Donald Trump Santa Spoiler Phone Call to 7-Year-Old Goes Viral on Its 5th Anniversary

Five years ago, amidst his controversial term, former President Donald Trump found himself in a rather Grinch-like situation. The incident unfolded during a phone call arranged by the NORAD Santa Tracker, where Trump inadvertently seemed to dampen the spirit of a 7-year-old believer in Santa Claus.

It was the evening preceding Christmas — precisely at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time — when the enticing scents of brisket and Brussels sprouts wafted through the kitchen of young Collman Lloyd's residence in Lexington, S.C. At this moment, Santa could have been descending a chimney in the Middle East, embarking on a journey toward Africa or Eastern Europe in his sleigh. The curious 7-year-old, Collman Lloyd, yearned to pinpoint the exact location of the man donned in the red suit. Turning to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the stalwart tracker of Santa's journeys for 63 years, she sought answers. A scientist on the other end of the line inquired if Lloyd would like to converse with none other than former President Trump.

“Are you still a believer in Santa? Because at seven, it’s marginal, right?” queried the ex-president during the Christmas Eve call with Lloyd, as per Mediaite. The NORAD orchestrated this interaction as part of their annual holiday online initiative to track the whereabouts of Santa Claus and his fleet of reindeer transports. Originating from a phone line mix-up in 1955, this tradition persisted this year despite the prevailing government shutdown.

According to CNN's report, Collman's response, though unheard by the press, left Trump amused, drawing a chuckle and a smile from the controversial figure. The girl, hailing from South Carolina as per The Post and Courier, later mentioned that she had never encountered the term "marginal" before. A video shared by her family captured the moment when she, perhaps unwittingly, affirmed her belief in Santa Claus with a polite "yes, sir" in response to Trump's inquiry. 

Despite the passage of time, the clip of Trump's conversation with young Lloyd went viral in 2018, sparking renewed interest and social media shares on the fifth anniversary of the call. The resonance of this incident in the public memory is evident, as it continues to captivate audiences half a decade later. Yashar Ali, a prominent figure on social media, took to X to share his perspective on the incident. In a post that garnered nearly 1 million views at the time of publication, Ali deemed the call "Trump’s funniest moment" and emphatically declared that he would "never apologize for thinking this is funny so don’t waste your time."

Melania Trump expressed on X that aiding children in tracking Santa "is becoming one of my favorite traditions!" The couple had engaged in phone calls even before that year. In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, where moments both trivial and profound find a home, the Trump-Santa phone call remains a timeless entry.