WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump’s Christmas activities (all times local):
10:25 p.m.
President Donald Trump is attending worship services on Christmas Eve.
Trump and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, arrived at Washington National Cathedral for a late service on Monday night.
Trump most likely would have been attending Christmas services at church near his estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
But he scrapped plans to head to Florida for the holidays after parts of the government were forced to shut down indefinitely in a stalemate with Congress.
Trump wants $5.7 billion for a southern border wall. Democrats and some Republicans are opposed.
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9:50 p.m.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump took Christmas Eve calls from children anxious to find out where Santa is on his gift-giving journey.
In one conversation, Trump asked a 7-year-old named Coleman, “Are you still a believer in Santa?” He listened for a moment before adding, “Because at 7, it’s marginal, right?” Trump listened again and chuckled before saying, “Well, you just enjoy yourself.”
Mrs. Trump later tweeted that helping children track Santa “is becoming one of my favorite traditions!”
The NORAD Tracks Santa program became a Christmas Eve tradition after a child mistakenly called the forerunner to the North American Aerospace Defense Command in 1955 and asked to speak to Santa.
The program wasn’t affected by the government shutdown. It’s run by volunteers at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado using pre-approved funding.
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8 p.m.
President Donald Trump answered Christmas Eve telephone calls from children anxious to locate Santa.
Trump asked one child whether he still believed in Santa and told another “I’ll talk to you again.” First lady Melania Trump joined the president and told a caller Santa was in the Sahara. Several minutes later, she reported that Santa was far away in Morocco but would be at the caller’s home on Christmas morning.
The NORAD Tracks Santa program wasn’t affected by the government shutdown. It’s run by volunteers at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado using pre-approved Defense Department funding.
The program became a Christmas Eve tradition after a child mistakenly called the forerunner to the North American Aerospace Defense Command in 1955 and asked to speak to Santa.
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