Overview
- President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted costumed families on the South Lawn, handing out full-size Hershey bars and Twizzlers in presidential-seal boxes as the U.S. Air Force Strolling Strings performed.
- The International Fresh Produce Association supplied 7,500 apples and said pumpkins from the display would go to DC Central Kitchen, alongside treats and activities from federal agencies and industry groups.
- Temporary walls and equipment signaled ongoing demolition tied to Trump’s planned White House ballroom, and the president joked that the trick-or-treat line was “almost as big as the ballroom.”
- The event followed Trump’s return from a multi-country Asia trip just hours earlier, with reporters noting his quick turnaround to attend the evening festivities.
- Social media reaction mixed praise for the staging with criticism of food-themed decorations during the government shutdown, as separate reporting described Melania Trump’s private reservations about tearing down the East Wing.