First lady Melania Trump has begun preparations for the holiday season at the White House, marking her fifth return for the grand celebration.
President Donald Trump has often defended his wife’s particular “taste,” which has sparked both admiration and controversy throughout her time in Washington. Melania’s unexpected announcement signals the start of what has become an annual conversation about her approach to one of the most visible responsibilities of her role.
A brief video posted to her social media account Wednesday afternoon shows the first lady placing a gold ornament on an elaborately decorated table, with the caption “Christmas meeting in the @WhiteHouse.”
The five-second clip offers little detail about this year’s holiday theme, and no official unveiling date has been announced.
However, the post confirms that Melania will once again oversee the White House Christmas decorations, a duty she will fulfill for the first time since her husband was re-elected in November 2024.
Christmas meeting in the @WhiteHouse ✨ pic.twitter.com/58NXq6Rdri
— Office of the First Lady (@FirstLadyOffice) October 8, 2025
In August, the first lady’s office put out a call for musical groups, including school bands and choirs, to volunteer for performances during December’s holiday open houses. She also sought volunteers to assist with decorating the White House, though both performers and decorators are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses.
The Daily Beast posted the recent announcement on Facebook, painting her as an ice queen, and many of its readers weighed in, clinging to the first lady’s decorating history.
“Oh I hope it isn’t the red trees again,” one user commented, recalling her 2018 display. But it seems no one wants to see that particular display for this year’s decorations.
A few claimed they “hated” Melania’s Red Christmas tree display, which had many wondering exactly how much influence she has with the White House decorations, considering her husband’s gaudy renovations during his second term.
One person made a pointed observation about the anticipated aesthetic: “Melania won’t have to worry about Christmas this year, since almost every surface of the White House is clad in fool’s gold. By the time the blindness subsidies, it’ll be New Year’s Eve,” said one person.
Echoing a similar sentiment, someone else predicted, “It HAS TO BE GOLD right??? Gold trees, gold ornaments, gold lights, gold garland. Gold everything…the tackier the better!”
The comments reference President Trump’s recent redecorating of the White House, particularly the Oval Office, which he has outfitted in gold finishes that he believes bring elegance to the historic space.
“Is she going into tacky shopping mall chic like she did with her first lady portrait?” asked one critic.
Another wrote, “lol. It’s hysterical she’s doing this again. We’ve heard the tapes and know she doesn’t care about Christmas decorations.”
That characterization gained traction with many in the public after leaked audio recordings revealed Melania’s private feelings about her holiday duties.
The Oval Office isn’t supposed to be a museum or a palace, it’s a workplace.
— MrSV (@AaVa161) September 20, 2025
In 2020, secretly recorded conversations were released by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former friend and senior adviser to the first lady.
The leaked tapes from 2018 purportedly captured Melania expressing frustration with the demands of the position: “I’m working…my a— off on the Christmas stuff, that you know, who gives a f—k about the Christmas stuff and decorations? But I need to do it, right?”
She also addressed criticism she faced regarding the administration’s controversial immigrant family separation policy while being expected to fulfill ceremonial obligations.
“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—king break.”
President Trump has publicly defended his wife’s decorating efforts on multiple occasions.
During a 2021 visit to First Baptist Church in Dallas, he recalled the backlash she received for her red tree display and how subsequent attempts with white and green trees also drew criticism.
“She would make the most beautiful Christmas decorations,” he said, according to The Independent, adding, “She’s loved all over, and she’s got a tremendous heart.”
Former first lady Jill Biden also faced criticism for her holiday decorations last year when she unveiled an inclusive interpretation of “The Nutcracker” featuring dancers from Dorrance Dance, a company dedicated to antiracism.
A bit of magic, wonder, and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance, performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite.
— Jill Biden Archived (@FLOTUS46Archive) December 13, 2023
Enjoy! 💕 pic.twitter.com/qXtCm4t37o
While Biden celebrated the diverse representation, it was trashed by Trump supporters, saying that it degraded the holiday and was classless. Many believed that the backlash was because the artists were Black.
As the nation awaits the full unveiling of this year’s White House holiday decorations, the mixed social media response suggests that public opinion about Melania’s seasonal role remains as complex as ever.
“Why bother? She’s not living in our White House,” one person wrote, a nod to the fact that the first lady has not spent a lot of time in 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. since her husband’s inauguration.
Whether the display will quiet her critics or fuel further debate remains to be seen.
