Trump continues tradition of airing grievances in holiday messages

President-elect Donald Trump used his Christmas message this year to make another plea for the Panama Canal, Canada and Greenland, while also continuing his tradition of wishing a happy holiday to “Radical Left Lunatics.”

“Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal (where we lost 38,000 people in its building 110 years ago), always making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in ’repair’ money, but will have absolutely nothing to say about ’anything,’” Mr. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday.

He also looked north of the United States.

“Also, to Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada, whose Citizens’ Taxes are far too high, but 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,” he wrote. “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!”

Mr. Trump over the weekend suggested that the United States could regain control of the Panama Canal, citing unfair treatment and Panama’s high fees, which angered Panamanian officials.

Mr. Trump has also continuously joked about making Canada the 51st state, and calling Mr. Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, “governor.”

On Sunday, while announcing PayPal co-founder Ken Howery as his pick for United States ambassador to Denmark, called for Greenland to be under U.S. control.

“For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Mr. Trump wrote.

Mr. Trump wished Merry Christmas to the “Radical Left Lunatics who are constantly trying to abstract our Court System and our Elections, and are always going after the Great Citizens and Patriots of the United States but, in particular, their Political Opponent, ME.”

“They know that their only chance of survival is getting pardons from a man who has absolutely no idea what he is doing,” he wrote.

He then went after President Biden’s recent commutations of nearly all federal death sentences, explicitly to prevent Mr. Trump from carrying out the executions.

“Also, to the 37 most violent criminals, who killed, raped, and plundered like virtually no one before them, but were just given, incredibly, a pardon by Sleepy Joe Biden. I refuse to wish a Merry Christmas to those lucky ’souls’ but, instead, will say, go to hell!” Mr. Trump continued, breaking into his trademark all-capital letters for the closing curse.

The president-elect then expressed optimism based on himself, with the last few phrases in emphatic capitals.

“We had the Greatest Election in the History of our Country, a bright light is now shining over the U.S.A. and, in 26 days, we will, Make America Great Again. Merry Christmas!”

It’s become a tradition for Mr. Trump to use messages for many holidays — also Labor Day, Memorial Day and others — as a way to air his grievances rather than issue an ecumenical statement of well wishes, as most politicians do.