President Donald Trump’s Christmas Eve phone call with a child during the annual NORAD Tracks Santa event has drawn attention after the US President called the child “a high-IQ person” and remarked that the country needed “more high-IQ people”.
The exchange, captured in a video shared by the White House Rapid Response account on X, showed Trump speaking to children as part of the long-running tradition in which US military officials track Santa Claus’s journey around the world on Christmas Eve.
During one call, Trump asked a child what he wanted for Christmas. The child hesitated before saying he wanted a Kindle. After asking the child to repeat the answer, Trump replied that it was “pretty good” before adding: “You must be a high-IQ person. We need more high-IQ people in the country.”
The comment prompted laughter from the child on the phone.
The clip circulated online, triggering a wave of humorous and critical responses on social media.
One user wrote: “Let’s start by getting a president with at least an average IQ.” Another joked: “Santa: Ho ho hold my budget.” Others questioned the seriousness of the remark, with one post reading: “Kids want Kindles, adults want a president who can lead the country.”
Several users aimed at Trump personally, with one comment saying: “Says the guy who has never read a book in his life.”
The NORAD Tracks Santa programme has been held annually since 1955 and is regarded as a light-hearted holiday tradition.
Trump’s comment once again highlighted how even informal presidential moments can spark political debate and online scrutiny.