Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s Very Different Christmas Messages

What’s new

Both President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump wished Americans a Merry Christmas on Wednesday, but their messages couldn’t be more different: Biden aims to uplift those who may be struggling this holiday season while Trump chose to use the day as an opportunity to threaten other countries and criticize His political opponents.

Newsweek I reached out to the White House and Trump transition team via email for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Why does it matter?

As Biden leaves office in a few weeks, he is making public appearances and bringing holiday cheer to those in need.

As Trump prepares for his incoming administration, he continues to focus on his political rivals who he believes wronged him in his 2020 election loss and the multiple criminal cases against him. Of the four criminal cases against Trump, in which he pleaded not guilty to all charges, two were dismissed, and the other two remain in limbo. The president-elect was also demanding ownership of their lands from Panama, Canada, and Greenland.

What do you know?

Trump posted a series of Christmas messages on his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday. They started with good wishes and a photo of the president-elect and his wife, incoming first lady Melania Trump, but then things took a turn.

Trump’s Christmas messages

In one post, Trump made another appeal for the United States to gain ownership of Canada, the Panama Canal, and Greenland.

“Merry Christmas to everyone, including China’s wonderful soldiers, who lovingly, but illegally, run the Panama Canal (we lost 38,000 lives building it 110 years ago), and always make sure the US invests billions of dollars.” “The dollars are repair money, but you will have absolutely nothing to say about anything,” Trump said.

Over the weekend, Trump suggested that the United States could regain control of the Panama Canal from the Panamanian government if nothing is done to reduce the “exorbitant” shipping costs required to use the waterway.

“Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belongs to Panama, and will remain so,” Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino said in a statement on Sunday. Molyneux also said China has no influence on the management of the Panama Canal.

Trump continued in his post: “Also, to Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada, whose taxes on his citizens are very high, but if Canada became our 51st state, their taxes would be reduced by over 60%, and their business would immediately double in 2019.” They will be militarily protected like no other country in the world. Likewise, for the people of Greenland, who the United States needs for national security purposes, and who want the United States to be there, and so do we. will!”

Trump has been calling Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, “Governor” and suggesting that Canada join the United States as the 51st state.

“For purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States of America feels that ownership and control of Greenland is absolute,” the president-elect also said Sunday while appointing PayPal co-founder Ken Horry as his ambassador to Denmark. necessity.”

Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc thought Trump was just joking when he suggested Canada become the 51st US state during a dinner with Trudeau late last month.

“The president was making jokes. The president was teasing us. It was not, of course, a serious comment on this issue in any way,” LeBlanc, who attended the dinner, told reporters earlier this month.

Greenland’s Prime Minister, Miot Egede, said on Monday: “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom.”

The president-elect also maintained his holiday tradition of thanking the “radical left crazies” in the United States

“Merry Christmas to the radical leftist lunatics, who are constantly trying to derail our court system and our elections, and are always going after the great citizens and patriots of the United States, but in particular, their political opponent, M.E. They know that their only chance to survive is to get a pardon from a man.” He has absolutely no idea what he’s doing, Trump wrote in another post on Wednesday.

He continued: “Also, to the 37 most violent criminals, who killed, raped and plundered like almost no one before them, but who have just, incredibly, received a pardon from Sleepy Joe Biden. I refuse to wish them a happy birthday.” Lucky “souls”, but instead, you’ll say: Go to hell, we just had the greatest election in the history of our country, and there’s a bright light now shining over the United States, and in 26 days, we’re going to do it, make America great again!

Biden announced Monday that he would commute the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates. They will remain in prison for life and will not be granted parole.

“President Biden has dedicated his career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system,” a statement issued by the White House on Monday said. “He believes America should stop using the death penalty at the federal level, except in cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder — which is why today’s actions apply to all but those cases.”

The president also commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people sentenced to home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and pardoned 40 others convicted of nonviolent crimes, including his son Hunter Biden, this month.

Christmas messages for Biden

Biden on Tuesday shared a Christmas Eve message on his personal X account, highlighting the sacrifices of US military service members.

“Jill and I hold a special place in our hearts for the brave men and women in uniform who defend our nation, many of whom are far from their families this holiday season. Wishing you and your loved ones a safe Christmas Eve,” Biden wrote. Along with a photo of him and First Lady Jill Biden.

The president signed 50 bills into law on Christmas Eve. Among these bills are the Stop Institutionalized Child Abuse Act, which protects youth living in residential treatment facilities; The Stop Campus Harassment Act, which requires colleges and universities to disclose reported incidents of harassment in their annual security reports; and the Anti-Corruption Act, which prohibits members of Congress from collecting pensions if they are convicted of crimes related to public corruption.

On Christmas Day, Biden posted on President X’s account: “Merry Christmas, America!” With a video of him and Jill at National Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C

“Merry Christmas, America,” the president said. “We join you from Children’s National Hospital where we’ve been spreading holiday cheer to children and families. And to us, too.”

Jill then said: “Four years ago, Joe and I spent time with these wonderful families, doctors and nurses here. It’s a tradition we look forward to every December. From the Biden family to yours, I hope your Christmas is filled with kindness, love and peace.” And the light.”

The video ended with the voices of the Biden family and a group of patients chanting: “Merry Christmas!”

What people say

Trump-supporting broadcaster Alex Stone In response to Biden’s Christmas Eve post on Wednesday with a photo of the president-elect and Melania Trump, he wrote: “Can’t wait until we get back to a real Christmas!”

Political commentator who goes to Jojo from Gers “Merry Christmas @POTUS and @FLOTUS,” he captioned Biden’s Christmas video on Wednesday.

Political strategist Dr. Basil Smekle on MSNBC on Monday He said about the threatening language that Trump uses towards other countries: “It is scary language because many people believe that this country is heading towards minority rule, and given [Russian President Vladimir] The kind of Putin-like language used here one really wonders how far he will actually go?

What happens next

Trump is scheduled to take office on January 20. He has pledged to begin mass deportations and secure the border on day one. He also promised to pardon some of those accused and convicted in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, expand oil drilling, and negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.