President Biden and President-elect Trump both delivered warm Christmas messages as a change in presidential administrations nears, though the Republican leader went on to take aim at Canada, the Panama Canal and Greenland.
The big picture: Biden in a post to X acknowledging this would be the last time as president he’d wish the nation a Merry Christmas said he hoped the U.S. would “continue to seek the light of liberty and love, kindness and compassion, dignity and decency.”
- He later said in a message wishing a happy Hanukkah, “As Hanukkah begins, may it shine from menorahs around the world.”
Meanwhile, Trump began on Truth Social by wishing a Merry Christmas to all and posted a video with Melania Trump paying tribute to Christianity and thanking Americans who keep the U.S. safe before extending his holiday wishes in a later post to Chinese soldiers that he claimed were “lovingly, but illegally,” operating the Panama Canal.
Zoom in: Trump did not elaborate further on these claims. Instead, he moved on to single out “Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada,” whose citizens he said paid taxes that were “far too high.”
- If Canada “was to become our 51st State, their Taxes would be cut by more than 60%, their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other Country anywhere in the World,” said Trump, who in a later post wished a Merry Christmas to “Radical Left Lunatics.”
- “Likewise, to the people of Greenland, which is needed by the United States for National Security purposes and, who want the U.S. to be there, and we will!” added Trump, who will be sworn in as president on Jan. 20.
Context: Trump’s remarks build on earlier comments about Panama, Canada and Greenland.
- He’s floated the idea of the U.S. taking ownership of Greenland and suggested annexing Canada amid border security negotiations in a pitch that Axios’ Dave Lawler notes is designed at least in part to needle Prime Minister Trudeau.
- And he’s said the Panama Canal should be returned to the United States if Panamanian authorities don’t lower fees for U.S. ships.
By Rebecca Falconer from AXIOS