On Thursday, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump lit the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. However, it seemed that the President rushed through the ceremony as his teleprompter suddenly came into view.
The Trumps did the countdown quickly, and Melania then lit the tree. Trump proceeded to give a short speech after that, which critics speculate that he used a prompter. He thanked the troops and mentioned National Guard Sarah Beckstrom, who was killed in a shooting incident in Washington, D.C.
He then wished everyone a happy Christmas, along with a “Happy Hanukkah” and “Happy New Year,” before leaving the stage. The tree lighting ceremony also featured performances by the Beach Boys and Alana Springsteen. This year’s Christmas tree was a 35-foot red spruce from the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest in Virginia.
🚨 BREAKING: First Lady Melania Trump and President Trump just LIT the National Christmas Tree
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1…🎄🎄”
Christmas is back WITH CLASS! 🇺🇸
It doesn’t get any better than this. The tree looks stunning! pic.twitter.com/k0PunujNdh
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 4, 2025
As reported by the Irish Star, “according to the National Park Service, the tradition of lighting the National Christmas Tree started on Dec. 24, 1923. President Calvin Coolidge lit a 48-foot Balsam Fir from Vermont. The tree was decorated with 2,500 red, white, and green electric bulbs.”
Only a week before the lighting ceremony, Melania Trump had welcomed the official White House Christmas Tree, which is a white fir from a farm in Michigan. The tree arrived in a horse-drawn carriage from Korson’s Tree Farms. A pair of Clydesdales named Logan and Ben delivered the tree, with which Melania was visibly pleased, as she said, “It’s a beautiful tree” after posting the pictures.
The official White Christmas tree is 18 1/2 feet tall, and Korson’s Tree Farms bagged the honor of delivering this year’s tree after they won the National Christmas Tree Association’s tree contest. This has been the tradition since 1966, as the winner of this contest gets the honor of delivering the Christmas tree to the White House. This year’s White House holiday makeover was unveiled by Melania, with the theme “Home Is Where The Heart Is.”
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While Christmas and New Year are approaching, concerns over the President’s health continue to grow. He keeps falling asleep during important cabinet meetings and conferences, leading to widespread discussions about his capability to handle the responsibilities that come with his role.
On Thursday, as the President sat to sign a deal between the Republic of Rwanda and the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he dozed off again, with the moment clearly captured on camera. Earlier this month, something similar happened during a cabinet meeting as Trump was seen with his eyes closed as United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio kept talking.
Trump, however, seems unfazed by such incidents and proudly boasted during a press conference this month that he feels sharper than he did 25 years ago. Despite visible signs of fatigue and possible cognitive decline, neither Trump nor his administration has ever spoken of anything being wrong with the President’s health.
