Fox News personalities have spent two decades spreading paranoia that some segments of society are insufficiently enthusiastic about Christmas traditions, routinely accusing politicians, corporations, and private individuals of engaging in a "War on Christmas."
But when President Donald Trump told a group of supporters to accept a lower standard of living this holiday season during a speech about the economy — stressing that children really don’t need so many toys — Fox News shrugged it off as merely one of “a few jokes” the president was trying out on the stump as he prepares for next year’s midterm elections.
As Trump meandered into the second hour of his remarks during a December 9 campaign rally in Pennsylvania, he asserted that “you can give up certain products” like superfluous pencils and dolls for children. (According to Trump, this was in a sense a Christmas speech — he began his remarks stating, “Let me begin by wishing each and everyone one of you a very merry Christmas, happy New Year, all of that stuff,” and then congratulating himself because “now everybody’s saying ‘merry Christmas’ again.”)
The team at Fox & Friends First opened the December 10 edition of their program by highlighting Trump's comment, which they explicitly framed as a “joke” and just a lighthearted part of his “joke-fest-slash-rally last night.” Despite co-hosts Carley Shimkus and Todd Piro explicitly mentioning the proximity of Christmas, and Fox even previewing an upcoming "12 Towns in 12 Days" Christmas-themed segment, neither Fox personality drew a connection with Trump’s push for Americans to embrace austerity this holiday season.