Melania Trump showed little interest in lingering at the White House Christmas tree arrival ceremony on Monday.
The First Lady spent just two minutes and 50 seconds at the event before heading back inside the presidential residence.
The 55-year-old stepped out to greet the horse-drawn carriage that was delivering the official White House Christmas tree.
Highlights
- Melania Trump spent only 2 minutes 50 seconds at the White House Christmas tree arrival ceremony before heading indoors.
- In audio from 2018, Melania expressed frustration with Christmas decoration pressures, saying, 'Who gives a f**k about the Christmas stuff?'
- Her 2018 'American Treasures' Christmas theme featured stark red trees, drawing comparisons to The Handmaid's Tale and The Shining.
- This year's White House Christmas decor previews a gold-focused look, reflecting Donald Trump's preference for gold accents.
The First Lady seemed to show little interest in the White House Christmas tree arrival ceremony
Image credits: Heather Diehl/Getty Images
She walked a slow circle around the wagon, examined the tree, and called it “beautiful.” After shaking a few hands and posing briefly for photographers, Melania returned indoors.
Melania Trump’s attitude toward Christmas duties became widely discussed in 2020, when CNN released secretly recorded audio from 2018.
In the tapes, she vented frustration about the pressure surrounding holiday decorations during her husband’s first presidential term.
“I’m working… my a** off on the Christmas stuff, that you know, who gives a f**ck about the Christmas stuff and decorations?” she said in the audio. “But I need to do it, right?”
“OK, and then I do it and I say that I’m working on Christmas and planning for the Christmas and they said, ‘Oh, what about the children that they were separated?’ Give me a f*****g break,” she added.
She referred to a controversial family separation policy under Trump’s first term that separated migrant children from their immigrant parents.
Her holiday decor from that era also remained a source of debate. In 2018, her “American Treasures” theme featured hallways lined with stark, blood-red trees. The design had drawn comparisons to The Handmaid’s Tale and The Shining.
At the time, the White House defended the choice, saying the vivid red mirrored “pales, or stripes, found in the presidential seal designed by our Founding Fathers,” and is “a symbol of valor and bravery.”
Trump previously vented her frustration about holiday responsibilities
Image credits: The White House/Flickr
This year, Melania Trump appears to be steering in a new direction. In October, she previewed a gold-focused look in a short video posted on X.
The clip reflected Donald Trump’s well-known preference for gold decor, with which he has filled the Oval Office.
Since Trump took office again in January, the Oval Office has had a golden makeover, with gilded frames hanging above, and gold trophies lining the mantelpiece alongside ornaments. For those efforts, social media users compared several of Trump’s golden decorations to moldings sold at Home Depot for as little as $60.
The tree delivered Monday came from Korson’s Tree Farms in Michigan, which won the title of National Grand Champion from the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) this year. The farm is the first grower from Michigan to earn the honor since 1985.
The White House’s superintendent of grounds, Dale Haney, selected the tree in September.
Image credits: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Since 1966, the NCTA has chosen the White House Christmas tree through a national competition among state and regional winners. The National Grand Champion grower earns the right to supply the tree that traditionally stands in the Blue Room of the White House.
Melania’s first decorative responsibility of the season was on Halloween last month. The First Lady had opted for a simple and non-scary aesthetic, with pumpkins and fall leaves lining the stairs and walkways.
Image credits: Heather Diehl/Getty Images