Our nation’s capital is joining the rest of America in celebrating Christmas. Carol and I were blessed to represent the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute (JDFI) at one of the White House Christmas parties a few days ago. It was packed with various “VIPs,” including congressmen, corporate CEOs, and media talking heads. I was surprised when President Trump gave me a “shout-out” as he and the First Lady retired for the evening. JDFI’s reputation is strong in this White House.
The National Christmas Tree stands proudly on the National Mall in Washington, where loads of tourists snap photos. A few weeks ago, President Trump dedicated the tree, and First Lady Melania Trump turned on the lights. In his remarks, the president used the moment to present the truth that all Christians believe: Jesus is the Son of God, and through Him we can receive forgiveness and eternal life. There was none of the usual political correctness that has replaced the Christ Child in too many Christmas events.
The president will issue the traditional Christian proclamation the week of December 25, and I have no doubt that he will make it clear that Jesus is the reason for the season.
The Trump administration made sure Christmas was prominently celebrated at the Kennedy Center, too. The center is hosting a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony there, as well as a Hanukkah celebration with menorah lightings.
In addition, this week the Kennedy Center, with a whole new board of directors appointed by the president, will present “Noel: Jesus is Born!” The program is described as a celebration of “the meaning and wonder of Christmas, not only by bringing to life cherished carols and timeless classics, but also by drawing the audience more deeply into the Christmas story itself. Blending vibrant music, beautiful pageantry, and memorable moments of worship, the spectacle offers something for the whole family.”1
Next week the National Symphony Orchestra will perform Handel’s Messiah with its iconic “Hallelujah Chorus.”
As a Christian, I am excited about how overt, in Washington, D.C., the celebration of Christ’s birth is this year. A decade ago, as Donald Trump prepared to run for president, he asked a group of Christian leaders a question that puzzled him. He wanted to know how there could be millions of Christians in America, yet we had so little influence on government and culture. In fact, Christianity was being pushed out of the “public square.” Even wishing someone “Merry Christmas!” had become politically incorrect. The preferred greeting was a vacuous “Happy Holidays.” Trump said, “No more!” You should be able to say “Merry Christmas” without being criticized.
Dr. James Dobson was excited about the president’s promise to give Christians a bigger voice in the direction of our country and his pledge to put “Christ back in Christmas.” President Trump remained an admirer of Dr. Dobson, sending him video greetings each year at our annual conference.
Dr. Dobson went home to be with the Lord this year, but he was with us long enough to see really big victories delivered by the president that Christians can celebrate. They include:
- Three new Supreme Court members: Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, appointed in President Trump’s first term, giving us a majority on the court that has repeatedly ruled in defense of our religious liberty.
- The victory for the sanctity of life when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the lie that there was a right to abortion in our Constitution.
- Strong action by the Trump-Vance administration, including threats of sanctions and even military action, to protect Christians from persecution abroad. Christianity is the most persecuted faith in the world.
- Support for parental rights and stopping LGBTQ efforts to indoctrinate young children.
- Strong opposition to transgender ideology, including withholding federal funding from major hospitals that have mutilated children in service to trans ideology. More than twenty major health systems have now stopped performing these surgeries on children.
- Creating the White House Faith Office and establishing faith directors in every government department.
- Pardoning pro-life activists, defunding Planned Parenthood, and ending the weaponization of government against Christians and faith-based organizations.
- Aggressively fighting antisemitism on our university campuses.
A more comprehensive list of victories for people of faith is available to read on The White House website.2
Merry Christmas!
- Noel: Jesus Is Born!, The Kennedy Center, accessed December 17, 2025, https://www.charlesbillingsley.com/cb-events/kennedycenter
- The White House, President Trump’s Top 100 Victories for People of Faith,” September 8, 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/09/president-trumps-top-100-victories-for-people-of-faith/
