President-elect Donald Trump delivered a striking and controversial Christmas message this week, taking aim at federal death row inmates recently granted clemency by President Joe Biden, political opponents, and even foreign leaders. The remarks, posted on Trump's Truth Social platform, have reignited political tensions as his inauguration approaches.
In his sharply worded message, Trump spared no words for the 37 inmates whose sentences were commuted by Biden on Monday. These individuals, who had faced the federal death penalty, will now serve life sentences without parole. "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," Trump wrote, "I refuse to wish a Merry Christmas to those lucky 'souls' but, instead, will say, GO TO HELL!"
Biden defended his decision, emphasizing his belief in the need to end the federal death penalty. "Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss," the president said in a statement. However, Biden added, "I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level."
Trump's Christmas post also addressed foreign policy and economic grievances, focusing on China, Canada, and Greenland. He criticized China's alleged control of the Panama Canal, a critical shipping route constructed with significant American involvement over a century ago. "Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal," he wrote, referencing historical U.S. contributions to the canal's construction.
In a dig at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom he referred to as "Governor," Trump suggested that Canada's taxes were excessively high and proposed a radical idea: statehood. "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 said.
Trump also expressed ambitions for Greenland, reiterating past assertions of its strategic importance to U.S. national security. "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!" he declared, reviving a geopolitical controversy that first arose during his presidency.
Domestically, Trump took aim at "Radical Left Lunatics," accusing them of obstructing the judicial and electoral processes. "Merry Christmas to the Radical Left Lunatics, who are constantly trying to obstruct 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. ," he wrote. He accused his adversaries of leveraging pardons to secure political survival, further polarizing an already divided electorate.
Trump's message concluded on a defiant note, vowing to restore what he called 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," he wrote.
