Melania Trump is spreading holiday cheer again. But Americans may need to check their bank accounts before hanging her latest creation on the Christmas tree.
The first lady has unveiled another collection of patriotic ornaments on her website.
Each comes with her signature and a price tag that has some shoppers wondering when Christmas decorations became luxury items.
Her latest offering is a limited-edition brass and enamel ornament called “The Starlight Star,” and it costs $90.
The decoration measures just 3.7 by 4 inches and purportedly is handcrafted in the United States. Buyers can also receive a corresponding digital collectible.
However, the sticker shock has some Americans feeling anything but festive.
Some Daily Mail readers wasted little time questioning the first lady’s holiday business.
“Let them eat cake appears to be her motto,” one wrote. Another questioned the markup, claiming, “The cost to make this is under $5; a fool will buy this.”
“All the broke maga supporters will have them hanging in their trailers,” someone else wrote.
Another commenter took aim at Donald Trump’s controversial White House construction plans. “Instead of a ballroom why not erect a distribution center for trump products,” the person joked.
The website noted that their Facebook users were equally unimpressed.
“Pretty, but, man! I can’t afford that!” one person complained. Another kept the rejection short: “Seriously, $90? I think I’ll pass.”
The backlash is hardly new.
Melania has been selling $90 Christmas ornaments since at least 2024. That year, she promoted her “Merry Christmas, AMERICA!” collection on “Fox & Friends.”
The collection included patriotic designs, digital collectibles and a $90 USA Star ornament. Customers also faced $10 shipping charges and lengthy delivery estimates. All sales were final.
Unlike the annual Official White House Christmas Ornaments, Melania’s merchandise is a separate commercial venture.
The White House Historical Association began selling official commemorative ornaments in 1981. The nonprofit was founded in 1961 with Jacqueline Kennedy’s support. Proceeds help fund its educational and preservation work.
Those ornaments typically cost around $25. Melania’s version costs more than three times as much.
Melania has previously connected her merchandise ventures to Fostering the Future. The initiative supports educational opportunities for young people leaving foster care.
However, questions about financial transparency surfaced in 2024, according to The New Republic. Melania promoted MelaniaTrump.com and USMemorabilia.com while discussing her support for foster children.
Critics discovered that the websites provided little information about charitable distributions. The amount of ornament revenue directed toward charitable programs was not publicly disclosed.
That raised questions about where customers’ money ultimately goes. While the lack of public financial details does not establish wrongdoing, it still raises eyebrows.
Christmas ornaments are hardly Melania’s only merchandise. Her business ventures have included digital photo collectibles, jewelry and necklaces costing hundreds of dollars.
And then there is her famously complicated relationship with Christmas itself.
During Donald Trump’s first term, Melania’s 2018 display of 40 blood-red trees became an internet sensation. Critics compared the decorations to a horror movie. Her office insisted the color represented valor and bravery.
Things became even more awkward in 2020. Former adviser Stephanie Winston Wolkoff released a secretly recorded conversation from 2018.
“Who gives a f—k about Christmas stuff and decorations?” Melania complained while discussing her White House responsibilities.
Her 2025 decorations took a softer approach. The displays featured 51 trees, 75 wreaths and more than 10,000 blue butterflies.
Now, with another holiday season approaching, Melania appears perfectly comfortable embracing Christmas again.
Apparently, the holiday spirit is easier to appreciate when it comes with a $90 price tag that goes, at least partially, into the Trump family account.
Melania Trump is selling a $90 USA Christmas ornament on her website. It’s 4 inches by 4 inches and is signed by Melania. It’s made of brass. https://t.co/Z6wpoKMpPn
— Ben Goggin (@BenjaminGoggin) September 18, 2024
