Lawmakers, media figures and social media users took to Twitter after President Trump asked a 7-year-old if she believes in Santa Claus.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump late Monday took calls from children about Santa’s whereabouts, a presidential tradition in conjunction with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
“Merry Christmas. How are you?” Trump asked one caller. “How old are you? … Are you doing well in school? … Are you still a believer in Santa?”
{mosads}After a short pause to hear the child’s response, the president then added: “Because at 7, it’s marginal, right?”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) later tweeted disapproval of Trump’s remark, saying: “It’s just too freaking fantastic that Trump spent his Christmas Eve calling seven year olds and telling them believing in Santa at their age is ‘marginal’.”
“If you’re 7, yes, Santa Claus exists and loves you,” tweeted former U.S. attorney Preet Bharara, a prominent Trump critic. “And he’s on his way.”
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, meanwhile, compared Trump to comedian Larry David.
And “roving journalist” Michael Tracey said on Twitter that “Trump ribbing a little kid about believing in Santa is pretty darn funny.”
But many critics said that Trump’s original question may have ruined Christmas for a young child by suggesting that Santa Claus didn’t exist.
The New York Times even tweeted about an article about the comments: “Kids, Please Do Not Read This Article on What Trump Said About Santa Claus.”
Dozens of other media figures and Twitter users reacted to the comments, with one calling the president a “Supervillian”:
A local newspaper later tracked down the young girl, Collman Lloyd, who said she left out milk and cookies for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and woke up to find an American Girl doll under the tree on Christmas morning.
Collman said she originally thought she would hear a recording of Trump’s voice and was surprised to actually be able to talk to him.
“I was like, ‘wow.’ I was shocked,” she said.
Updated on Wednesday at 6:45 a.m.