Let the Christmas Spirit Mend the Wounds of a Challenging Political Year

Christmas truly is the most magical time of the year — particularly during an election year.

After nearly a year of constant conflict between Democrats and Republicans, with weeks for the losing side to grieve the outcomes, the Christmas season provides an opportunity for everyone to celebrate.

For Christians, the significance of Jesus’ birth far surpasses any political dispute.

However, the Christmas spirit is inclusive, welcoming individuals of all beliefs and backgrounds: It’s a time to honor family and contemplate peace and kindness toward everyone.

Now, more than ever, our politics and the world need that spirit.

Moving past the animosities created by a taxing election period is challenging, and it may feel like a betrayal of a cause one has dedicated months or even years to support.

Yet, Christmas symbolizes a time of ceasefire, and for the sake of global harmony, it is essential for personal conflicts to come to an end.

The New Year embodies both risks and opportunities, spanning issues from Ukraine to the Middle East.

Though it will be daunting, the forthcoming administration has the potential to conclude years of conflict.

Even many of President Trump’s adversaries acknowledge that his initial term featured a period of relative peace, highlighted by the success of the Abraham Accords and a renewed resolve from NATO allies to fulfill their defense spending commitments.

Like Nixon and Reagan before him, Trump was successful in pursuing bold diplomacy because America’s adversaries dared not misjudge him, understanding that his approach was not to evade conflict at all costs but to maintain peace through strength.

Today, the global landscape is far more perilous than at the time Trump departed office, and restoring tranquility will necessitate more goodwill at home.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.), who is quickly emerging as the conscience of the Democratic Party, articulated the right attitude on Sunday, stating he wouldn’t be “rooting against” the incoming president.

“If you’re hoping for the president to fail, you are wishing harm on the nation. I will never position myself to want a president to fail,” he expressed on ABC News’ “This Week.”

“So, it’s country first. I know this may sound cliché, but it is indeed true.”

Other progressives are taking Kamala Harris’s loss to Trump far more personally than Sen. Fetterman, and they remain unwilling to let go of their frustrations toward the GOP.

They’ve migrated to Bluesky — a social media platform providing a leftist alternative to Elon Musk’s X — where they continuously relive and contest the November 5 election.

However, that’s merely an online echo chamber, not reflective of reality:

Most ordinary Americans, even in predominantly blue states and cities, have moved past the campaign much earlier than they began putting up their Christmas decorations.

I have witnessed this firsthand in the deep-blue suburbs of Washington, DC, where life outside of politics continues as usual.

What the overly online left and its political representatives choose to overlook is that politics isn’t everything — the gatherings they should be focused on this season are the festive type.

This is the time to move beyond the grievances of the previous year, and not just those from this year.

Trump has shown a gesture of goodwill with nominations that cross party lines, including appointing a Kennedy to his Republican cabinet.

RFK Jr. may be controversial, and my, oh my, is Trump’s former Democratic nominee for national intelligence director, Tulsi Gabbard, too.

Yet these were Democrats who listened to Trump with an open mind, and in return, he is demonstrating his willingness to collaborate with those willing to transcend party lines.

He has also garnered support from former rivals within the GOP, like Sen. Marco Rubio, who is now his nomination for secretary of state.

A spirit of goodwill served Donald Trump effectively in forming a winning coalition, and it’s this spirit that his nominations embody as well.

His political opponents would do well, for both their benefit and the nation’s, to exhibit more of the goodwill — and love for country — that Sen. Fetterman conveyed over the weekend.

Christmas is the most fitting time of year to set aside old disputes and welcome cheer instead.

It’s a season filled with hope and new beginnings — two elements our politics desperately needs.

While policy debates will abound in 2025, the election is behind us, and the American populace has conveyed a clear decision.

Peace and goodwill aren’t merely gifts for Christmas.

They are the very cornerstones of a prosperous nation — and a stable, orderly world.

Christmas is the occasion to reaffirm this truth, not just while the tree is up but as a New Year and a new administration approach.

Daniel McCarthy is the editor of Modern Age: A Conservative Review and editor-at-large of The American Conservative.