President and Mrs. Trump at the 2019 Christmas Tree Lighting

This photograph was taken by Matthew D'Agostino at the 97th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on December 5, 2019. Here, President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, country singer and host Jessie James Decker, and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt stand onstage following the lighting of the tree. Members of the United States Marine Band can be seen on the right side of the photograph, performing a celebratory rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." This was the first year the 30-foot tall Colorado blue spruce, originally grown in Palmyra, Pennsylvania, had served as the National Christmas Tree. It was transported and planted on the Ellipse in October 2019, replacing a former Colorado blue spruce that had been planted in October 2012. Since 1973, the National Christmas Tree has been a living tree located on the Ellipse in President's Park, managed by the National Park Service. The lighting of the National Christmas Tree is a cherished holiday tradition in Washington, D.C. When President Calvin Coolidge lit the first tree in 1923, the celebration attracted more than 6,000 spectators. The opening ceremony and nightly holiday concerts have annually drawn hundreds of attendees.