The National Christmas Tree outside the White House has toppled over due to strong winds, with social media users pointing out that it ‘Perfectly sums up Joe Biden’s presidency’.
The 40-foot tree had been delivered to the White House Ellipse just south of the executive mansion on November 14 and toppled on Tuesday at around 2 p.m. ET amid heavy wind gusts that reached as high at 46 mph at nearby Reagan National Airport, according to officials.
Workers frantically tried to save the tree and to lift it back to position with a crane.
It was not immediately clear whether the decorated tree would be restored to condition so that it can feature in tomorrow’s lighting ceremony for the tradition’s centennial year.
The House Judiciary GOP wrote on its X account: ‘National Christmas tree falls DOWN. Perfectly summing up Joe Biden’s presidency.’
The National Christmas Tree lies on the ground in front of the White House after it fell on Tuesday amid high winter winds
The National Christmas Tree hangs from a crane as a crew works to lift it back up after it fell
The House Judiciary GOP posted a message about the tree toppling on its X accounu
Biden himself has fallen over in public on a number of occasions this year, sparking concerns about the 81-year-old’s suitability to be President.
The US Capitol tree lighting ceremony was performed as scheduled on Tuesday evening.
National Park Service spokeswoman Jasmine Shanti said that after ‘replacing a snapped cable,’ the tree was back upright by 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
The accident involving the tree comes a day after the White House revealed its Christmas season decorations.
In a step away from the last two Christmases, the Bidens chose to leave out the hanging stockings over the mantle in the State Dining Room. The decision surprised some as earlier this year the first couple belatedly acknowledged Hunter Biden’s out-of-wedlock daughter, Navy Joan Roberts.
The last two Christmases, the stockings took up prime position in the holiday display carrying the names of the first grandchildren and first pets. Biden has always been careful to portray himself as someone who takes pride in his family.
The White House’s Christmas decorations include 98 Christmas trees, around 34,000 ornaments, and 142,000 sparkling lights (File Photo)
Biden and his family are planning to celebrate Christmas at Camp David this year and they will instead hang the stockings there, according to a White House spokesperson.
The White House’s decorations include 98 Christmas trees, around 34,000 ornaments, and 142,000 sparkling lights.
More than 300 volunteers assisted in setting up the decorations, set around the theme of ‘The Magic, Wonder and Joy’ of Christmas.
The tree, from West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, had been planted just two weeks ago on the White House Ellipse, an area known as President’s Park.
The lighting of the tree is an annual White House holiday tradition with a countdown and musical performances.
This year’s tree is a new one, replacing an older tree that, according to NPS, developed a fungal disease known as ‘needle cast’ that caused its needles to turn brown and fall off.
According to a Gallup poll released on Tuesday, Biden’s job approval rating remains at 37%, tying his personal low, with disapproval at 59%
Approval ratings of the president’s handling of healthcare (40%) and the situation in Ukraine (38%) are similar to his overall rating, while fewer, 32% each, approve of his handling of the economy, foreign affairs, and the situation between the Israelis and Palestinians.
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