President Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended Christmas services on Tuesday night at Family Church Downtown in West Palm Beach, Fla.
It was a traditional holiday service with carols, readings of scripture and a “lively” version of “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” according to the summaries from a White House pooler attending with the president.
Politics were absent, according to the pool reports, though Jimmy Scroggins, the lead pastor, did give a nod to the special guests by stating at the beginning of his homily that at the birth of Jesus, “there was no Secret Service. There was no motorcade. There was no gaggle of press.”
President Trump said, “Merry Christmas, everybody,” as he and his wife entered the church. Carols at the service included renditions of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”
The Christmas story from Luke 2 was read by a family seated at the edge of the stage, according to the White House pool report.
Trump is staying at his Mar-a-Lago home over the holidays and was back at the property a little past 7 p.m. He’s attending an annual Christmas Eve dinner at Mar-a-Lago after the church service.
Upon arriving back at the estate, a reporter asked Trump if he had prayed for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), whom the president criticized earlier in the day over impeachment. “We’re going to have a great year,” Trump responded.
Last Christmas, Trump was in Washington, where the federal government was partially shut down over a funding dispute centered on a battle over money for a wall at the southern border.
Trump attended a midnight mass at Washington National Cathedral last year as he spent the holiday at the White House.
This story was updated at 7:56 p.m.