Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Donald Trump spent his first Christmas as president quietly at his private club in Southern Florida.
The president celebrated the holiday with his family at Mar-a-Lago that he calls the "Winter White House." He was joined by most of his children and grandchildren as well as first lady Melania Trump and her parents. A few advisers also made the trip.
In the only posting by the White House, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the president has been briefed on the suicide attack Sunday in Kabul, Afghanistan, in which 10 people died.
Trump posted a Christmas Day message on Twitter in the morning. He wished Americans a "Merry Christmas."
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Trump says the holiday is time to spend time with their families, renew the "bonds of love and goodwill between our citizens" and celebrate the "miracle of Christmas."
Trump had not posted any political comments on his personal Twitter account by mid-day.
On Christmas Eve, he posted: "People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!"
Trump and first lady Melania Trump then arrived at 10:37 p.m. at Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, three miles north on Palm Beach island. The church is where he married Melania in 2005.
According to the White House pool report, Rev. James R Harlan welcomed the couple and walked with them into the church.
The mass had already begun and Harlan asked worshipers to put away their camera phones as the president and his wife entered.
"Your words can have as much destructive potential as they do healing," the Rev. James Harlan told the congregation. "God's word is pure light."
Trump arrived back at Mar-a-Lago at 12:26 a.m. Christmas morning, according to the White House pool report.
Earlier Sunday, he played golf, tweeted, addressed American troops and spoke to children with updates on Santa Claus' sleigh on reported by the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! pic.twitter.com/mYtV5GNdLl
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 25, 2017
