As major construction projects continue at the White House, First Lady Melania Trump has turned her attention to Halloween, unveiling seasonal decorations ahead of this year’s celebration — just steps away from the demolished East Wing.
“The @whitehouse is getting ready for Halloween 🎃,” her office posted on X on Tuesday, Oct. 28, alongside a photo of the setup in progress.
Unlike in previous years, Melania has opted for a more understated look this season. The back entrance and staircases are lined with pumpkins, while colorful leaves drape between the South Portico’s columns — evoking more of an autumn theme than a spooky one. The toned-down aesthetic may be intended to keep the atmosphere light for the children who will visit for the annual trick-or-treat event with the president and first lady.
In past years, Melania’s Halloween decor leaned more toward the dramatic. The 2019 display featured eerie, spindly trees and orange lighting, while the socially distanced 2020 celebration — held during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — incorporated more variety and visual flair.
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Melania’s relationship with White House holiday decorating has not always been smooth. In 2020, a leaked audio recording captured her venting frustrations about being judged for both her husband’s policies and the aesthetics of the administration. “I’m working … my ass off on the Christmas stuff,” she said in the 2018 recording, later adding, “Who gives a f— about the Christmas stuff and decorations?”
Following her four-year break from the White House, several of Melania’s friends and Mar-a-Lago associates said in December 2024 that she plans to resume traditional first lady duties during her husband’s second term — but strictly on her own terms. “Melania will do what she is asked as first lady but under her own terms,” a Palm Beach source told the outlet. “She will set her own schedule, make her own rules, and use her own taste.”
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Despite speculation, Melania reportedly has no involvement in the controversial demolition of the White House’s East Wing, which is being replaced by a grand presidential ballroom. According to The Wall Street Journal, while some earlier renovations were said to have been collaborative — such as the redesign of the Rose Garden — Melania has privately expressed concerns about tearing down the historic structure and told associates that the project “wasn’t her idea.”
