Where is Santa Claus flying? Every year, the space surveillance authorities provide information on this urgent child issue - and, traditionally, the US president. Also Donald Trump. On Monday he telephoned a seven-year-old child and asked if he still believed in Santa Claus, "because at seven, that's the limit, is not it?". Then he started to laugh.

Trump's conversation caused a lot of criticism, for example on Twitter: "It's simply inconceivable that Trump spends Christmas Eve talking to seven-year-olds and telling them that believing in Santa in her old age is borderline," he blustered Senator Chris Murphy from the opposition Democrats.

The cabaret artist Dan Amira reacted with sarcasm: "Actually, there is no sky, if you die, you'll rot in the ground and be eaten by worms." Merry Christmas Timmy. "

"Actually there is no heaven. When you die you just red in the ground and get eaten by worms. Okay, Merry Christmas, Timmy. "Pic.twitter.com/BxJlLZOuWd

- Dan Amira (@ DanAmira) December 25, 2018

However, there were also Twitter users who apparently wanted to defend Trump. "Trump did a lot of things wrong, but suggesting to a seven-year-old that Santa does not exist is probably the only right thing he has done since he was in office," Irtiza Sheikh tweeted. "Someone has to do it eventually."

Although the phone conversation slightly irritated Trump's seven-year-old interlocutor, she still believes in "Santa." Journalists tracked down the girl Collman Lloyd on Tuesday in Lexington, South Carolina, and questioned him about his conversation with Trump.

Originally it had been reported that the president had phoned a boy named Colman.

Doll against biscuits

According to media reports, Collman has confirmed to the president that she believes in Santa Claus. From her short conversation, she told the local newspaper "Post and Courier" that she did not understand the term "marginal". Nevertheless, she also answered this part of the question with "Yes, sir". She did not know anything about Santa's current location, she said. But the conversation with the president, she found great. "It was like 'Wow' I was shocked," Collman said.

The seven-year-old spent the evening before the mess, which is common in the US on Christmas Day, with her ten and five-year-old siblings and their parents. They left cookies and cocoa to "Santa Claus" who had disappeared the next morning. For that lay a gift for Collman under the Christmas tree: a doll. Santa really gives it, the girl told the newspaper.

The so-called Santa Tracker, which tracks the flight of "Santa Claus" around the world on radar screens, has been around since 1955. Despite the shutdown of the US government in the dispute over the financing of Trump's required wall on the Mexican border, it was in favor more than 1500 volunteers in action this year. They answer the questions in the service of the North American Air and Space Defense Command (Norad).

Traditionally, the presidential family helps in accepting many calls. First Lady Melania wished a child: "I hope your dreams come true." She was looking forward to a great experience later. "Helping children in the country to follow Santa becomes one of my favorite traditions," tweeted the president's wife.

Because of the shutdown, Trump has had to postpone his planned trip to his private club Mar-a-Lago in Florida and has stayed in the White House.