First Lady Melania Trump has been working on reuniting Ukrainian children separated by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. While she has been massively praised for the same, that did not stop her from getting harsh comments online after she made an announcement.
In her announcement on October 10, 2025, at the White House, Melania Trump revealed she has maintained an “open channel of communication” with Russian President Vladimir Putin since August.
With the help of that communication, eight Ukrainian children were reunited with their families within the previous 24 hours. Melania further mentioned that she hoped more reunions between parents and children would be following soon.
Yet, shortly after this diplomatic achievement, the First Lady faced sharp criticism over a new personal business move connected to the upcoming holiday season. Melania revealed on social media plans to sell a patriotic Christmas ornament, part of what is called the “250 collection.”
The ornament is gold and features two American flags, one with 50 stars and another with the original 13 stars, flanked by fireworks and a ribbon reading “Celebrating the.” The ornament is set to retail for $75, which sparked public backlash.
Critics labeled the ornament and the price as “tacky” and accused Melania of “grifting.” On Reddit, one commenter bluntly called it “unbelievably tacky.” Another wrote: “The grifting just never freaking ends.”
A third pointed out the irony in Melania’s holiday item since she had famously dismissed holiday decorations during the first Trump term, quoting her in a leaked 2018 audio complaining, “Who gives a f–k about Christmas decorations?” This apparent hypocrisy fueled the criticism further.
First Lady Melania Trump introduces The 250 Collection.
The 250 Collection includes six limited-edition Christmas ornaments designed to celebrate America and the upcoming 250th anniversary. Each ornament is proudly handcrafted in the United States and will include an engraving… pic.twitter.com/w9oChiugNV
— FLOTUS Report (@MELANIAJTRUMP) September 25, 2025
On X (formerly Twitter), the response was just as harsh. One comment read, “FLOG First Lady of Grift.” Another user criticized the timing and price, saying: “Trying to sell a $75 ornament when people can’t afford to put food on the table. The grift that keeps on grifting.”
Other remarks connected Melania’s venture with previous merchandise she has promoted, including steaks, Bibles, and watches, signaling ongoing skepticism about her commercial endeavors.
While Melania has been juggling both praise and criticism, Donald Trump, the President himself, has drawn a huge amount of limelight on himself after the first phase of ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was confirmed. Trump even demanded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in brokering the deal.
However, though Trump is visiting the Middle East where Hamas will be releasing Israeli prisoners, concerns about his health continue to soar. In a press conference that was arranged before he made the journey, Trump failed to recognize a journalist with whom he had a detailed discussion a few days back.
The incident has reignited speculation about Trump’s cognitive health. Moreover, the President recently spoke about heaven and said his chances of getting there are ‘very slim,’ leading some online to speculate that he fears he may not have much time left.
With such health controversies surrounding him, it remains to be seen whether Trump will respond to Melania being mocked over her Christmas ornament initiative.
Melania has made no effort at all to help reunite the immigrant children who were cruelly separated from their families during trump’s 1st term. I’m happy for the Ukranian children, but it still smacks of racism, white supremacy and performative compassion.