Melania’s final Christmas duty: First Lady answers children calling NORAD’s Santa Tracker
- First lady Melania Trump will call into NORAD’s Santa Tracker on Christmas Eve
- It will be her last time doing the traditional call as first lady
- Melania Trump is at Mar-a-Lago with President Donald Trump, where the first couple will be spending the holiday season with other family members
- It’s unclear if President Trump will participate in the call
- His schedule for Thursday said he would be making many calls but didn’t note if the Santa Tracker was on the call sheet
- NORAD Santa Tracker has Santa arriving in the United States around 9 p.m. ET
Melania Trump will keep up her annual tradition of calling into NORAD’s Santa tracker, marking the Christmas tradition for her last time as first lady.
‘First Lady Melania Trump, as is her tradition each year, will work with NORAD to track Santa with children around the country as he travels around the world delivering presents,’ Stephanie Grisham, chief of staff for East Wing, told DailyMail.com in a statement.
Melania Trump is at Mar-a-Lago with President Donald Trump, where the first couple will be spending the holiday season with other family members.
It’s unclear if President Trump will join her in the calls, which are made on Christmas Eve as children track Santa’s journey while they wait for their presents.
It is not listed on the president’s public schedule for Thursday but the document did note Trump is working hard for the American people even as he started the day at his golf course.
It also said President Trump was making phone calls but didn’t say if the NORAD Santa Tracker was on the call sheet.
‘As the Holiday season approaches, President Trump will continue to work tirelessly for the American People. His schedule includes many meetings and calls,’ read the note at the bottom of Thursday’s schedule.
First lady Melania Trump will call into NORAD’s Santa Tracker on Christmas Eve from the Trumps’ home in Mar-a-Lago
Earlier this month Melania Trump read a Christmas story at Children’s National Hospital, another annual tradition for first ladies
Melania Trump also joined the Marines in December for their annual Toy for Tots drive
The first lady called into the tracker from Mar-a-Lago last year to check in with the children. Photos from the event were posted to her social media.
President Trump hasn’t participated in the tradition since 2018 when he risked blowing the Christmas magic for one seven year old with his question: ‘Are you still a believer in Santa? Because at seven it’s marginal, right?’
The Secret Service also got into the Christmas spirit this year, announcing they were giving Santa – who they gave the code name ‘Big Red’ – a special security detail.
‘BREAKING NEWS: On Monday, December 21st, 2020, the Director of the U.S. Secret Service announced the activation of protection for visiting dignitary Mr. S. Claus, codename Big Red,’ the agency tweeted.
President Trump hasn’t participated in the NORAD Santa Tracker calls since 2018 (above), when he risked blowing the Christmas magic for one seven year old
Melania Trump called into the NORAD Santa tracker last year from Mar-a-Lago
The Trumps arrived in Palm Beach on Wednesday evening where they will spend the holiday at Mar-a-Lago with family members
The NORAD tracker has tracked Santa Claus’ travels since 1955.
This year, one of his first stops was Russia and he then headed on to Australia, the Marshall Islands, New Zealand and China.
By 10:30 a.m. ET, he was flying back over Australia to Perth and was on his way to Christmas Island. He had clearly been working hard having already delivered over 1.5 billion presents.
So far he is on schedule to arrive in the United States between 9 p.m. and midnight Christmas Eve.
People can track his whereabouts on the official North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) Santa Tracker or call the toll-free number 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723).
Santa has been spotted on NORAD’s tracker wearing a mask as he flies around the world delivering presents to all the boys and girls who made it on the good list this year
So far he is on schedule to arrive in the US between 9 p.m. and midnight Christmas Eve. Pictured flying over Indonesia Thursday
Since 1955, the agency has been tracking Santa’s whereabouts on Christmas Eve using its satellites and radar.
For the rest of the year, NORAD is responsible for protecting America’s planes and airspace but, every Christmas Eve for the last 65 years, it puts its important work on hold for another matter of global importance – that Santa safely delivers all his presents on time.
‘The same assets we use in our aerospace warning and aerospace control missions 24/7/365 are used on Dec. 24 to track and escort [Santa],’ the agency tweeted Thursday.
NORAD activated the tracker Thursday morning just as Santa waved goodbye to his elves at his toy workshop and set off wearing his mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Additionally, Dr. Anthony Fauci told children he personally flew to the North Pole to give Santa the COVID vaccine to make sure it was safe for him to deliver presidents.
‘I took a trip up there to the North Pole,’ Fauci told children last week during a town hall sponsored by CNN and Sesame Street. ‘I went there and I vaccinated Santa Claus myself. I measured his level of immunity, and he is good to go. … Santa Claus is good to go.’
The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday granted Santa and his sleigh ‘special operating authority’ to make deliveries throughout the US.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo granted Santa a travel waiver Monday making him exempt from the state’s mandatory quarantine rules to ensure he can still get all his presents delivered on time.
Cuomo said Santa must still wear mask to help him do his job safely and prevent the spread of the virus.
‘I think you will still be able to recognize him even though he’ll be wearing a mask because he does have a fairly distinct outfit that he wears,’ Cuomo said.
Source: Read Full Article