‘Beautiful Tree’: US First Lady Melania Trump Receives Christmas Tree For White House | Watch

US First Lady Melania Trump on Monday received this year’s official White House Christmas tree, a white fir from a Michigan farm that arrived at the North Portico on a horse-drawn carriage.

The tree, grown at Korson’s Tree Farms, was brought in by two Clydesdales named Logan and Ben. Three men in top hats rode with the carriage, and Trump walked around it briefly, stopping for photographs.

“It’s a beautiful tree,” she said.

Trump, dressed in a cream overcoat and dark red gloves, greeted one of the drivers and a woman accompanying the horses. The 18.5-foot tree will be placed in the Blue Room, continuing a long-running White House holiday tradition.

Korson’s Tree Farms earned the spot after winning the National Christmas Tree Association’s annual

contest, which has supplied the official tree since 1966.

First lady Melania Trump welcomed the official Christmas Tree for the White House on Monday, calling it a "beautiful tree," and speaking with the owners of the farm it came from. She told reporters holiday decorations this year will be "beautiful." pic.twitter.com/I65DeFhdLq

— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 24, 2025

The tradition of putting up a Christmas tree in the White House goes back to 1889, when President Benjamin Harrison brought in the first documented tree. It wasn’t a guaranteed fixture in the early years, but by the mid-20th century it became a central part of the holiday season in Washington.

Since Jacqueline Kennedy’s time, the main White House Christmas tree is almost always placed in the Blue Room. The room’s circular shape is ideal for tall trees, and every administration picks its own theme.

The tree displayed in the Blue Room is not randomly picked. Growers compete in the National Christmas Tree Association’s annual contest. The winner earns the right to present the official tree.

Though the winning states change year to year, a few have dominated the contest. Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan and Wisconsin have repeatedly produced winners.