Doug Burgum, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, found himself playing the role of cheerleader on a very cold December night in Washington, D.C. A large crowd had gathered at President’s Park for the 103rd National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, waiting for Donald and Melania Trump to arrive. People were bundled up tightly against the freezing weather, and many looked more interested in staying warm than in showing excitement. Burgum stepped up to the microphone to fix that.
He told everyone that they had a real responsibility: when the president and first lady appeared, they needed to look thrilled and make plenty of noise for the cameras. The event was being recorded for a later broadcast on Great American Family, a channel very friendly to Trump, so the crowd had to “act” like a lively audience. Burgum spoke with the upbeat tone of a coach trying to fire up his team during halftime, telling them that they were about to be seen on national television and that they needed to show some energy.
He painted a picture of excitement behind the scenes, saying there was a tent filled with “national recording stars” waiting to perform later in the show. He even motioned toward the idea that Santa Claus himself was backstage, ready to come out — anything to boost the mood and get people smiling. He insisted that the singers, Santa, and everyone involved were counting on the crowd to bring the festive spirit.
As a North Dakotan, he said he knew that cheering and clapping were good ways to stay warm in the cold. He encouraged the audience to give their loudest applause and biggest cheers to get the night started. The first attempt at cheering didn’t exactly shake the ground — it sounded light, maybe a bit forced. Not satisfied, Burgum asked them to try again, promising it would warm them up even more. Yet the second cheer came out even quieter than the first.
Burgum tried to stay upbeat, accepting the effort with holiday well-wishing. But when he finished and walked off the stage, the crowd went silent again, as if they had only been cheering because he told them to. Soon after, everyone returned to simply waiting in the cold for the Trumps to finally make their appearance.
The moment showed just how scripted and controlled these public ceremonies can feel — especially when enthusiasm has to be coached out of a crowd that would probably rather be somewhere warm sipping hot chocolate.
