Trump's Holiday Card Has One Very Important Difference From Obama's
Good news, President Donald Trump's hated "war on Christmas" may officially be over. On Wednesday, Nov. 28, the Trump family kicked off the holidays by signing the official White House Trump Christmas card with "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays," the more politically correct phrase. This is a shift from former President Barack Obama's White House holiday cards that erred on the side of non-denominational greetings and inclusion.
This was an expected move on Trump's part, considering he's spoken about "bringing Christmas back" at recent rallies. In October 2017, at the annual Values Voters Summit, Trump combatted political correctness saying, "They don't use the word 'Christmas' because it's not politically correct. Well, guess what? We’re saying 'Merry Christmas' again!"
In the same October speech, Trump promised the crowd that the his administration is, "stopping cold the attacks on Judeo-Christian values. You know, we're getting near that beautiful Christmas season that people don't talk about anymore. You go to department stores, and they'll say, 'Happy New Year' and they'll say other things. And it will be red, they'll have it painted, but they don't say it."
Prior to his October "war on Christmas" vow, Trump talked about bringing back the words "Merry Christmas" shortly after he was elected. During a Wisconsin rally in December 2016, Trump said, "So when I started 18 months ago, I told my first crowd in Wisconsin that we are going to come back here someday and we are going to say 'Merry Christmas' again. Merry Christmas. So, Merry Christmas, everyone. Happy New Year, but Merry Christmas."
The past eight Christmas cards from Obama's White House played it safe with "Season's Greetings" and "Happy Holidays," but Trump has made clear that he's blazing his own trail and distancing himself as much as possible from the Obama way of doing things. Trump has used much of his time in office to dismantle policies put into place by Obama, like the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and the Affordable Care Act (ACA aka Obamacare).
Obama isn't the only president to take a politically correct stance towards the holiday season. Former Republican President George W. Bush sent holiday cards during his administration that used the phrase "holiday season" instead of "Merry Christmas," according to Bustle.
First Lady Melania Trump's Christmas decorations are definitely in line with the president's 'bring back Christmas' mentality. Melania reportedly picked "every detail" of the White House's decorations and went with a classic Christmas theme of traditions. First Lady Trump also reportedly selected classic Christmas wreaths with red bows to hang on the outside of the White House. While it may not be politically correct, it is undeniably gorgeous.
The Trump administration also released an official Christmas hat, which really is just a "Make America Great Again" hat with Christmas lights intertwined, and a sneaky back of the baseball caps that says, "Merry Christmas." While the original hat is priced at $40, the festive version is sold at $45.
One aspect of Trump's Christmas celebration that was politically correct was the annual party invitation. The invitation, which was reportedly sent out in early November, called the White House event a "Holiday Reception," with no mention of the word Christmas, according to the Washington Post.
Trump's first Christmas in the White House only reinforces the evidence that he does things his own way and is unapologetic about it. Trump continues to appeal to his target audience, white conservatives, who likely also want to bring back "Merry Christmas." President Trump is expected to light the White House tree on Thursday, Nov. 30, and in addition to the tree lighting, we can likely expect the blatant use of "Merry Christmas" as well.
