The National Christmas Tree was felled by high winds outside the White House Tuesday afternoon, two days before President Biden was scheduled to officially light the stately 40-foot spruce.
“In a bold affront to the holiday season, the National Christmas Tree eschewed its festive duties and fell over on Tuesday afternoon,” the New York Times reported, before saying the story “is basically an insert-your-own metaphor exercise.”
In that spirit, the newspaper proceeded to run interference for President Biden, “People who don’t much like the president have already compared the tree to President Biden’s economic policies, and criticized Mr. Biden’s inability to keep the tree from falling over, as if ensuring the tethering of a Christmas tree to the frigid earth were his sole responsibility as president.”
#BREAKING: National Christmas tree at the White House tipped over by tonight’s high winds. @AimeeCho4 at the scene @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/jwhj4bWZyo
— Tom Lynch (@TomLynch_) November 28, 2023
The current tree was a replacement for a tree planted in 2021 that had developed a fungal disease, which some saw as being “symbolic” of the Biden presidency:
The White House Christmas tree fell over. That tree was planted just two weeks ago to replace another tree, planted in 2021, that had developed a fungal disease.
We can’t think of anything in history more symbolic of a presidency than that. pic.twitter.com/wXEZQAOW1w
— Wisconsin Right Now (@wisconsin_now) November 28, 2023
The House Judiciary GOP chimed in on the fallen tree: “Perfectly summing up Joe Biden’s presidency.”
National Christmas tree falls DOWN. Perfectly summing up Joe Biden’s presidency. https://t.co/H0booNXodf
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) November 28, 2023
For the record, the last time the National Christmas Tree fell was in 2011 during the Obama presidency, so make of that what you will.
But the Times was correct that the incident became an “insert-your-own metaphor exercise”… here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on X:
National Christmas Tree fell down and went kaboom
Much like BIDENOMICS… pic.twitter.com/PMEEf4Nq87
— Amy Kremer (@AmyKremer) November 28, 2023
No need to be upset right? For this administration it’s a “winter holiday tree” and not a Christmas tree so no harm, no foul.
— Michael McNeil (@Michael94267904) November 29, 2023
Ladies and gentlemen the Biden presidency in an image.
— DuckDuckHo (@chanurn) November 29, 2023
Looks like the White House Christmas tree took a tumble – maybe it’s just trying to keep up with the presidential tradition of ‘falling’ for the holiday spirit! #TimberInChief #HolidayHavoc
— Jason McCloy Hall (@JasonMcCloy) November 28, 2023
The beaver did it.
— Irene Johnson (@eyezediting) November 28, 2023
It also happened in 2011, during the Obama/Biden Administration. Is someone trying to tell us something?
— Cickey (@cickey63) November 29, 2023
Who falls again next, Joe or the tree?
— Kelraf (@kelraff) November 28, 2023
It gave up like our economy.
— BitterTwitch (@just_beth_13) November 29, 2023
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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