This opinion piece uses a festive conceit to ask what gifts world leaders and Americans might want from Santa — from Taiwan and Ukraine to Tomahawk missiles and trade deals. It contrasts international ambitions with domestic anxieties: rising living costs, entrenched inequality, and political polarization. The central argument: the most valuable present would be competent governance, a gift the author finds unlikely this year.
What Should Santa Bring? Global Wishes and America's Real Christmas Gift
As the song goes, “soon it will be Christmas day.” It’s a playful thought experiment to imagine what gifts world leaders — and Americans at home — might ask Santa Claus to deliver.
Washington
In the nation’s capital, fans might wish for something as ordinary as a winning professional football team. Renaming the Washington franchise the “Commanders” has not produced immediate success, and some nostalgically remember the old “Redskins” name — a reminder that symbols and sports loyalties still stir strong feelings.
The White House
It’s hard to guess what President Trump would hope to find in an oversized stocking. A Nobel Prize would be headline-grabbing; symbolic gestures such as renaming institutions would not necessarily satisfy. Some commentators even imagine more provocative tokens of victory — a reminder of how political theater often overshadows policy.
Congress
What would lawmakers like? Both parties would probably prefer their political rivals out of power. Democrats are eager for electoral remedies, while Republicans complain of incoherence in crafting a durable health-care agenda. Whether even Santa’s elves could assemble a bipartisan plan remains doubtful.
The Pentagon
Inside the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (as referenced by some commentators) might hanker for a return to more muscular rhetoric — even talk of renaming the Department of Defense — and for clearer answers about controversial operations. Some op-eds compare modern questions about tactics to the infamous missing minutes from Nixon-era tapes, highlighting public appetite for transparency.
Global Gifts
Leaders abroad would likely ask for far weightier presents. China’s Xi Jinping would covet Taiwan — an unrealistic sleigh-load for Santa — so a more modest hope would be favorable trade terms or diplomatic concessions. Vladimir Putin would prefer a wrapped Ukraine, while President Volodymyr Zelensky wants defensive weapons such as Tomahawk land-attack missiles and billions in reconstruction aid. Europe, meanwhile, longs for a return to a steady U.S. partnership.
At Home
Most Americans say the country is headed in the wrong direction. Measured by the Gini index (named for Corrado Gini), income inequality remains pronounced, and many households feel left behind. The cost of living is rising faster than wages, and roughly one in eight Americans rely on food assistance or supplemental programs to meet basic needs. The U.S. spends more per capita on health care and education than most peers, yet outcomes often lag — a persistent policy puzzle.
Politics and Governance
Political polarization is deep, arguably as intense as at any period since the founding or the Civil War. The paradox of great wealth combined with civic dysfunction prompts a simple conclusion: the best possible gift would be competent, accountable governance. That, however, may be the hardest present for Santa to deliver this year.
Harlan Ullman is UPI’s Arnaud de Borchgrave Distinguished Columnist; senior adviser at the Atlantic Council; chairman of a private company; and the principal author of the doctrine of “shock and awe.” His next book, co-written with Field Marshal The Lord David Richards, former U.K. chief of defense, is Who Thinks Best Wins: Preventing Strategic Catastrophe.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
