President Donald Trump and first lady light the National Christmas Tree
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the National Mall.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump continued the more than 100-year-old tradition of lighting the National Christmas Tree with First Lady Melania Trump in memory of two National Guard soldiers shot and killed while on patrol near the White House last week.
Sarah Beckstrom, a National Guardsman, died after the attack. President Trump said he met with the parents of surviving Guard member Andrew Wolf.
“Andrew is recovering. Unfortunately, Sarah is watching from on high, from heaven,” Trump said on Dec. 4. “I just want to salute them. Two wonderful people, incredible people. I talked to the parents, I met them today.” “Andrew’s parents.”
The tree lighting ceremony featured performances by the Beach Boys, Alana Springsteen, Brett Young and other musicians.
President Trump said of the 30-degree weather, “It’s beautiful. It’s not too cold. There’s no wind. There’s no need to wear a hat or anything.”
Trump downplayed his 2020 election loss, saying he would not have become president without the outcome of his four-year absence from the White House before returning in January as he celebrates the 250th anniversary of American independence next year.
“I’m so glad I delayed the inauguration, otherwise I would have been sitting at home watching TV without being invited. I would have been extremely upset,” Trump said, repeating baseless claims that the vote was “rigged.”
Trump later said he loves all Americans. “Whether you like them or not, we love them all, we want to take care of them all, and we have to embrace everyone in this country,” Trump said.
LED lights, small trees and student decorations
Dec. 4 was the 103rd tree lighting ceremony held at Ellipse, and its origins date back to 1923, when former President Calvin Coolidge presided over the lighting of a 48-foot-tall balsam fir in his home state of Vermont.
Tree 2025 is a 32-foot-tall red spruce that grows in the mountains of Highland County, Virginia. It was selected by the ranger district of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, according to the National Park Service.
The tree has more than 80,000 LED lights and is surrounded by 59 smaller trees donated by a tree farm in North Carolina. These trees represent every U.S. state, territory, District of Columbia, Bureau of Indian Education, Department of Defense schools, and America250. It is decorated with decorations made by the students.
One of the Florida ornaments features a beach scene, and one of the Alaska ornaments features a moose. The Indiana figurine features a race car.
The National Christmas Tree display runs from December 6th to January 1st and is free for visitors. Open daily from 10am to 10pm Sunday through Thursday and until 11pm Friday and Saturday.
