Melania Trump is under fire after unveiling a surprise new business venture as her husband bids for a second term as president: Christmas decorations.
The former first lady, who once criticized the holidays in the White House, unveiled her new ornament collection, “Merry Christmas, AMERICA!” on social media on Saturday.
“Each unique piece captures the magic of the holidays. Let these ornaments inspire cherished memories and bring warmth to your entire family,” her announcement on X read.
The ornaments, which are named “USA Star,” “Vote Liberty,” “Let It Snow” and “Love & Freedom,” cost between $75 and $90. The businesswoman and entrepreneur has received a lot of criticism online for her foray into Christmas decorating.
In 2018, Melania was recorded expressing her frustration with the Christmas cheer at the White House, saying, “You know, who gives a f— about Christmas stuff and decorations?”
Melania Trump has come under fire after unveiling her new Christmas decorations company
The former first lady announced her new ornament collection on Saturday, titled ‘Merry Christmas, AMERICA!’
When former President Donald Trump was in office, Melania decorated the White House with balsam firs with icicles hanging from them, which social media users found chilling and eerie.
In 2018, she decorated the East Colonnade with 40 striking blood-red trees and draped 14,000 red ornaments throughout the White House.
Although her office declared the color red to symbolize “courage and bravery,” the decor was quickly nicknamed “murder trees,” sparking a wave of memes, public outrage, and accusations of being “un-American.”
An X user wrote, “We all know how you REALLY feel about Christmas,” referring to her leaked comments about Christmas decorations in 2018.
“The first family to scam their own supporters,” said another.
“You’re always trying to sell something. Damn girl. Trump put you here to pay his legal bills,” Nurses for a Better Missouri posted on X.
Others defended the former first lady. Kellyanne Conway, for example, said she missed Melania Trump leading the White House Christmas events compared to Jill Biden decorating the house.
“It was very tastefully done,” she said.
Melania’s self-promotion of her jewelry comes after the former first lady referenced her controversial redesign of the White House Rose Garden in a recent post promoting her upcoming book, while omitting the public outcry over it.
The ornaments, named “USA Star,” “Vote Liberty,” “Let It Snow” and “Love & Freedom,” cost between $75 and $90.
While her controversial husband, Donald Trump, was in office, Melania decorated the White House with balsam fir trees dripping with icicles, which social media users found creepy and chilling
On Friday, she shared details about the new design on her X account as part of a series of unusual snippets leading up to the launch of her book.
In previous posts, she defended her early nude modeling photos, which featured images of Michelangelo’s David.
This time, she highlighted the garden’s major 2020 renovation, which she led as part of a multi-day marketing campaign as part of her husband’s campaign to reclaim the White House.
Presidential historian and author Michael Beschloss was among the critics who publicly condemned the project, which involved removing mature dogwood trees and replacing them with new flowers and shrubs arranged in a strict pattern.
A year after the new design was unveiled, Beschloss criticized the concept, stating, “The gutting of the White House Rose Garden was completed a year ago this month, and this was the dismal result: Decades of American history erased.”
In a rare move, the former first lady responded online, pointing out that the photo Beschloss tweeted showed the garden in its early stages. She followed up with a more recent image of the rose garden, now in full bloom with lush pink and white flowers.
“@BeschlossDC has proven his ignorance by showing a photo of the rose garden in its early days. The rose garden is now adorned with a healthy and colorful bloom of roses,” her office tweeted.