By John Q. Hosedrinker 
During a Christmas Eve tradition, President Trump spoke with children calling the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) to track Santa’s progress. While asking children about their Christmas wishes, Trump told one caller that coal was “clean and beautiful,” a phrase he often used in his campaign to revive domestic coal production. The president’s comment came after the child said she did not want coal for Christmas. Ultimately, the child stated that she would prefer a Barbie doll, clothes, and candy over coal.
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Trump tells children ‘coal is beautiful and clean’ on Christmas Eve, and the whole thing just feels… off. It’s hard to know where to even begin with this. Seriously, what kid is sitting there on Christmas Eve, pondering the environmental impact of their stocking stuffers? It’s just not a topic that resonates with the average eight- or ten-year-old. The idea of coal, beautiful and clean, sounds like something Krampus might say, not Santa.
It really does feel like this is a moment where Trump is completely out of touch. The immediate response, especially when it comes from a child who seems less than enthralled by the prospect of coal, is to correct them with, “You mean *clean*, beautiful coal.” It’s almost comical how quickly he jumped in to defend it. And the idea that he’s pushing the benefits of coal on children is just bizarre. It’s a talking point, pure and simple, and it highlights how he thinks in soundbites and is incapable of genuine interaction.
This whole scenario is a perfect example of what many find so frustrating about Trump. It’s the blatant disregard for the truth, the focus on spin over substance, and the apparent willingness to say anything, no matter how nonsensical, to push a particular narrative. “Clean coal” is a phrase often used as propaganda, as the reality is quite different. The fact that the coal industry has long been struggling to stay relevant makes it even more questionable, and frankly, the adjective “beautiful” in this context is completely baffling.
The fact that this would be a major news story if Biden had made these remarks, especially from right-wing news outlets, is telling. Imagine the outrage, the accusations of indoctrination, the calls for him to be removed from office. This demonstrates the political divide and how events are viewed in vastly different ways, depending on who’s saying them. It really underscores how quickly the conversation can shift.
It’s difficult to avoid the feeling that Trump doesn’t really know how to talk to children. His interactions always seem forced, as if he’s reading from a script, and he seems incapable of natural interaction with kids. His actions often lack any genuine warmth or connection. It just feels like a political move, another attempt to insert his talking points, and in this case, to make coal sound appealing.
Furthermore, there is a lot of baggage surrounding Trump, and it makes these kinds of interactions all the more uncomfortable. The fact that he’s often surrounded by controversy and accusations of inappropriate behavior just adds another layer of unease. It’s difficult to separate the man from his words. This kind of comment, and others like it, are merely proof of someone who operates in a transactional world.
The fact that Trump is out of touch with both reality and the environmental impact of coal on the planet is, unfortunately, no surprise. It’s a dying industry, and the infrastructure to support it is decaying, but he’s promoting it to children. The whole situation highlights a lack of understanding, and the fact that he may have gotten a lot of coal in his stocking when he was a kid is probably the most appropriate response.
The most unsettling thing is how consistently Trump makes comments that are just plain wrong, and in this case, potentially dangerous. Coal is far from clean and beautiful, and it’s dangerous for children. This entire situation is an uncomfortable reminder of why so many people feel this man is unfit to be around children.