Many people criticised Donald Trump after his Christmas Day message was seen as gloomy, angry, and out of step with the spirit of the holiday. Instead of focusing on goodwill or unity, the president used the moment to talk about border security, Russia, the Federal Reserve, and ongoing political fights in Washington.
Speaking from the Oval Office during a partial government shutdown in 2018, Trump painted a dark picture of the country’s situation. He described what was happening at the southern border as “a disgrace” and accused Democrats of being hypocritical. In the middle of his remarks, he unexpectedly returned to the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, a topic many felt had no place in a Christmas message.
The tone of the speech quickly drew criticism. At one point, Trump said, “It’s a disgrace what’s happening in our country. But other than that, I wish everybody a very merry Christmas.” For many listeners, that line summed up the problem: a brief holiday greeting wrapped inside frustration and anger. Critics said it cast a shadow over a day usually associated with kindness, peace, and togetherness.
While families across the country were taking a break from work stress and political arguments, Trump appeared focused on the very tensions many hoped to escape. His comments stood in sharp contrast to the festive mood elsewhere in the United States.
Instead of spending Christmas at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump stayed at the White House. During calls with U.S. troops stationed overseas, he repeated his demand for a border wall, defended his foreign policy decisions, and once again denied any collusion between his 2016 campaign and Russia. He openly admitted there was no clear timeline for reopening the government, saying it would remain closed until funding for a wall or fence was approved.
“I can’t tell you when the government is going to be open,” he said, insisting it would not happen without progress on border barriers.
The troops he spoke with appeared via satellite from bases in places like Alaska, Bahrain, Guam, and Qatar. Notably, there were no appearances from service members stationed in active war zones such as Iraq, Afghanistan, or Syria.
Trump also praised wealthy allied nations for contributing more to regional security, while repeating his long-held complaint that the United States acts as “the policemen of the world.” He took aim at the Federal Reserve as well, saying interest rates were being raised too fast and were unsettling financial markets. At the same time, he claimed the market downturn was actually “a tremendous opportunity to buy,” a comment that confused and frustrated some observers.
For several days, the president remained mostly inside the White House, leaving only to attend Christmas Eve church services. He said he canceled his annual Florida trip because he did not want to be on holiday while federal workers were going without pay due to the shutdown.
Trump claimed, without offering proof, that furloughed government workers supported his refusal to reopen the government without wall funding. He continued to blame Democrats for the shutdown and announced plans to visit Texas later in January to see wall construction efforts.
With Democrats set to take control of the House of Representatives in the new year, Trump warned that he was facing what he called “presidential harassment.” He said he was ready for tougher oversight from Democratic leaders, including Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.
The president then abruptly returned to the subject of James Comey, saying Democrats had once criticised the former FBI director but later complained when he was fired. “Once I fired him, everybody said, ‘Why did you fire him?’” Trump said.
Taken together, the wide-ranging complaints and political attacks, delivered on a day meant to calm divisions, led many critics to label the message depressing and even inappropriate for Christmas. Supporters, however, argued that Trump was simply staying focused on issues he believes are vital to national security and the future of the country, regardless of the holiday.
