Donald Trump announces 'we can say Merry Christmas again'

The President vows to fight the so-called 'war on Christmas' 

Mythili Sampathkumar
New York
Thursday 21 December 2017 17:20 GMT
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'We can say Merry Christmas again' declares Donald Trump

For those who felt they needed the President's permission, Donald Trump has declared: "We can say Merry Christmas again."

Mr Trump repeatedly vowed during his campaign to end the so-called “war on Christmas", a commonly held belief among many of the President’s Christian supporters.

His comment came during a speech celebrating the passage of the tax reform bill.

Some of Mr Trump's supporters have felt that saying the more neutral and inclusive “happy holidays” to mark celebrations of Hannukah, Eid, or other holidays taking place around the same time, has undermined the Christian majority in the country.

The "war" extends to some feeling as if political correctness is a forced and unnecessary social practice as well.

Dan Cassino, a professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University told CNN that Mr Trump “is no one's idea as an evangelical Christian, but he is very much using the same rhetoric as the war on Christmas...And it fits very much into his worldview that the people he's representing have been left behind by this liberal society".

Mr Trump claimed on the campaign trail that Americans would say “Merry Christmas in every store” during his presidency, implying that the phrase had gone out of use.

Public institutions do have some restrictions placed on them as a way of being more inclusive of the public they serve, but Christmas trees abound in several government buildings along with menorahs and Diwali lights.

MSNBC aired a series of video clips of previous President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle saying “Merry Christmas” during official White House holiday greetings.

Vice President Mike Pence also chimed in during the tax bill passage celebration by saying “"Merry Christmas, America!" and referring to the tax cuts in bill a gift to all Americans.

"With God's help, you will make America great again," Mr Pence said to Mr Trump.

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