In 1961, a little girl in Michigan was seemingly afraid that the current political atmosphere was going to ruin her Christmas. President John F. Kennedy had a response for her.
Though we may never know exactly what Michelle Rochon, of Marine City, Michigan, wrote to President Kennedy in 1961, we know based on JFK’s response that she was concerned with “the Russians” doing atmospheric tests in the North Pole. Shared to Twitter by presidential historian Michael Beschloss, President Kennedy’s letter back to Miss Rochon stressed that the Soviet Union was not endangering Santa Claus.
And how could JFK be so sure? He talked to Santa just one day before, of course.
JFK letter to child–"You must not worry about Santa Claus"—1961: #JFKL pic.twitter.com/PxlTb76XTe
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) December 10, 2015
In the words of the 35th President himself: Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for a Cold War-fearing child’s belief in Christmas. Or something like that.
Gif: Giphy