OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
10:47 AM – Monday, April 5, 2026
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, accompanied by the Easter Bunny, have kicked off the White House’s annual Easter Egg Roll with a patriotic theme for the country’s Semiquincentennial celebration.
The president began the Easter Monday event by praising the United States military for its success in rescuing both crew members piloting an F-15E fighter jet that was shot down over Iran over the weekend. One pilot was rescued on Saturday, hours after the plane was downed. The other was found on Easter Sunday. He noted that there would be a news conference from the Oval Office later in the day to provide more details.
“We have the greatest military, the most powerful military, any place in the world. … I built it in my first term and I didn’t know I’d be using it this much in my second term, but it’s my honor, and they’re the greatest people on Earth,” Trump said.
Trump quipped that he had expected to talk about a variety of products produced by American farmers, but that he was told by his team that he needed to focus on eggs. He noted that last year, he was advised to order plastic eggs for the White House event due to skyrocketing egg prices across the U.S.
“I said, ‘I’m not using plastic, we’ll get it solved,’” Trump recalled. “And within a short period of time, eggs came down. They came down 40%, 50%, and by the time we got there, we had so many eggs, we didn’t know what to do with them. And today we have more than 40,000 eggs supplied by all of the great egg farmers that are with us.”
White House Press Secretary announced before the weekend that some data found egg prices down 80% since last Easter. President Trump fought egg shortages, caused in part by bird flu outbreaks, by importing eggs from several countries and investing up to $1 billon to curb the avian influenza crisis.
Trump also praised the first lady for her January release of “MELANIA,” calling her a “movie star,” and inviting her to greet the approximately 40,000 guests on the South Lawn.
“Happy Easter Monday. I hope you enjoy this beautiful day,” she said. “We are celebrating a very special Easter Egg Roll this year, because it’s [the] 250th birthday of this beautiful nation.”
“Happy Easter and God bless America,” the president’s message concluded, addressing the crowd. “We have the greatest country on Earth. God bless you all, you are very, very special people.”
The president then blew a whistle to commence the egg rolling games for the children in attendance. This year, participants were distributed red, white and blue dyed eggs for America’s 250th birthday.
Trump sat at a table where children were coloring in pictures of the White House.
“I could sign autographs for you guys,” he told the kids around him. “And then tonight you could sell them for $25,000 on Ebay.”
He was handed several pictures to sign, as well as a paper airplane, and he remarked that former President Joe Biden would have needed an autopen to sign their creations.
He also chose one little girl to receive the Sharpie he used, remarking, “That’s a lot of money you just got.”
One child told Trump he was “the best president.” Trump thanked him and said that he agreed.
The tradition began in 1878 when a group of children approached the White House gate asking to play egg-rolling games on the lawn. President Rutherford B. Hayes told his guards to allow them entry, and it has since become an Easter Monday staple.
The event had to be halted from 1917 to 1920 for World War I, and from 1943 to 1952 due to World War II and then construction on the White House before President Dwight D. Eisenhower reinstated the tradition.
The first lady traditionally plans the event, with First Lady Pat Nixon having introduced the traditional egg roll races.
In 1981, due to First Lady Nancy Reagan, it became a tradition for guests to receive a wooden Easter egg with the president and first lady’s signatures when leaving the event.
This year’s keepsake eggs, following the theme, are reg, white, blue and gold. Most bear the Presidential Coat of Arms, while the exclusive Golden Egg showcases the Presidential Seal. The full set retails for $34.95.
“The White House Easter Egg Roll has been an American tradition for over 145 years,” said Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association. “These wooden eggs are not only a part of that time-honored celebration but are also a piece of White House history that people can bring into their homes and cherish for years to come.”
On the weekend dedicated to the resurrection of the Christ, the White House emphasized President Trump’s promise of restoring religious liberty to America for Christians.
“This Easter Sunday, as Christians around the world rejoice in the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, President Donald J. Trump stands as a fierce defender of the Christian faith,” the White House stated on Sunday.
The administration noted the ways that Trump is “protecting Christians at home,” including establishing the White House Faith Office and the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias.
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