President Donald Trump’s Christmas Eve and Christmas Day messages in 2025 were anything but conventional, blending holiday wishes with sharp political attacks, boasts about his administration’s achievements, and renewed threats against major media networks. As reported by Reuters and HuffPost, Trump took to his favored platform, Truth Social, to address the nation—and his critics—in a series of posts that left little doubt about his combative holiday spirit.
On December 24, Trump posted, “Merry Christmas to all, including the Radical Left Scum that is doing everything possible to destroy our Country, but are failing badly.” He continued, “We no longer have Open Borders, Men in Women’s Sports, Transgender for Everyone, or Weak Law Enforcement.” Trump’s message, as noted by Reuters, was both a holiday greeting and a pointed reminder of his administration’s priorities. He touted what he described as the successes of his second term, highlighting a “Record Stock Market and 401K’s, Lowest Crime numbers in decades, No Inflation, and yesterday, a 4.3 GDP, two points better than expected.”
“Tariffs have given us Trillions of Dollars in Growth and Prosperity, and the strongest National Security we have ever had,” Trump claimed. “The United States is respected again, perhaps like never before. God Bless America!!!” His Christmas Eve missive was followed by a flurry of reposts from other Truth Social users, including calls to end the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster and praise for Roseanne Barr’s critique of mail-in voting.
But Trump’s posts didn’t stop at self-congratulation. He also lashed out at the media, particularly late-night television hosts and news networks. “Who has the worst Late Night host, CBS, ABC, or NBC??? They all have three things in common: High Salaries, No Talent, REALLY LOW RATINGS!” he fumed, according to HuffPost. Trump went further, suggesting that the negative coverage of himself and the MAGA movement should have consequences for the networks: “If Network NEWSCASTS, and their Late Night Shows, are almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party, shouldn’t their very valuable Broadcast Licenses be terminated? I say, YES!”
In a particularly pointed attack, Trump singled out CBS’s “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert, calling him “a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success.” Trump added, “Now, after being terminated by CBS, but left out to dry, he has actually gotten worse, along with his nonexistent ratings. Stephen is running on hatred and fumes ~ A dead man walking! CBS should, ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW, it is the humanitarian thing to do!” As Reuters and HuffPost both observe, while Trump has threatened to target broadcast licenses before, he has not taken concrete action—preferring instead to pursue legal settlements with media outlets.
Trump’s holiday social media presence extended into Christmas Day, where, as HuffPost documented, he continued to rage about the 2020 election, which he still falsely claims was stolen. He again wished a Merry Christmas to the “Radical Left Scum” and even to “dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.” The tone of Trump’s posts stood in stark contrast to the typical messages of unity and goodwill that usually characterize presidential holiday communications.
Meanwhile, Trump’s influence was also felt in the world of arts and culture. The CBS broadcast of the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, which Trump hosted and had been heavily promoted in advance, drew the lowest ratings in the event’s history. According to early Nielsen estimates reported by HuffPost, only 2.65 million viewers tuned in, a steep drop from the 4.1 million in 2024 and 5.2 million in 2022. Even with a possible 25% bump in final numbers, the viewership would remain well below previous years. The broadcast featured the newly renamed Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a change that came after Trump installed himself as chair of the board of trustees, fired 18 members, and replaced them with his own supporters. The new name was prominently displayed on the building’s facade and on the center’s website, as well as during the televised broadcast.
Trump’s ambitions for the Kennedy Center didn’t stop at the name change. Prior to the ceremony, he mused about leaving the presidency to make hosting the Honors his “full-time job” if he did “really good” as emcee, as HuffPost reported. However, the combination of plummeting ticket sales, canceled performances, and record-low TV ratings suggests that the Trump era at the Kennedy Center has been fraught with controversy and declining public interest.
Elsewhere in the media world, CBS News found itself embroiled in its own controversy. Editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, under fire for pulling a “60 Minutes” segment about the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador, told staff that the decision was part of an effort to “win back” audience trust. In a memo obtained by the New York Times, Weiss wrote, “The majority of Americans say they do not trust the press. It isn’t because they’re crazy.” She emphasized the need for comprehensive and fair reporting, even if such editorial decisions spark backlash. The memo was also signed by CBS News president Tom Cibrowski and deputy editors Charles Forelle and Adam Rubenstein. While Weiss insisted the segment wasn’t “ready,” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi argued internally that the decision was “political.”
On the policy front, the Trump administration’s impact was also felt in other areas over the holiday period. The Department of Homeland Security announced the end of the lottery system for H-1B visas, replacing it with a weighted selection process that prioritizes higher-skilled and higher-paid foreign workers. “The existing random selection process of H-1B registrations was exploited and abused by U.S. employers who were primarily seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages than they would pay American workers,” said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Matthew Tragesser. He added, “We will continue to update the H-1B program to help American businesses without allowing the abuse that was harming American workers.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized up to 350 National Guard troops to be sent to New Orleans and other Louisiana cities through the end of February 2026 to counter high rates of violent crime. The move, as reported by HuffPost, puts the troops under the control of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who described the deployment as “desperately needed.”
While Trump’s Christmas messages and actions drew sharp criticism from opponents and the media, his supporters continued to amplify his posts and defend his claims. The holiday period, typically a time for reflection and unity, instead became another stage for the ongoing political and cultural battles that have defined Trump’s presidency. As the year draws to a close, the nation finds itself as divided as ever, with the president’s social media posts serving as both a rallying cry for his base and a lightning rod for his critics.
