Once the Christmas capital of the world, former President Donald Trump bemoans the changes in New York City and state under Democrat leadership.
"New York is very much a different place; it's changed a lot," Trump tells Mike Huckabee on Newsmax's one-hour special "Christmas in America," which premieres Wednesday Dec. 15 at 9 p.m. ET. Denouncing New York City Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio and disgraced former Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Trump said, "Very sadly, it's changed a lot. We've had a terrible mayor for too long, and the fabric is different. The city is different. I think it can come back with proper leadership.
"But we had a mayor who was absolutely horrible. Of course, you've heard about our governor who had some definite problems. But New York is changed."
Trump reflected on Christmas past, present, and future having celebrated the holiday "different ways in different years."
"I still love New York, you know, because it's incredible," Trump tells Huckabee. "I hope it comes back. It's gotta come back, otherwise our country can't come back. It's gotta come back."
Trump looked back on his family Christmases in New York, including rebuilding the ice skating rink in Central Park and back further with his family as a kid celebrating the holiday in the city.
"I was a part of a family that was very well knit, that loved each other," Trump tells Huckabee. "We had Christmas together, and it would be like there's nothing else.
"My mother would cook the turkey, and she made ice cream cake at the end. It was the best ice cream cake. She made it herself. I just remember it so fondly. I had really wonderful parents.
"Competitive, great, very different kind of people, but they loved each other. My father was a very strong guy, but my mother was equally as strong. You wouldn't know it.
"We had a lot of great Christmases together."
Then, Trump had his Christmases in the White House, where he praised the work of first lady Melania Trump decorating the famed presidential estate.
"Then I had the White House years and having Christmas at the White House – being even in the environment," evokes strong memories, Trump tells Huckabee.
"And Melania always did a fantastic job with fixing up the trees. She did magnificent in this place, and generally speaking, even from the super liberal press, got great reviews – which is shocking, OK, because they didn't like giving us good reviews."
Now, it is a sunny, warm Christmas at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, for the former president.
"We had New York, now we're in Florida," Trump tells Huckabee. "Florida's been a state that's treated me so well.
"Florida's been so good to me, both from an election standpoint – I wound up getting the highest number of votes I've ever gotten in Florida. I love this state – and they like me. You know, there's something about that.
"Now we're spending it in Florida, and Christmas in Florida is very beautiful."
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Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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