Trump‘s Christmas Critiques: Attacking Adversaries and Reviving Old Claims
In an apparent attempt to turn the holidays into a political rally, the president-elect spent Christmas Day lambasting his political foes in a series of messages posted on his social media platform, Truth. While President Joe Biden shared a traditional holiday message emphasizing unity and renewal, Donald Trump skewered his opponents, labeling them "radical left lunatics," and revisited some of his favorite topics – including regaining control of the Panama Canal, buying Greenland, and annexing Canada.
Trump kicked off his digital rampage with the Panama Canal, claiming that China is illegally operating it and that the U.S. is pouring millions into repairs without having any say in the matter. He repeated his longstanding grievances about the infrastructure built by the U.S., which controlled the waterway until 1977, and only fully transferred to Panamanian control in 1999. Trump has been ratcheting up his calls to retake control of the canal if U.S. ships don’t secure discounts on tolls. However, his claims about Chinese involvement lack evidence, and the Panamanian government has firmly asserted its sovereignty over the canal, dismissing Trump’s assertions.
Trump also addressed Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, wished him a merry Christmas, and simultaneously accused him of imposing "too high" taxes on Canadian citizens. Trump floated the idea of making Canada the 51st U.S. state, contending that taxes would drop by more than 60%, businesses would double in size, and military protection would be unmatched. This is not the first time Trump has insinuated annexing Canada, using the derogatory term "governor of Canada" toaddress Trudeau – a move that comes as Trudeau faces a tough re-election campaign and increased pressure from Trump over border control and immigration policies.
The former president also expressed his desire to buy Greenland, reiterating his 2019 musings about purchasing the world’s largest island, which is an autonomous territory under the Kingdom of Denmark. Trump even suggested swapping Puerto Rico for Greenland back then, despite Puerto Rico’s ongoing recovery from Hurricane Maria’s devastation in 2017. Now, as he prepares to take office, Trump insists that acquiring Greenland is crucial for U.S. national security and global freedom, though Greenland’s prime minister has already told him the territory is "not for sale."
In true Trump fashion, the former president wrapped up his Christmas missive by denouncing the left, the Biden administration, and what he perceives as political persecution against him. He also took swipes at Biden’s recent commutation of 37 federal prisoners’ death sentences to life imprisonment without parole,claiming it was a desperate attempt by Biden to protect them from Trump’s future reprisals. Certainly, Trump’s Christmas message was no Silent Night, but a stark reminder of the polarizing nature of politics in the U.S. and the tight-lipped grip he maintains on the national discourse.
