How HGTV's Property Brothers Were Pitted Against Melania Trump
A holiday feud between former First Lady Melania Trump and the happy-go-lucky stars of HGTV's "Property Brothers," Jonathan and Drew Scott, might seem unlikely, but that didn't stop the internet from pitting them against each other anyway. The social media-fueled "battle" began when the HGTV stars helped First Lady Jill Biden transform the White House into a whimsical winter wonderland for the Christmas holiday.
Biden shared decoration details on her official X, formerly known as Twitter, account, writing, "Our theme is inspired by how children experience this festive season: completely present in the beauty and bounty around them, their senses alight, with hearts open to the 'Magic, Wonder, and Joy' of the season." The "Property Brothers" Instagram account also shared photos of the fantastical display, causing many in the comments to compare Biden's decorations with Melania Trump's infamous White House Christmas decor.
"Nothing beats Melania's trees," one IG user commented. "Very nice but nothing as elegant as Melania's," another wrote. Some fans of the Trump Christmas displays called the 2023 decorations "tacky," "embarrassing," and even "creepy AF." Clearly, even holidays can become political!
The internet was divided over whether Biden or Trump's displays looked better
The overall aesthetic of former First Lady Melania Trump and First Lady Jill Biden's holiday decorations could not be more different, and social media users were quick to point this out. Whereas Biden's decor included massive ornaments and gumdrops, Santa's sleigh and reindeer suspended from the ceiling, and splashes of bold, festive color, the Trump-era Christmases were far more understated.
Melania Trump's first Christmas display featured stark, all-red Christmas trees, which some internet users compared to the red cloaks worn in the Hulu adaptation of Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel, "The Handmaid's Tale," per ABC News. She later moved on to white trees before settling on traditional evergreens for her final Christmas in the White House. To some commenters on the "Property Brothers" Instagram post, Trump's holiday displays were far more refined and classy compared to Biden display's over-the-top whimsy.
The People's House @WhiteHouse is ready to celebrate Christmas and the holiday season! pic.twitter.com/oejKW3mC15
— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) November 26, 2018
Others in the comment section were perturbed that Jonathan and Drew Scott would assist in the White House holiday prep at all, musing about whether HGTV or taxpayer dollars funded the presidential display. Still, some pointed out the irony of arguing over Christmas decorations, writing, "The comments amaze me!! It's Christmas .... Stop being so critical of things." Another added, "Woo boy, a lot of snarky holiday jeer. Why don't you people just hush and enjoy it for the whimsical beauty it is."
This isn't the first Christmas-related scandal Melania's been a part of
As fiery as the social media comment sections are, we should note that Jonathan and Drew Scott, Melania Trump, and Jill Biden have made no public comments to suggest they feel at odds with one another. Indeed, the pitting of both administrations — and looping in the Scott brothers — has been solely fueled by the emotional responses of fellow internet users. Still, this is hardly the first holiday scandal related to the third wife of former President Donald Trump.
In October 2020, CNN released audio of the former first lady ranting about Christmas — a conversation that purportedly took place in the summer of 2018 with Melania and her ex-aide and ex-friend, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff. The bizarre Christmas tape included Melania saying, "I'm working ... my a** off on the Christmas stuff, that you know, who gives a f*** about the Christmas stuff and decorations?"
Melania has since put her former friend on blast in an equally public way, releasing a statement on X that the audio was "spitefully edited and released...to create the perception that Christmas is not significant to me." Regardless of who said what and which decorations were hung in the White House, it's clear that navigating the holiday season hasn't been all sugarplums and snowflakes for either presidential administration. As Charlie Brown would say in the face of all this Christmas bickering, "Good grief!"