President Donald Trump borrowed a serpent staff from a child at the White House Halloween event on Sunday to wave in the direction of the media as he and first lady Melania Trump distributed chocolate bars and twizzlers to the children of military families.
‘Do you know what I’m doing,’ he asked the two little girls, who were dressed in Egyptian style costumes as the first lady chuckled at his antics.
He waved the staff up and down and all around, as if he were casting a spell.
First lady Melania Trump has a laugh as President Trump waves a snake serpent in the direction of the press
‘Do you know what I’m doing,’ he asked as he waved the staff up and down and all around, as if he were casting a spell
The first lady seemed to particularly enjoy the animal costumes
The president and first lady walked out on the orange carpet to the music from Thriller
Music from Harry Potter played while the kids trick or treated
His Halloween antics come a day after the president stirred up controversy by joking about his ‘bad hair day’ and tweeting about the World Series, just hours after a gunman slaughtered 11 people at a synagogue.
He first told a young farmers convention in Indianapolis on Saturday morning that he almost cancelled the events because the weather wreaked havoc with his hair, and not the massacre in Pittsburgh.
Later in the evening he then took to social media while watching Game 4 of the series between the Dodgers and the Red Sox, and questioned the pitching changes.
But none of that was on display at the White House on a sunny and cool Sunday evening as the first couple welcomed children of military families and local schools.
Harry Potter theme music played, a fog machine pumped spooky smoke, pumpkins abound on hay bales, and the columns of the White House were decorated as corn husks for the event.
There was nary a political costume in sight.
Super heroes dominated – Wonder woman was popular for the girls – along with princesses, unicorns, astronauts, and the Stay Puffed Marshmallow man.
The first lady, dressed in a yellow plaid coat and her signature stilettos, seemed to particularly like the animal themed costumes.
She patted a little guy dressed as a yellow duck on the head and tugged the ear of a little girl dressed as a white rabbit.
The first couple entered the South Lawn of the White House on an orange carpet to the music from Thriller and stayed outside for a little more than hour, handing out treats for kids to put in orange plastics bags stamped ‘Made in the USA’ all along the top.
The president didn’t give any public remarks at the event – which took place a day after the mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh – and only spoke to the children.
President Trump jokes with the serpent staff
Super hero costumes were popular among the kids
A lot of little girls dressed as Wonder Woman
The kids received ‘commemorative candy’ – Hershey’s chocolate bars and Twizzlers in special boxes designed with the president and first lady’s signatures.
The first couple, who did not dress up in costume, passed out the treats from wicker baskets as the kids walked by them.
The Trumps posed for photos with all the kiddos with the president being particularly diligent about calling kids back if they ran off before their parents got a snap.
Some kids even got extra candy from the president after they posed.
And while Melania Trump would hand the candy to the kids, the president usually let them take it out of his basket or would drop it straight into their bag.
President Trump and Melania Trump posed for photos with the kids
The president admires a baby in costume
The children received ‘commemorative candy’ – Hershey’s chocolate bars and Twizzlers in special boxes designed with the president and first lady’s signatures.
Two girls pose for a photograph with the decorated South Portico of the White House
The Stay Puffed Marshmallow man was spotted among the costumed kids
Kids lined up down the South Lawn to see the president and first lady
A little guy dressed a Mario got a chocolate bar from the Trumps
In addition to the sweet treats, the South Lawn was packed with fun activities.
NASA had a moon carpet set up on the South Lawn, and robotics displays was on hand from the First Lego Robotics League from the Department of Education.
The Department of Transportation handed out paper airplanes, the Department of Agriculture brought in a tractor for the kiddos to explore, and the Department of Health and Human Services had emergency vehicles on display.
Children were also able to see the Presidential Limo known as ‘The Beast.’
There was also a hay bale maze to explore.
Melania Trump pets a toy dinosaur
Melania Trump admires two children in costume
Two boys were dressed as SWAT team members
The first lady gives candy to a little yellow duck
ALL LITE UP: This little girl’s costume glowed with lights
The children were from local schools and the kids of military families
The Trump stayed outside for a little more than an hour to pass out treats
The kids received ‘commemorative candy’ – Hershey’s chocolate bars and Twizzlers in special boxes designed with the president and first lady’s signatures