Did he lose it as a fantasy ?  When he was awoken abruptly around 4am,  to find it is acrtually Melania delivering him a special 'gift' ???? 

[sirineou]

 I don't understand why the republicans themselves don't themselves replace this A-hole , he is not really a republican, what ever happened to the conservative concept of free markets?

  How could a president Pence be any worse?  Are they scared of Trump's base so much? Are their jobs more important than the country? I don't get it

[neeray]

What an idiot. He didn't just (possibly) break the bubble of one seven year old. With the vast viewing audiences this clown thinks he draws, he potentially broke the bubble of thousands of other children.

No doubt about it, "he is a genius at breaking bubbles".

[Brickbat]

Trump , to me, is a loose cannon and an astounding distraction to Central Banksters as they plot and weave history for their benefit. The real power brokers and dictators of human lives.

 

as for Santa, good on ya, Trumpy. For once, you spoke the truth. Time to stop lying to children and foolish parents who fall for the tricks of Big Dept stores to sell more shit that kids don’t need. 

Xmas is about peace and retreat into our souls , not consumption , boozing and falling for the lies of Big Business and Organised Religion.

[dickjones2018]

santa is the first big lie, the child can discover

 

next is the whole religious crap where a married woman, but for some reason still a virgin, maybe the husband had ED or liked men, had sex with an angel, guess when the husband was out to work and then is pregnant because she never had sex with the husband, ahuhhhh

[Tug]

The question to me is do you still believe in trump?

[Boon Mee]

Honest question. Again, anything to bash Trump with. 

[neeray]

14 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Honest question. Again, anything to bash Trump with. 

Wake up, smell the roses. Switch loyalties now and join the future. Why wait until the Dems eat him alive in the New Year?

I've never seen anyone "bash Trump". Those who you think are bashers are just speaking the truth, something foreign to the current POTUS.

[Joe Mcseismic]

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

 I don't understand why the republicans themselves don't themselves replace this A-hole , he is not really a republican, what ever happened to the conservative concept of free markets?

  How could a president Pence be any worse?  Are they scared of Trump's base so much? Are their jobs more important than the country? I don't get it

Because Pence will add Christianity into the mix.

[keemapoot]

1 minute ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

Because Pence will add Christianity into the mix.

And gay bashing. Extreme gay bashing.

[Joe Mcseismic]

..........and he doesn't believe in the separation of church and state.

[Becker]

"Are you still a believer in Santa?" Trump asked the child. "Because at 7, it's marginal, right?"

 

And what does that say about the grown-ups who believe in you?

[racket]

Make America Great Again! 

 

Way to go, Trump!

[Emdog]

I hope Santa already has his visa and papers in order. I also suggest he do USA then Mexico. Trying to come from Mexico to USA might result in "inconveniences"

[Opl]

8 minutes ago, racket said:

Make America Great Again! 

 

Way to go, Trump!

Make CHRISTMAS Great Again!

 

[keemapoot]

MAGA: Make America's youth grim again.

[spidermike007]

Asking a seven year old if he believes in Santa, is no more ridiculous than asking if 40% of the American people still believe in Trump, after he has shown himself to have no regard for our allies or alliances, or our treaties, no regard for the economy, no regard for the environment or public lands, no regard for people of color, no regard for women, and no interest in appointing anything but the worst possible choices to fill the 47 major posts that have been vacated by people far more capable than their replacements. Is it?

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The president then closed with holiday wishes of sorts.

"It's a disgrace, what's happening in our country," he said.

Soul-searching, is he? Only marginal...

[JG27]

how I detest the media.... if this had not been broadcast by the Trump hating media there would be no issue....and as for this thing called social media...

[stevenl]

2 hours ago, sirineou said:

 I don't understand why the republicans themselves don't themselves replace this A-hole , he is not really a republican, what ever happened to the conservative concept of free markets?

  How could a president Pence be any worse?  Are they scared of Trump's base so much? Are their jobs more important than the country? I don't get it

If they do that the party will be split in 2, quite even, parts.

[holy cow cm]

Obviously he is eating his foot on this one if he had any morals or common sense. But no, he doesn't. Sad times with Trump in the USA.

[DM07]

So a 7 year old, believing in Santa...that is "marginal"!

But a 70 year old, not believing in climate change...that is a- okay?!

 

Dunce!

Edited December 26, 2018 by DM07

[Becker]

27 minutes ago, JG27 said:

how I detest the media.... if this had not been broadcast by the Trump hating media there would be no issue....and as for this thing called social media...

Yes, you must detest the free media that broadcast the filth that comes from his mouth.