President Donald Trump tried to make the case to an 8-year-old that getting coal this Christmas isn’t all bad.
As the president and first lady Melania Trump took calls from kids dialing the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa Tracker hotline, Trump bragged about his “clean, beautiful coal.”
When asked by Trump, 79, what she wanted Santa to bring her for Christmas, the 8-year-old caller responded, “Uh, not coal.”
“Not coal, no, you don’t want coal… you mean clean, beautiful coal. I had to do that, I’m sorry,” Trump laughed.
“No, coal is clean and beautiful. Please remember that at all costs,” he added. “But you don’t want clean, beautiful coal, right?”
When the child confirmed, “No,” Trump asked, “What would you like?”
She said she wanted Barbies, American Girl dolls, clothes, and candy.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has been trolling Trump for his erratic online posting for months, mocked the Trump administration for promoting coal this Christmas.
Trump frequently touts coal as his preferred energy source while railing against clean energy sources like wind farms. At Christmas, however, coal in one’s stocking is seen as a punishment by Santa for being naughty that year.
An 8-year-old girl later asked Trump if Santa would get mad if they did not leave out any cookies for him. Trump responded by calling Santa overweight.
“I think he won’t get mad, but I think he’ll be very disappointed,” Trump replied.
“Santa, he tends to be a little bit on the cherubic side,” he joked. “Do you know what cherubic means? A little on the heavy side. I think Santa would like some cookies.”
Trump also touted his electoral successes in the state of Oklahoma as he took a call from a child there.
“Santa loves you. Santa loves Oklahoma like I do. You know, Oklahoma was very good to me in the election. So I love Oklahoma. Don’t ever leave Oklahoma, OK?” he told the kid.
The child responded, “OK, I’ll try.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
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