President Trump marked Christmas with air strikes in Nigeria, political warnings and religious messaging, while skipping church himself.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s Christmas holiday combined military action abroad with political threats at home, framing a vision of power steeped in grievance.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Trump used his Truth Social platform to announce strikes against jihadists in Nigeria and to insult his political enemies.
Trump said on Friday that the previous day’s strikes had “decimated” jihadist camps in northern Nigeria, calling the operation a surprise “Christmas present.”
In a Politico interview, the president said he personally delayed the action until Thursday to maximise surprise, hitting “every camp” involved.
He stated the strikes were retaliation for a “slaughter of Christians” in the West African nation.
His Christmas greeting then targeted political rivals, branding them “radical leftist scum.”
On Thursday, Trump posted a darker warning: “Enjoy what may be your last Merry Christmas,” hinting at Democrats and pending Jeffrey Epstein files.
The White House later issued a traditional, scripture-heavy Christmas message signed by the president and First Lady Melania Trump.
That statement invoked God seven times, celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth and praying for “God’s abiding love, divine mercy, and everlasting peace.”
Trump has long claimed credit for restoring “Merry Christmas” to public life, accusing predecessor Barack Obama of preferring “Happy Holidays.”
This year, the official schedule shows the 79-year-old president spent the holiday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida without attending church.
Across his administration, Christmas messaging heavily emphasised Christianity.
The Homeland Security Department urged Americans to “remember the miracle of Christ’s birth.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a nativity scene and spoke of “the hope of Eternal Life through Christ.”
The Pentagon hosted its first-ever Christmas Mass on December 17.
Vice President JD Vance is pushing Christian doctrine into policy areas from diplomacy to immigration.
“A true Christian politics… must be at the heart of our full understanding of government,” he told a Turning Point USA rally.
“We have been, and by the grace of God, we always will be, a Christian nation,” Vance added to crowd applause.
Vance offers a disciplined Christian nationalist vision, but Trump’s version is more personal and messianic.
In his January inauguration speech, Trump claimed God saved him from assassination to fulfill America’s destiny.
He has since sold $60 “God Bless The USA” Bibles and launched a White House Office of Faith under televangelist Paula White.
Trump now often speaks of his own salvation, telling Fox News in August, “I want to try and get to heaven if possible.”
He has suggested brokering peace in Ukraine might improve his spiritual standing.
At other times, he has sounded less confident about his prospects.
