Donald Trump, from left, and first lady Melania Trump hand out candy to children dressed as the first lady, a member of the Secret Service and President Trump during a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House. (AP Photo)
President Donald Trump hosted hundreds of costumed guests, from superheroes to dinosaurs, and even a few children dressed as the first couple, during Thursday night’s Halloween celebration at the White House.
He and First Lady Melania Trump appeared on the South Lawn as evening began to fall, walking out to an orchestral version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Neither was in costume. Trump wore a blue suit and red tie with a red “USA” cap, while Melania was dressed in a brown coat over an orange dress.
The couple handed out full-sized Hershey bars and Twizzlers in boxes bearing the presidential seal to a long line of children and parents stretching down the driveway. Temporary walls hid much of the construction of Trump’s new White House ballroom, which has led to the demolition of the East Wing, though a parked bulldozer was still visible beyond them. “It’s a long line,” Trump said. “It’s almost as big as the ballroom.”
The Halloween tradition went ahead despite Trump returning only hours earlier from a six-day trip to Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, and amid a government shutdown now in its 30th day. Trump has called for the government to reopen, but congressional Democrats are insisting on an extension of expiring tax credits that have helped millions afford health insurance. Republicans, meanwhile, say they will not negotiate until the government reopens.
Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports have reportedly reduced inventory and pushed up prices for Halloween costumes for American importers, retailers, and shoppers. Still, the White House exterior was decorated with dozens of large artificial autumn leaves and flowers such as orange and red chrysanthemums. The stairs leading to the balcony were crowded with carved pumpkins.
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Among the children attending the event were those of military members and White House staffers. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt arrived with her young son dressed as a pumpkin. Katie Miller, a former Trump aide, was dressed as a skeleton, while her husband, Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, wore a business suit.
Hundreds of children, from toddlers to early teens, came dressed as Spider-Man, Captain America, ballerinas, princesses, and leprechauns. Two boys wore suits, Trump hats, and smiles like the president, while a girl accompanying them wore a white coat over a dress similar to one the First Lady might wear. Several parents sported “USA” caps like Trump’s.
Some children appeared shy or hesitant to speak with the Trumps, but the president was seen saying something inaudible to a child whose costume consisted of sitting on an inflatable toilet with “Wide Load” stencilled on the back.
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