Donald Trump on Tuesday returned to the theme of children perhaps learning to live with fewer toys (a direct result of prices hiked by his tariffs, which he continues to insist are a success) in remarks that were slammed on social media as being anything but in the festive spirit.
“The one thing you need, you need steel. You know, you can give up certain products. You can give up pencils,” the president said during a rally in Pennsylvania ostensibly to promote his administration’s economic results, drawing laughs from the audience.
“Under the China policy, every child can get 37 pencils. They only need one or two, you know. They don’t need that many,” Trump continued. “But you always need, you always need steel. You don’t need 37 dolls for your daughter. Two or three is nice. You don’t need 37 dolls, so, uh, we’re doing things right.”
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) highlighted the hypocrisy, writing on X, formerly Twitter: “Trump needs private jets and an Oval Office covered in gold but your kid only needs one pencil.”
Others mocked the president as “the Grinch Who Stole Christmas” and sarcastically called it a “winning message” just before the holidays.