TRUMP MARKS CHRISTMAS WITH AIR STRIKES, POLITICAL THREATS, RELIGIOUS RHETORIC
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Agency Report
Christmas under United States President Donald Trump was marked by foreign military action and sharp political rhetoric, as the president projected a vision of power rooted more in grievance than seasonal goodwill.
During the holiday period, Trump flooded his Truth Social account with posts that departed from traditional Christmas messages. Instead of calls for peace, the president announced air strikes against jihadist targets in Nigeria and issued verbal attacks against his political opponents.
Trump said on Friday that the strikes, carried out a day earlier, had “decimated” jihadist camps in northern Nigeria, describing the operation as a surprise “Christmas present.” In an interview with *Politico*, he claimed to have personally delayed the operation until Thursday to catch the militants off guard, insisting that “every camp” involved was hit.
According to the president, the military action was in retaliation for what he described as a “slaughter of Christians” in the West African country.
Domestically, Trump also used the holiday to target political rivals, referring to them as “radical leftist scum” in a Christmas greeting. In another post on Thursday, he warned cryptically, “Enjoy what may be your last Merry Christmas,” a remark widely interpreted as a threat directed at Democrats amid speculation over the release of files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In contrast, the White House later issued a traditional Christmas message signed by Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. The statement was heavily religious, invoking God repeatedly, celebrating “the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,” and praying for divine mercy and peace.
Trump has frequently claimed credit for restoring the use of “Merry Christmas” in public discourse, accusing his predecessor, Barack Obama, of favouring the more inclusive “Happy Holidays,” despite records showing Obama regularly used both greetings.
Notably, the president did not attend church during the holiday. Official schedules indicated that the 79-year-old spent Christmas at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida without participating in formal worship.
Across the administration, however, Christmas messaging strongly emphasised Christianity. The Department of Homeland Security urged Americans to remember “the miracle of Christ’s birth,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared a nativity image and spoke of “the hope of Eternal Life through Christ.” The Pentagon also hosted its first-ever Christmas Mass on December 17.
Religious language has long featured in American politics, even as the First Amendment prohibits the establishment of an official religion. Vice President JD Vance has increasingly promoted Christian doctrine in policy debates, arguing that governance should be rooted in Christian values.
Speaking at a recent rally organised by conservative group Turning Point USA, Vance said, “A true Christian politics… must be at the heart of our full understanding of government,” adding that the United States “always will be… a Christian nation.”
While Vance presents a structured Christian nationalist outlook, Trump’s religious messaging has taken on a more personal tone. In his January inauguration speech, Trump claimed God spared him from assassination so he could fulfil America’s destiny.
Since then, he has launched a White House Office of Faith led by televangelist Paula White, sold $60 “God Bless The USA” Bibles, and shared images of himself praying with pastors in the Oval Office.
Though not historically known as a devout churchgoer, Trump has increasingly spoken about salvation, at times suggesting that brokering peace abroad could improve his chances of reaching heaven. At other moments, he has expressed doubt, once remarking that he did not believe “there’s anything that’s going to get me into heaven.”
The president’s Christmas actions and rhetoric have once again highlighted the blend of religion, politics and confrontation that continues to define his leadership style.
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