Trump Says He Defended "Merry Christmas" Against An "Assault" & Twitter Had A LOT To Say

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. When out in the Twittersphere there arose such a clatter. And I knew in a moment it must be... Donald Trump. Indeed, President Trump gave the country something to tweet about this Christmas when, in a tweet published late Sunday, he patted himself on the back for defending the phrase "Merry Christmas" from attacks. Trump's "Merry Christmas" tweet drew intense reactions from Twitter as many argued the phrase was, in fact, never under attack.

"People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again," Trump wrote in a tweet on Christmas Eve. "I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!"

The president's "Merry Christmas" tweet doesn't come as a surprise. Throughout his 2016 campaign Trump routinely promised to bring back the phrase "Merry Christmas," claiming it had fallen out of use due to an alleged "war on Christmas." In October, Trump promised to stop "the attacks on Judeo-Christian values," telling supporters at a Values Voter summit, "We're saying 'Merry Christmas!' again."

Here's how Twitter reacted to Trump claiming he'd saved the phrase "Merry Christmas":

Some Worried 'Merry Christmas' Had Become A Political Slogan A La MAGA

Is "Merry Christmas" the new way of saying "Make America Great Again"?

In Fact, Some Were Ready To Dump The Phrase Now Because Of Trump

Has Trump ruined the act of wishing someone a Merry Christmas?

And Some Felt Trump Had Already Ruined It

One Twitter user said they wouldn't say "Merry Christmas" again until Trump was out of office.

Others Noted The Phrase 'Merry Christmas' Had Never Really Disappeared

I feel like it is possible to say both "Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmas."

And That There'd Never Been An "Assault" On Using The Phrase

But is claiming the phrase "Merry Christmas" had been under attack a sign of delusion or strategy?

Some Wondered Why Anyone Had Ever Felt Like They Could't Say "Merry Christmas"

And why did people feel like they needed a president's permission to say "Merry Christmas"?

Many Reported Hearing "Merry Christmas" Being Said Year After Year

One Twitter user pointed out that "Merry Christmas" was often said last year, and the year before that, and the year before that, and so on.

The Obamas Often Wished The Country A Merry Christmas

Former President Barack Obama was indeed also known to say "Merry Christmas" while in Office.

Oops, They Did It Again

The Obama family wished the world a Merry Christmas again this year.

A Few Were Quick To Point Out Trump Hasn't Always Said "Merry Christmas"

So, wait. Who's behind the so-called "war on Christmas"?

While Others Questioned What Made The Phrase So Important To Trump

What exactly is it about the phrase "Merry Christmas" that means so much to Trump?

Is It Christmas' Religious Nature?

Comedian Billy Eichner questioned why Trump had so much time to tweet.

What Does "Merry Christmas" Mean To Trump?

Some on Twitter argued that to Trump, the phrase Merry Christmas was simply a means of telling non-Christians they aren't welcome.

Some Pointed Out There Are Other Holidays Happening

As Chef José Andrés noted, Christmas isn't the only religious holiday celebrated in America in the month of December.

Others Imagined What It Would Look Like If "Merry Christmas" Had Been Criminalized

What if saying "Merry Christmas" could land you in jail? Is there a war on saying "Merry Christmas" if uttering the phrase has no consequences?

Others Imagined Different Scenarios

Any trace of a "Merry Christmas" greeting could endanger the lives of you and your family.

Some Joked They Were Ready To Start A War On Christmas

Is this the beginning of the Second War On Christmas?

But His Supporters Felt Trump Really Had Brought "Merry Christmas" Back

Trump's supporters thanked his for bringing the phrase "Merry Christmas" back.

Others Found It To Be The Most Ridiculous Aspect Of Trump's Presidency

Are the major accomplishments of Trump's first year as president signing the GOP tax reform bill and saving the phrase "Merry Christmas"?

And Some Argued There Was Indeed A War On Language

But it isn't focused on the phrase "Merry Christmas." Instead it's the Arabic language that's coming under attack.

Some Discussed Alternative Holiday Greetings

For at least one Twitter user, the phrases "Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmas" were interchangeable.

Others Wished Everyone But Trump A Merry Christmas

More than one Twitter user wished a Merry Christmas to everyone but Trump.

Some Joked About Trump Winning Us The Right To Say "Merry Christmas"

To some, a Happy Christmas isn't the same as a Merry Christmas.

Some In The Trump Family Prefer To Say "Happy Holidays"

And that is totally OK.