Using the "12 Days of Christmas" as a framing device, this piece lists a dozen notable developments involving President Donald Trump: claimed 12-hour workdays, a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC, ballooning White House ballroom cost estimates, multiple reported instances of him appearing to nod off, and deployments of federal or National Guard forces to five cities. It also highlights a controversial repost calling for violence, the fact he is the only president impeached twice, and disagreement between his aides' self-assessment and historians' rankings.
The 12 Days of Trump‑Mas: A Dozen Notable Facts About Donald Trump
Donald Trump in the Oval Office on 6 November 2025.Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Happy holidays. Using the familiar rhythm of the "12 Days of Christmas," this roundup lists a dozen notable facts and developments involving President Donald Trump over the past year — from work-hours claims and legal fights to troop deployments, public opinion, and unusual public moments.
12 — The White House recently said Mr. Trump has been working about 12 hours a day. On 2 December, the administration released "Oval Office logs" to the New York Post, a pro-Trump outlet, in response to a New York Times report suggesting his schedule has been lighter than during his first term. The following day, he appeared to fall asleep during a cabinet meeting.
11 — In a December speech at the White House, Mr. Trump declared, "Over the past 11 months, we have brought more positive change to Washington than any administration in American history. There has never been anything like it."
10 (Billion Dollars) — The amount Mr. Trump is seeking in damages from the BBC. His lawyers allege the broadcaster "deceptively doctored his speech" at the U.S. Capitol before the January 6 attack by splicing two parts of the speech together. The BBC has apologized for the edit but said it will defend itself in court; Mr. Trump has also claimed, without support in the court filing, that the BBC "used AI" to put words in his mouth.
9 (99) — The number Mr. Trump has said the new White House ballroom will seat. Cost estimates for the ballroom have risen from an initial $200 million to $300 million and, later, to $400 million. Mr. Trump has said donors would cover the expense, a claim that has raised ethics questions.
8 — The number of lines of dialogue printed inside a drawing in Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday book that suggest an imagined exchange involving Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump denies writing the message.
7 — The percentage of Americans who, in an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, say the cost of living where they live is "not very affordable" or "not affordable at all." The same poll found 61% of respondents said the economy is not working well for them personally, versus 39% who said it is.
6 — The number of Democratic lawmakers Mr. Trump publicly accused in November of engaging in "seditious behavior, publishable by death" after they posted a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders. Mr. Trump also reposted a Truth Social comment that read: "HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!" When asked whether he wanted to "execute members of Congress," the White House press secretary said he does not.
5 — The major U.S. cities where federal or National Guard forces had been sent by late November: Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Memphis and Portland. In December, Mr. Trump said the National Guard would be deployed to New Orleans "in a few weeks." These deployments prompted debate over federal intervention in city policing and civil‑liberties concerns.
4 — The number of years since U.S. unemployment was as high as it was in December; unemployment stood at about 4.6% at that time.
3 — The number of recent public events in which Mr. Trump appeared to nod off: once in November during an Oval Office meeting, again at an early-December cabinet meeting, and at a White House event on reclassifying marijuana. The White House defended the president, saying he was attentive.
2 — Mr. Trump remains the only U.S. president to have been impeached twice. He has not been impeached during a second term.
1 — Mr. Trump's public ranking: his communications director asserted he is "the best president" in U.S. history, while many historians sharply disagree. A Siena College survey of 141 presidential scholars published in 2022 ranked Mr. Trump 43rd out of 45.
Bottom line: This light-hearted framing underscores a mix of legal battles, policy actions, personal moments and public perceptions that have defined the president's recent year.
