WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump turned the South Lawn into a Halloween parade Thursday night, welcoming hundreds of costumed kids and parents to a celebration that felt decidedly… normal. Superheroes, dinosaurs, and even a few mini “first couples” filed past as an orchestral version of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” set the tone. No costumes for the hosts: the President wore a blue suit, red tie, and a red “USA” cap; the First Lady paired a brown coat with an orange dress. Classic. Presidential. Festive.
In a year when some would rather cancel everything, the Trumps did what leaders should: show up for families. They handed out full-size Hershey bars and Twizzlers packaged in boxes with the presidential seal — a nice upgrade from the fun-size stuff your neighbor tosses in a bowl — to a line that snaked down the driveway. “It’s a long line,” the President quipped. “It’s almost as big as the ballroom.”
Speaking of ballrooms, temporary walls shielded views of construction for the new White House ballroom — the work that’s tied to the demolition of the East Wing — but a hulking bulldozer still peeked over the top. Washington loves a good metaphor, and nothing says “we’re building” like a bulldozer on the horizon.
All of this came mere hours after the President returned from a six-day Asia trip through Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea — and on day 30 of a government shutdown. The White House has called to reopen the government, while Democrats are insisting on extending expiring health-insurance tax credits before dealing with anything else. Republicans say negotiations start after government reopens. In other words: kids are in costumes, and Congress is still playing dress-up.
Yes, tariffs on Chinese imports have tightened inventories and nudged up costume prices for importers, retailers, and shoppers. And yet, the show went on — with the White House exterior draped in giant autumn leaves, orange-and-red mums, and stairs crowded with carved pumpkins. Turns out, you can celebrate America’s traditions and manage tough policy fights at the same time. Multi-tasking: it’s allowed.
The guest list included military families and White House staffers. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt brought her young son dressed as a pumpkin. Former aide Katie Miller arrived as a skeleton; her husband, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, stuck to a business suit (on-brand). The kids’ costumes were a greatest hits album: Spider-Man, Captain America, ballerinas, princesses, leprechauns — plus two boys in suits and Trump hats grinning ear to ear, and a girl in a polished white-coat look reminiscent of the First Lady’s style. Plenty of parents sported “USA” caps of their own.
Some kids were shy; some weren’t. One child, perched on an inflatable “toilet” labeled “Wide Load,” drew a quiet presidential aside — proof that even on a shutdown clock, the people’s house still has a sense of humor.
Bottom line: while Congress argues, the Trumps kept a tradition that reminds families what America does best — we gather, we celebrate, and we keep moving forward. That’s the kind of spirit that outlasts any shutdown.
