--- title: Melania Trump Stands By White House Christmas Decorations description: First Lady Melania Trump stood by her White House Christmas decorations during a town hall on the opioid epidemic at Liberty University. canonical: https://time.com/5465753/melania-trump-on-white-house-christmas-decorations/ author: Rachel E. Greenspan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-11-28T18:14:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-13T08:07:18.702Z og:title: Melania Trump Defends Her White House Christmas Decorations og:description: 'I think they look fantastic,' she said og:url: https://time.com/5465753/melania-trump-on-white-house-christmas-decorations/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaff2cc18932e4c4d/6989401f4ee26241bf31374a/melania-trump-liberty-university-christmas-decorations.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3878 og:image:height: 2181 og:image:alt: ATTACHMENT DETAILS melania-trump-liberty-university-christmas-decorations.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Melania Trump Defends Her White House Christmas Decorations twitter:description: 'I think they look fantastic,' she said twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaff2cc18932e4c4d/6989401f4ee26241bf31374a/melania-trump-liberty-university-christmas-decorations.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Melania Trump Stands By Her White House Christmas Decorations > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7ce6bdf1-6020-438a-92ad-0989878b0ea3&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Melania Trump Stands By Her White House Christmas Decorations [Watch (HLS stream): Melania Trump Stands By Her White House Christmas Decorations](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/XMfeYQ0r.m3u8) (0:24)  _Published 2018-11-28. Despite all the internet buzz and criticism, First Lady Melania Trump says she stands by her White House Christmas decorations._ by [Rachel E. Greenspan](https://time.com/author/rachel-e-greenspan/) ## Rachel E. Greenspan Nov 28, 2018 6:14 PM UTC Despite all the internet buzz and criticism, First Lady Melania Trump says she stands by her White House Christmas decorations. by [Rachel E. Greenspan](https://time.com/author/rachel-e-greenspan/) ## Rachel E. Greenspan Nov 28, 2018 6:14 PM UTC Despite [all the internet buzz and criticism](http://time.com/5463388/melania-trump-christmas-decorations-trees-memes/), First Lady Melania Trump says she stands by her [White House Christmas decorations](http://time.com/5454985/white-house-christmas-2018/). In an interview at Liberty University Wednesday as part of a town hall on the opioid crisis, Trump was asked what she has to say about the media’s coverage of her Christmas decorations. “We are in the 21st century and everybody has a different taste,” Trump said. With a smile, she added: “I think they look fantastic.” The Liberty University audience applauded for the First Lady’s comment before she proceeded by inviting everyone to the White House to see the decorations, which feature numerous Christmas trees including rows of trees in a deep red shade that many joked resembled blood.  More than 40 red topiary trees line the East colonnade as part of the holiday decorations at the White House. Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images “In real life they look even more beautiful, and you are all very welcome to visit the White House — the ‘people’s house,'” she said. The First Lady raised similar critiques with her [2017 decorations](http://time.com/5039367/melania-trump-white-house-christmas-decorations-meme/). Strongly resembling this year’s red tree motif, last year’s featured an array of white trees.  The White House's 2017 Christmas decorations are seen on Nov. 27, 2017. SAUL LOEB—AFP/Getty Images In the interview with Eric Bolling, a Fox News contributor who lost his son to a drug overdose, Trump also discussed her Be Best campaign, which strives to help at-risk youth. Watch Melania Trump’s full interview here. ## Transcript [00:00] We are in 21st century and everybody has a different [00:03] taste. I think they look fantastic. [ LAUGH ] [00:04] [ APPLAUSE ] I hope everybody will come over and visit [00:13] it. In real life, they look even more beautiful. And [00:17] you're all very welcome to visit the White House, the [00:20] people's house. 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