PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Trump had a Christmas Eve message for U.S. troops stationed around the globe: "We're winning."

From his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, where Trump is spending the holidays, he spoke by video hook-up to members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, stationed in Qatar, Kuwait and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Trump lavished the troops with praise on “how well we’re doing” in the fight against terrorism and declared, “We’re winning.”

He called the troops "underappreciated" and described their military families as “the greatest people on earth.”

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"I just want to wish everybody a very, very merry Christmas, we say Merry Christmas, again, very, very proudly. Very very merry Christmas," Trump said. "We’re going to have a great year, an incredible year. I’m thrilled to bring seasons greetings on behalf of the first lady and our entire family and most importantly, on behalf of the American people."

He singled out the Coast Guard for the service's work during a series of deadly U.S. hurricanes that caused billions of dollars in damage and that parts of the country are still recovering from.

"Many Republicans are very happy, but I have to tell you, the people of Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, and lots of other states are even more happy," Trump told the Coast Guard members. "What a job you've done. The Coast Guard saved thousands and thousands of lives. Almost — it's unbelievable when I looked at the charts and I saw the number of lives you've saved. So I want to congratulate the Coast Guard for having done an incredible job.

Trump told the troops that Americans are thankful for them and their families.

“As we celebrate this most precious holiday, we’re grateful for each of you who spend this Christmas away from our families and defend all of our families, our freedom and our flag," Trump said. "Every American heart is thankful and we’re asking God to watch over you and to watch over your families.”

Separately on Sunday night, Trump tweeted that he was proud to take credit for a resurgence in the phrase "Merry Christmas."

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

Later Sunday, the president and first lady Melania Trump fielded calls from children eager to know how soon Santa Claus would get to their homes. Trump and his wife engaged callers on separate telephones in the living room of their home as they sat in chairs on opposite sides of a Christmas tree.



The calls came via a Santa tracking program run for more than 60 years at the North American Aerospace Defense Command.



Trump told a caller from Mississippi that the state is “great” and predicted that “Santa is going to treat you very well.”

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He offered encouragement when a caller from Virginia wanted to find building blocks under the Christmas tree. Trump, who made his name and fortune building things, said: “That’s what I always liked, too.”

“Santa moves very quickly. He’ll be at your house very late at night when you’re sleeping,” Trump said.

The first lady wished a separate caller from California a “Merry Christmas.”

Contributing: The Associated Press