"Are you still a believer in Santa? 'Cause at 7 it's marginal, right?" the president asked a child calling to ask about Santa's location.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

On Christmas Eve, it's a presidential tradition to answer phone calls from children calling to find out where Santa Claus is currently located as he flies around the world to delivers presents. So on Monday night, President Trump and the first lady answered calls to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which tracks Santa, and chatted with kids about Christmas. The agency has been tracking Santa since the 1950s and isn't affected by the partial government shutdown.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

But once Trump got on the phone with a 7-year-old — later identified by the Post and Courier newspaper as Collman Lloyd of Lexington, South Carolina — he asked the child if she still believes in Santa.

Donald Trump, answering phone call from 7-year-old on Christmas Eve: "Are you still a believer in Santa? Because at seven it's marginal, right?"

"Hello, is this Collman?" the president said. "Merry Christmas. How are you? How old are you? ... Are you doing well in school? Are you still a believer in Santa? 'Cause at 7 it's marginal, right?" Of course, when the clip hit social media, people noted that Trump was asking a child calling about Santa's whereabouts if she still believes...in Santa.

“Are you still a believer in Santa? Cuz at 7 it’s marginal, right?” - Trump to a kid who called NORAD to get an update on where Santa was. https://t.co/UV2AorBsRG

@thedailybeast

And of course, Trump memes were repurposed and redeployed.

@chrisgeidner @PNWwonk "ARE YOU STILL A BELIEVER IN SANTA?"

People thought it was like a scene from Veep.

Trump: At seven, it's marginal, right? 7-Year-Old:

Others pointed out how happy Trump looked as he came this close to telling a child Santa Claus isn't real.

telling a 7-year-old Santa isn't real is the only time I've seen him genuinely smile https://t.co/xspNQMaivY

In fact, Trump may have just ruined the kid's Christmas.

The parts of the job description that nobody ever thought would be botched by a US president: failing to condemn neo-Nazis, insulting hurricane victims, and ruining Christmas for a 7 year-old. https://t.co/CaRtNruUzJ

Others thought maybe Trump had just learned Santa isn't real and was excited to pass it on.

Trump learned that there was no Santa yesterday when the Joint Chiefs of Staff were assembled to calm him down about the NORAD Santa tracker so now he has to share it with everyone.