Melania Trump’s Rare Return to White House Has Fans Doing a Double Take Over New Look No One Can Quite Understand
When the White House Christmas tree finally pulled up to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., carried by two show-stopping Clydesdales, nobody was really checking for the fir itself. Instead, the internet zeroed in on Melania Trump, who stepped out dressed in full “robe-chic,” rocking a sweeping cream coat and sky-high heels that instantly sent social media into roast mode.
Melania returned to the White House on Monday, Nov. 24, to accept this year’s tree from Korson’s Tree Farms in Michigan.
The delivery came with the usual holiday theatrics — a classic green carriage, top hats, braided reins — but within seconds the first lady’s look became the real storyline. She walked around the carriage, shook hands with the handlers, admired the tree, and offered her annual declaration, “It’s a beautiful tree,” according to PBS.
‘Is She Drunk?’: Melania Struggles to Keep Trump ‘Propped Up,’ Tries to Steer Him Across the Lawn
But on Threads, folks were far less concerned about the greenery and far more fascinated by her wardrobe choice. The commentary came fast and petty.
One user joked, “Why is she wearing a hospital gown?”
Another piled on with, “Did she forget and come out in her dressing gown?”
Her towering heels didn’t escape critique either, with someone writing, “I always wear my 6-inch heels to get my tree.”
Others questioned why Melania always seems styled for a glossy fashion spread instead of a daytime holiday ritual, calling the couture-level look “ridiculous.”
“Does she ever just dress in normal clothes? She looks ridiculous in her couture outfit and heels greeting the arrival of a Christmas tree. I’m sure this is the only time she will have anything to do with it,” one person wrote.
Another commenter added the final swipe: “It was nice of her to visit the White House.”
This year her seasonal duties are landing under an even brighter spotlight.
It’s Melania’s first holiday season back in the presidential residence, and the expectations are sky-high. Her office opened volunteer applications back in August for decorating and performance roles, signaling that a full-scale spectacle is underway between Nov. 24 and Nov. 30. Volunteers must be at least 18 and are expected to cover their own travel to Washington.
A timeless tradition: Christmas at the White House 🎄Apply to volunteer as a decorator or performer by Sept 5 https://t.co/JdgCcZm2zZ pic.twitter.com/Vp0HWDJe02
— Office of the First Lady (@FirstLadyOffice) August 5, 2025
Melania has already teased the festivities by posting a short video of herself placing a gold ornament on a table, captioned “Christmas meeting in the @WhiteHouse,” though she’s keeping the full theme under wraps — a trademark move.
Christmas meeting in the @WhiteHouse ✨ pic.twitter.com/58NXq6Rdri
— Office of the First Lady (@FirstLadyOffice) October 8, 2025
Her complicated relationship with Christmas is part of what makes every detail so scrutinized. Back in 2018, a secretly recorded audio clip — released in 2020 — captured Melania venting about the stress of holiday responsibilities.
“I’m working… my a— off on the Christmas stuff… who gives a f— about the Christmas stuff and decorations?” she said, sounding fed up not only with the workload but also with the relentless criticism surrounding the administration’s immigration policies. It was a rare moment where the public heard her unfiltered frustration.
Her decoration history hasn’t made things easier.
In 2017, she debuted stark white branches lining the East Wing, which many compared to a frozen haunted forest.
Melania Trump’s 2017 White House Christmas decorations. Magnificent! pic.twitter.com/Z6YUWrAnOx
— Love_Joy_Freedom ✝️ (@KanchevaD) December 4, 2024
The following year, she unveiled a hallway of towering red cone-shaped trees that sparked immediate comparisons to “The Handmaid’s Tale” and even horror-movie aesthetics. Despite the public debate, Donald Trump has repeatedly praised her creative direction, calling her installations the “most beautiful Christmas decorations.”
If you’re criticizing Joe and Jill Biden’s modest and intimate Christmas photo, cast your eyes back to how Melania decorated the White House, a creepy dystopian red Christmas tree display, devoid of love, decorations and care. pic.twitter.com/2Oen0s3aKh
— MelissaD 🔥💧🐨🌱💓🌍 😷 (@D_Melissa2) December 3, 2024
Now, as Melania prepares for Christmas 2025, the reaction to her tree day outfit — with users asking if she went “out with her robe and high heels?” — is likely just the beginning.
Every wreath, garland, and lighting choice will be examined, memed, and debated. And if her holiday track record holds, Melania’s vision — grand, glossy, and always a little polarizing — will keep the internet talking long after the decorations come down.
