President Joe Biden appears to have abandoned the annual Christmas Eve tradition of calling children from the White House to talk to them about Santa Claus on Saturday.
The White House closed all of the president’s Christmas Eve activities to the press, informing them the Biden family would attend a private Christmas Eve Mass at the White House and enjoy an Italian dinner.
The tradition of the NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) Santa calls goes back to at least 1955 as a way for presidents to connect with the public and children during the Christmas season.
But in 2021, Biden went viral after a father cheered “Let’s Go Brandon” on the phone during the event, echoing a popular phrase used to criticize the president as an alternative to the more vulgar “F*ck Joe Biden.”
“Let’s Go Brandon, I agree,” Biden answered while the press was recording his reaction.
This year, there was no media access to Biden’s calls and no evidence the president ever called children from the White House to talk about NORAD’s Santa tracker.
The White House also closed press access to the president’s phone calls to members of the military, sending out a notice to reporters that he made the calls, with no public evidence. They called a lid on the president’s activities at 12:30 pm Christmas Day.
Instead of allowing the press to interact with the president, the White House sent out staged photos of the Bidens preparing and celebrating Christmas on social media.
Only Jill Biden was spotted holding a phone handset, sharing on social media that NORAD had spotted Santa Claus. She was also photographed playing with her cat.
It’s almost time to set out the cookies and get the reindeers’ carrots ready — @NORADCommand just said Santa is on his way to your neighborhood! pic.twitter.com/mr307lTCr9
— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) December 25, 2022
Biden was also photographed standing on a ladder in a t-shirt with a bowl, presumably helping the first lady decorate the tree.
Just a few finishing touches! Hope you and your loved ones are having a great Christmas Eve. pic.twitter.com/zdCjjRrI9o
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 25, 2022
Holiday cheer with @FLOTUS and Willow! pic.twitter.com/fKl9Mft9o4
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 24, 2022
