Trump and Melania host White House Easter Egg Roll – where Big Tech has become the primary sponsor
Blowing whistles and coloring with kids, President Donald Trump took a break from the high pressure of presidential life to spend some time with the Easter egg crowd on the South Lawn Monday.
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, with almost 30,000 eggs on the South Lawn, even as egg prices remain sky-high.
This year’s egg roll included corporate sponsorships, a departure from the previous sponsorship by the American Egg Board. The event has previously been sponsored by the board in part to avoid having corporate sponsors on the White House grounds.
Sponsors who paid $200,000 received a “custom 30’x30′ branded activation” as well as four tickets to the WHEER brunch with Melania Trump and a choice of a meet and greet or a tour of the White House, CBS News noted. Sponsorship packages were also made available for $125,000 and $75,000.
Several companies, such as Amazon, YouTube, and Meta, sponsored a myriad of event stations. Harbinger, an events company, put together a nine-page pamphlet for possible sponsors, offering “media and PR exposure.”
The theme of this year’s egg roll recognized the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S., with children signing mini versions of the Declaration of Independence and dressing up as the Founding Fathers.
Children with political connections attended the event, as well as the winners of a lottery in all 56 states and territories.
Trump said during his initial remarks that as many as 42,000 people were expected at the White House throughout the day. The president noted that he has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff to honor Pope Francis following his passing, saying, “He was a good man, he worked hard, and loved the world.”
“Easter is special, and it’s one of our favorite days. It’s one of our favorite periods of time. We’re honoring Jesus Christ, and we’re going to honor Jesus Christ very powerfully throughout our lives,” said Trump. “We’re bringing religion back in America. We’re bringing a lot of things back, but religion is coming back to America.”
Trump and the first lady appeared on the South Portico of the White House around 11 a.m. E.T. accompanied by the Easter Bunny. The president spoke to reporters and staff before approaching a line of children getting ready to race.
“Are you ready? One two three!” said Trump before blowing a whistle along with the first lady. The president then joined the children at a table to do some coloring. Also in attendance were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
The White House Easter Egg Roll officially began in 1878 when President Rutherford B. Hayes opened the South Lawn to children who usually rolled eggs on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. However, some accounts of informal egg-rolling events date back to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, the White House website states.
Celebrations on Easter Monday on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol grew so popular in the 1870s that President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill banning egg-rolling events on the grounds due to landscape concerns.
