Trump or treat?
With five days until Election Day, President Donald Trump took the evening off from his midterm campaign blitz to greet trick or treaters at the White House.
The event, hosted by first lady Melania Trump, was filled with young trick or treaters dressed in both festive and patriotic wear. Rosie the Riveter, Uncle Sam, Dolly Parton, soldiers, athletes, a garbage truck and Toy Story characters approached the White House, which was decked out with Halloween leaves and vines and a red moon. Meanwhile, the United States Air Force Strolling Strings filled the atmosphere with Halloween songs.
The presidential annual tradition was not halted by Trump's midterm campaigning, after he made an afternoon campaign stop in South Carolina on Oct.
29, ahead of the Halloween festivities. He arrived back at the White House just 30 minutes before the Halloween event, and in days prior, he traveled through Ohio, Mississippi, Michigan and Georgia.
One older trick or treater particularly impressed the president, as he dressed in a Make America Great Again hat, "47" shirt, signifying Trump as the 47th president and in red pajama pants which had images of Trump dancing and read "MAGA FOR LIFE." One other boy, dressed as a race car driver, wore a helmet decorated with the logo for the Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence administration.
The White House Historical Association says that Halloween celebrations at the White House date back to 1958 when First Lady Mamie Eisenhower decorated with skeletons, jack-o-lanterns and stalks of dried corn. The Kennedys began hosting trick-or-treaters at the White House, according to the organization.
In 2017, during Trump's first term, the family decorated the South Portico for the holiday, including jack-o-lanterns depicting previous presidents.
This year, the Trumps handed out large Hershey chocolate bars, custom wrapped with the seal of the President of the United States on one side, and on the other with the words "HAPPY HALLOWEEN." They also bore golden signatures of the president and first lady. A United States Air Force aircraft also flew over the White House to join the festivities.
Administration officials Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth, Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Director of the Office of Budget and Management Russell Vought and their families joined the line of trick or treaters. Trump and his wife arrived at the event, joined by a group of children, including one dressed as a spoiled banana.
The event also featured elements in line with the Trump administration priorities, according to the Office of the First Lady, including the Department of Treasury handing out coloring books to promote Trump Accounts to young trick or treaters. The Department of Agriculture featured a giant pumpkin on the lawn and handed out mini pumpkins from American farmers, and the America250 organization also supported the event.
The event wrapped with a long line of trick or treaters unsuccessfully meeting the president. Trump seemed to push back against ending the event, though, and he stayed outside the White House with Melania for an extra five minutes to listen and dance to the music by the Air Force group.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump takes midterm break for White House trick-or-treaters
