Eric Trump made the unfounded claim on Monday that his father, former President Donald Trump, “saved” Christmas by reinstating the term “Christmas tree” during his presidency. Speaking on Newsmax, Eric Trump falsely suggested that during President Barack Obama’s administration, there was an effort to remove the word “Christmas” in favor of “holiday tree.”
“You know, you had a cognizant effort to get rid of the word ‘Christmas,’” Eric Trump alleged. “I mean, they were calling it a holiday tree, uh, during the Obama administration.”
Contrary to this claim, every year during Obama’s two terms, the former president and First Lady Michelle Obama prominently celebrated Christmas at the White House. Their celebrations included the annual lighting of the National Christmas Tree, often with their daughters by their side, and multiple Christmas trees displayed throughout the White House.
Eric Trump further stated, “It wasn’t until my father came in and said, ‘We’re gonna call it a Christmas tree because we celebrate Christmas as a nation.’” He then shifted to a broader claim, saying, “Faith is under attack, family is under attack,” and linked the presence of religious teachings to the well-being of children and safe communities.
In addition to the Christmas remarks, Eric Trump also accused the Obama administration of weaponizing the IRS to target Christian organizations, describing the alleged actions as “absolutely vicious.” However, these claims have been repeatedly debunked, as no evidence supports a targeted campaign against religious groups during Obama’s presidency.
Eric Trump’s comments reflect a recurring right-wing narrative suggesting that liberals are waging a “war on Christmas.” This narrative gained traction during Donald Trump’s presidency, with the former president often claiming he was bringing back the use of the term “Merry Christmas.” However, as demonstrated during the Obama administration, Christmas was consistently celebrated at the White House, with no documented effort to replace “Christmas” with “holiday.”
These claims continue to be part of a broader cultural debate, though they remain rooted in misinformation about past administrations’ holiday traditions.