Melania Trump accused of White House Christmas card edit in bizarre Prince Charles theory

 

In December 2020, a White House Christmas card shared by Melania Trump unexpectedly became the subject of online controversy, with social media users questioning whether the image had been digitally altered.

The photo, taken on December 10, 2020, shows Donald and Melania Trump standing on the Grand Staircase of the White House, dressed formally in tuxedos and smiling for the camera. It marked their final Christmas at the White House, just weeks before Joe Biden’s inauguration in January 2021. Melania posted the image with a holiday greeting wishing Americans a Merry Christmas from the president and first lady.

Soon after it appeared online, some users began comparing the picture to a 2019 photograph of the Trumps posing with Prince Charles. The similarities between the two images fueled speculation that the Christmas portrait may have been edited or composited. Critics claimed the lighting, posture, and facial details looked unnatural, with several suggesting that Donald Trump’s image appeared to be lifted from an earlier photo.

Comments ranged from sarcastic to outright dismissive, with users calling it an “amateur Photoshop job” and describing the couple as looking like flat, two-dimensional cutouts rather than naturally photographed subjects. While no credible evidence ever confirmed the image was manipulated, the rumors spread quickly, becoming another example of how Trump-era imagery often triggered intense online scrutiny.

This wasn’t the first time Melania Trump’s holiday-related appearances attracted public debate. Only weeks earlier, she had participated in the annual Toys for Tots drive in Washington, D.C., promoting the event on social media and emphasizing the importance of helping families in need during the holidays.

Her approach to Christmas at the White House had already been polarizing years earlier. In 2018, Melania unveiled a holiday décor theme featuring around 40 cone-shaped Christmas trees painted a deep red. The display drew widespread attention online, with critics comparing it to horror movie scenes and dystopian television shows. Some described the décor as unsettling, while others mocked it as symbolic of the darker tone many associated with the Trump presidency.

Supporters defended the designs as bold and unconventional, but critics contrasted them with more traditional holiday themes, arguing that the decorations reflected a disconnect from the warmth usually associated with Christmas at the White House.

Taken together, the Christmas card rumors and past décor controversies highlight how even routine holiday traditions during the Trump years often became flashpoints for online debate, symbolism, and political interpretation—something rarely seen to the same degree in previous administrations.