Trump addresses ‘terrible pandemic’ in Christmas message, then hits out at Republicans abandoning him over election defeat

President vows revenge against Republicans that sat back in fight against radical left: ‘I will NEVER FORGET!’

Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump delivered a very traditional Christmas message in which they addressed the “terrible pandemic” and the courageous response of citizens.

In a video posted on White House social media channels, the president also spoke of the successful delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine, with the first lady thanking law enforcement and the military for keeping Americans safe.

Shortly after releasing the video on Christmas Eve, Mr Trump was back on Twitter complaining about the lack of support from Republicans whom he claims he saved from electoral defeat but who have now abandoned him.

He also lashed out at Twitter itself for “going wild with their flags, trying to suppress even the truth” and “stifling free speech”.

“Does Congress know that this is how Communism starts? Cancel Culture at its worst,” Mr Trump tweeted.

In one all-caps post, the president claims that voter fraud is not a conspiracy theory, but that “IT IS A FACT!!!”

He specifically called out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a second tweet about his lack of support from Republicans.

“I saved at least 8 Republican Senators, including Mitch, from losing in the last Rigged (for President) Election," he said.

“Now they (almost all) sit back and watch me fight against a crooked and vicious foe, the Radical Left Democrats.”

The president finished with a threatening: “I will NEVER FORGET!”

Mr Trump has taken credit for electoral wins in key Senate races in which incumbent Republicans faced formidable challenger campaigns, but ultimately retained their seats.

These included Mr McConnell in Kentucky, Lindsey Graham in South Carolina, Thom Tillis in North Carolina, and Susan Collins in Maine.

He argues that it was the enthusiasm of his supporters voting down the ballot that kept them in office.

The two run-off Senate races in Georgia, scheduled for 5 January, will decide who ultimately controls the upper chamber of Congress when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on 20 January.

Almost all of the president’s tweets about the election are flagged by Twitter with the statement: “This claim about the election is disputed", hence his anger at the social media platform through which he is so vocal.

His rant against the company on their own platform ends with the statement: “End Section 230!” — a part of the 1996 Communications Decency Act that shields companies from legal action for posts on sites that they manage that are written or uploaded by individual users.

On Friday morning, the president tweeted out a simple all-caps: “MERRY CHRISTMAS!”