White House releases festive video with classic holiday song, but what they’re actually showing is anything but cheerful

The Trump White House posted a video on Tuesday that used the Christmas song Jingle Bells to send a harsh message about removing undocumented immigrants from the country. They mixed cheerful holiday music with serious footage of detentions and deportations, targeting what they called “criminal illegal aliens.” The video quickly sparked heavy backlash, with many calling it needlessly cruel.

According to HuffPost, the video was shared widely on X, and the difference between the sound and images was striking. While Jingle Bells played in the background, the footage showed people being detained. The most disturbing part was the sound design, where traditional sleigh bells were replaced with the sound of chains used to restrain detainees. This highlighted how serious and unforgiving the administration’s immigration policy is.

The clip also showed President Trump talking about the policy directly. He said these people must go “back to the places from which they came.” He offered them “a free flight out of our country” to “any foreign country as long as it’s not here.”

The administration turned a Christmas classic into a deportation anthem

The White House social media team changed the song’s lyrics in their post caption. They wrote: “Jingle bells, jingle bells, Jingle all the way! Oh, what fun it is to ride on a free flight out of our country.” This attempt to turn a beloved holiday song into a political message got plenty of attention but split people’s opinions sharply. This isn’t the first time the White House twisted a cherished Christmas tradition for political messaging this season.

Trump supporters praised the video as a strong stand on border security. But critics hit back hard, saying the video’s only purpose was “cruelty.” Some said the aggressive clip was “very far beneath the White House” and shouldn’t come from the president’s office.

This wasn’t the only controversial post that day. Earlier on Tuesday, the White House shared another aggressive video showing old footage of Trump entering a wrestling ring. It used the 50 Cent song “Many Men (Wish Death)” as background music.

The caption read: “Walking into my work Christmas party knowing that we won the election and haven’t stopped winning since.” The administration’s bizarre holiday social media posts have become a pattern that many find concerning.

The White House social media team clearly wanted a bold, aggressive presence during the holiday season. While this strategy gets people talking, mixing harsh political messages with holiday themes is risky, especially with such jarring images. The team isn’t afraid to cross lines, but this video raised concerns across different political groups.