President Trump is declaring victory over Democrats’ “War on Christmas” after he signed an executive order giving federal employees the day off on Dec. 24.
Mr. Trump said in a fundraising email this week that he and his supporters will “show the Left that Americans proudly celebrate CHRISTMAS!”
“This is a HUGE victory in the Democrats’ pathetic WAR ON CHRISTMAS, and I want YOU to be a part of it,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Trump also gave federal employees Dec. 24 off in 2018 and 2019.
Though Dec. 24 isn’t officially a federal holiday, such a move isn’t unprecedented.
Former President Barack Obama gave federal employees Dec. 24 off in 2012 and Dec. 26 off in 2014.
Mr. Obama also gave federal employees a half day off on Dec. 24 in 2009 and 2015. Christmas fell on a Friday in those years, as it does this year.
Dating back at least to the 2016 campaign, Mr. Trump has vowed to make it politically acceptable to say “Merry Christmas” again.
“Do you remember they were trying to take ’Christmas’ out of Christmas?” Mr. Trump said in December 2019 at a Turning Point USA conference. “You would go around, you’d see department stores that have everything — red, snow, beautiful ribbons, bows. Everything was there, but they wouldn’t say ’Merry Christmas.’”
Mr. Trump said he helped change that and people are now saying “Merry Christmas” again.
Mr. Obama wished Americans a Merry Christmas in all eight of the weekly addresses he taped around Christmastime when he was in the White House.
The first words out of the former president’s mouth in the 2010, 2014, 2015, and 2016 videos were “Merry Christmas, everybody.”
“Hello everyone, and Merry Christmas,” Mr. Obama said kicking off the first video in 2009.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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