Trump Pitches 'Clean Coal' on NORAD Santa Hotline

President Donald Trump pitched coal while he and first lady Melania Trump spread Christmas cheer to children Wednesday during the annual NORAD Tracks Santa calls, but it was not for anyone's stocking.

From their festive telephone posts at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, the Trumps fielded questions on separate Santa hotlines from children across the country who dialed into the North American Aerospace Defense Command's beloved Christmas Eve tradition.

Trump asked children what presents they were excited about receiving, promising to not let a "bad Santa" infiltrate the country and even suggesting that a stocking full of coal might not be so bad.

"We want to make sure that Santa is being good. Santa's a very good person," Trump told kids, 4 and 10, from Oklahoma. "We want to make sure that he's not infiltrated, that we're not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa."

Trump was clearly referencing his closed and now-secure border policy, and also joked with another kid about the age-old lump of coal.

Trump asked an 8-year-old girl from Kansas what she wanted for Christmas.

"Not coal," she said.

"You mean clean, beautiful coal," Trump said, laughing. "I had to do that. I'm sorry.

"Coal is clean and beautiful, remember that, at all costs. But you don't want clean and beautiful coal, right?"

"No," she said.

"What would you like?" the president asked. She responded that Barbies topped her list.

"Well, you'll get that, I'm sure," he said, before she added requests for clothes and candy.

"Well, candy is good. Do you eat much candy?" Trump asked.

"Not all the time," she replied.

"Candy is good," he said. "You eat as much as you want. Be healthy, OK? But Santa is going to be there in about five hours.

"Leaving Sweden right now."

NORAD, a U.S.-Canadian military partnership better known for guarding North American airspace, has doubled as Santa's co-pilot every Christmas Eve since 1955, a tradition born from a misdialed phone number that turned a cold call into a warm holiday staple.

Callers eager to track Santa's sleigh got more than just latitude and longitude. They also received a healthy helping of Christmas cheer from the president and first lady, who sounded right at home spreading goodwill.

A girl from Oklahoma named Anastasia, 4, asked the president when Santa would be arriving at her home.

"Well, Santa is going to stop over tonight," he said. "Leave you a lot of beautiful presents. Like really beautiful presents.

"What do you want more than anything else? What present would you like?"

"Um, a dollhouse," she said.

"Wow, a dollhouse? I think we can work that out," Trump said. "Have a feeling, Mommy, that we can work that out, right? I think Santa's going to bring you the most beautiful dollhouse you've ever seen.

"Let me know how good the dollhouse is.

"We owe a lot to Santa, so I think Santa will fulfill your wish. Thank you, honey. Take care of yourself. Merry Christmas.

"Say hello to Oklahoma. We love Oklahoma."

Another child, Emily, asked the first lady a similar question about Santa's schedule.

"I think it will be dark, very late tonight," Melania Trump said. "Emily, it's best if you go to sleep and then Santa will arrive to your house."

A 5-year-old girl from North Carolina wanted to know whether Santa might get upset if cookies weren't left out.

"I think he won't get mad, but I think he will be very disappointed," the president said. "You know, Santa, he tends to be a little bit on the cherubic side.

"Do you know what cherubic means? A little on the heavy side. You'd like to leave some cookies for Santa, right?"

"Yes," the girl responded.

"But you're not going to forget," he said. "I would leave them. I think Santa has a serious appetite. … You take care of yourself.

"North Carolina is a great place. You are surrounded by great people and great parents. Say hello to them, OK? Thank you, honey. Say hello to Santa if you see him."

After hanging up their Santa hats, the president and first lady followed the festive calls by speaking with U.S. military service members stationed around the globe, extending holiday thanks to those serving far from home.

NORAD's Santa tracking operation uses the same radar, satellites and high-tech aerospace tools that typically scan for potential threats. On Christmas Eve, those systems pivot from defense to delight, following Santa's sleigh as it circles the globe.

The annual program receives hundreds of thousands of calls and digital inquiries each Christmas Eve, giving families a whimsical break from winter weather and a reminder that even military precision has room for a little Christmas magic.

NORAD's Tracks Santa hotline, accessible by calling 1-877-HI-NORAD or visiting NORADSanta.org, provides real-time updates on Santa's sleigh as it "travels" across time zones, with volunteers at Peterson Space Force Base answering calls in multiple languages.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.