Melania Trump Didn’t Explain Red Holiday Trees So the Internet Stepped Up

The crimson conifers are decked in "be best" ornaments.

WH trees
Trees line the East Colonnade during the White House Christmas preview in the East Wing. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Washington Post/Getty Images

First Lady Melania Trump skipped the tradition of hosting a press preview of the White House Christmas decorations this year — so the Internet did it for her.

Instead of answering questions about the collection of blood-red conifers, the First Lady tweeted a 56-second video of herself walking amongst the trees and “let the decorations speak for themselves,” according to her spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham.

The 40 towering topiaries were part of a larger, all-red theme: American Treasures, The Washington Post reported.

But Trump’s lack of a larger explanation lead Twitter to fill in the blanks. The trees were described by some as a “scary and ominous” “hallway of Yuletide murders.”

One New York Times bestselling author, Steve Silberman described the trees as “watered all year with the blood of children in internment camps.”

Others drew connections between the perfectly lined-up bell-shapes and The Handmaid’s Tale. 

Not everyone who saw all the red was horrified, some supporters shared their notes of approval directly with Trump on her tweet.

“Beautiful decorations first lady you make the White House so inviting may your whole family have a blessed Christmas,” wrote user Pedro Valdez.

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