First Lady Jill Biden’s unveiling of the 2024 White House Christmas decorations, themed “A Season of Peace and Light,” has ignited a wave of partisan commentary. Republican critics, in particular, were quick to mock the elaborate display, continuing a tradition of political sparring over the festive decor at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
This year’s decorations feature 83 Christmas trees adorned with over 28,000 ornaments, nearly 10,000 feet of ribbon, and over 165,000 lights. At the center of the Blue Room stands the official White House Christmas tree, a towering Fraser fir surrounded by a colorful amusement park-style carousel with reindeer, swans, and other animals bobbing on poles.
The tree is illuminated with twinkling lights and decorated with three-dimensional sweets like peppermints and ribbon candies, along with the names of every U.S. state, territory, and the District of Columbia.
As guests entered the White House, they passed beneath a rotating starlight before encountering the Gold Star tree, which honors families of fallen service members. The bells lining the East Colonnade were intended to symbolize the sounds of the holidays, while the East Room featured reflective decorations designed to evoke falling snow. Other rooms, including the Green and Red Rooms, showcased unique touches such as colored glass ornaments and paper doves carrying messages of peace. The State Dining Room highlighted a massive gingerbread replica of the White House, complete with ice skaters and snow-covered miniature trees.
Despite the decorations’ craftsmanship and sentimental intentions, critics from the right aimed complaints at the display. One critic described it as “what would happen if a group of circus clowns projectile vomited all over the White House.” Abigail Jackson, Communications Director for Senator Josh Hawley, remarked on social media, “White House Christmas decorations are circus-themed. How fitting.”
This backlash follows a familiar pattern of partisan White House holiday decor critiques. Former First Lady Melania Trump faced similar ridicule in 2017 for her minimalist white branches, which some compared to horror film settings. A recording later revealed Melania’s frustration with the scrutiny as she vented about the pressures of decorating for the holidays. “I’m working my (expletive) off on the Christmas stuff… but I need to do it, right?” she said.
Republican mockery of this year’s decorations appears to be as much about political optics as aesthetics. The whimsical carousel and brightly lit ornaments were meant to evoke joy and childhood wonder. Still, detractors seized the opportunity to turn the decor into a proxy for broader cultural and political criticisms of the Biden administration. The tradition of turning holiday decor into a partisan battleground has deepened in recent years, as even something as seemingly unifying as Christmas becomes fodder for division.
Despite the criticism, Jill Biden emphasized the unity and joy the decorations are meant to inspire. Speaking to National Guard families and volunteers who helped prepare the display, she thanked them for their efforts. “This would not be possible without your work,” she said. “It’s been incredible to watch all of you transform this space year after year.”
In the final holiday season of President Biden’s administration, the White House decorations reflect the complexities of modern politics. While designed to inspire peace and light, the display instead finds itself caught in the spotlight of partisan debate, with critics and supporters projecting their views onto the holiday spectacle.
