Melania Trump thanks volunteers 'from all across America' for decorating the White House for the holidays - after she was heard in secret recording saying 'who gives a f*** about Christmas stuff'
First Lady Melania Trump offered her appreciation to the volunteers 'from all across America' who adorned the White House with Christmas decorations this year.
The arrival of the White House's iconic Christmas tree last Monday kicked off the holiday season, and Melania Trump showed the preparations are well underway.
'This weekend, volunteers from all across America have come to decorate the for the holiday season,' she wrote in a Saturday social media post.
'Thank you for your time, enthusiasm & devotion to make sure the spirit of peace & joy fill the historic rooms & halls of the People’s House!'
First Lady Melania Trump on Saturday thanked the volunteers who helped decorate the White House for the Christmas
The White House in September said that a smaller group of volunteers would be approved this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured: a volunteer hangs a Christmas wreath outside the White House
Pictured: a volunteer strings Christmas garland around the White House as Melania Trump prepares for the traditional White House Christmas celebrations
Melania Trump: 'Thank you for your time, enthusiasm & devotion to make sure the spirit of peace & joy fill the historic rooms & halls of the People’s House!'
The first lady's office will soon unveil the White House Christmas decorations and theme, which will be Melania Trump's last major act as first lady.
It comes after a recording released by her former friend and employee Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, displays Melania complaining 'who gives a f*** about Christmas stuff' while discussing the traditional first lady task of decorating the executive mansion for the holiday.
The tapes were released when Wolkoff appeared on CNN on October 1, hours before it was announced Melania and Donald Trump tested positive for Covid-19. Wolkoff was promoting her memoir, 'Melania & Me,' which portrays the first lady in an unflattering light.
Melania Trump has blasted the book as 'idle gossip.'
The taped conversation appears to have taken place shortly after Melania visited an immigration detention center in McAllen, Texas, back in June 2018.
Pictured: a volunteer wearing a face mask fixes the red bow of a Christmas wreath as the White House prepated for Christmas
Melania Trump welcomes the arrival of the 2020 White House Christmas Tree at the White House on November 23 in Washington D.C.
She huffed 'give me a f***ing break' while complaining about criticism she received for her husband's policy of splitting up families who illegally crossed the border while at the same time having to decorate the White House for Christmas. The East Wing begins for the holiday season in June.
'They say I'm complicit. I'm the same like President , I support him, I don't say enough. I don't do enough,' Melania says.
'Where I am. I put - I'm working like a - my a** off - at Christmas stuff that you know, who gives a f*** about Christmas stuff and decoration? But I need to do it, right?
'Ok, and then I do it. And I say that I'm working on Christmas planning for the Christmas. And they said, "Oh, what about the children that they were separated?"
'Give me a f***ing break. Where they were saying anything when Obama did that?' she said.
The White House Christmas tree this year is an 18 ½ foot Fraser Fir shipped from West Virginia and will be the centerpiece in the Blue Room
Photos shared by Melania on Saturday showed volunteers placing an 'USA' ornament on the 18 ½ foot Fraser Fir shipped from West Virginia. It will be placed in the White House's Blue Room as the centerpiece.
Volunteers were photographed stringing garland along the pristine walls and hanging bow-cinched Christmas wreaths outside the White House.
At least two volunteers were seen wearing face masks after the White House said this holiday season would see new health policies amid the coronavirus pandemic.
'In order to ensure a safe, healthy environment for all volunteers and entertainers, this year’s holiday season will include new policies in place that align with the guidance issued by Federal, State, and local officials,' the White House wrote in a September statement.
A smaller number of volunteers were selected this year and volunteers were expected to wear face coverings.
Washington D.C. has recorded 21,308 coronavirus cases and 678 deaths as of Friday, when officials last updated the capitol's dashboard.
The United States has dwarfed those numbers, with more than 13.2million cases and 266,074 deaths.
The Surgeon General said that even the White House should follow CDC guidelines when it comes to holiday parties as the Trump administration plans to go forward with festive gatherings in the next few weeks.
'We want everyone to understand that these holiday celebrations can be super spreader events, so we want them to be smart and we want them to be as small as possible,' Dr. Jerome Adams said on ABC's 'Good Morning America.'
And that applies to the White House, where preparations are underway for the annual Hanukkah and Christmas receptions next month.
'Go to CDC.gov. Look at those tips for everyone. These apply to the White House, they apply to the American people, they apply to everyone. We want you to stay safe, so we can get to a vaccine,' Adams said.
The parties this year will be smaller than they were in the past, a spokesperson for the first lady said.
Surgeon General Jerome Adams said even the White House should obey guidelines for scaled-back holiday events this year
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump are planning to hold several holiday parties at the White House this year - the first couple is seen above in their official Christmas portrait from last year
'The People's House will celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah while providing the safest environment possible. This includes smaller guest lists, masks will be required and available, social distancing encouraged while on the White House grounds, and hand sanitizer stations throughout the State Floor,' said Stephanie Grisham, the chief of staff for Melania Trump.
'Guests will enjoy food individually plated by chefs at plexiglass-protected food stations. All passed beverages will be covered. All service staff will wear masks and gloves to comply with food safety guidelines. Attending the parties will be a very personal choice. It is a longstanding tradition for people to visit and enjoy the cheer and iconic decor of the annual White House Christmas celebrations,' she added.
The White House Hanukkah reception is scheduled at 3 pm on December 9 and the congressional Christmas party is slated for December 10.
Both events typically see hundreds of people from across the country gather in the ground floor state rooms at the White House.
And they are just two of the many receptions held in the holiday season. It's not unusual for there to be an event every night the first few weeks of December as the first couple welcomes staff, supporters, party members and donors into the executive mansion to see the decorations and toast the season.
The first lady is expected to unveil the holiday decorations in the next few weeks.