WASHINGTON—Thousands of children and families gathered on the South Lawn of the White House on a sunny Monday morning for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

White flowers adorned the portico handrails, with the columns wrapped in a massive red, white, and blue plaid design.

“This is the nicest I’ve ever seen it,” Trump said from the Truman Balcony on April 6. “Everything’s new, and everything’s beautiful, and the White House never looked better, and our country never looked better.”

The president mingled with the crowd, signing autographs for several of the children while jokingly informing them they could “sell it on eBay for $25,000 tonight.”

Egg farmers from across the country attended the event and supplied more than 40,000 eggs for the classic egg-rolling races and other activities.

Continuing with tradition, visitors received a commemorative White House Easter egg.

The Marine Corps Band played tunes on the South Portico, accompanied by birds chirping in the historic magnolia trees growing near the Executive Mansion.

“Happy Easter Monday,” the first lady said during the opening ceremony, noting the importance of the nation’s 250th birthday this year. “I hope you enjoy this beautiful day.”

For the second year, the nonpartisan group America250 joined the planning efforts, with an immersive display honoring the nation’s historic monuments.

Guests celebrated with egg coloring, cookie decorating, mini golf, and numerous photo opportunities. Live chicks were on display, and energetic youngsters danced on the Bunny Hop stage.

Children sat with the first lady writing letters of gratitude to American troops, dropping them off in a mailbox emblazoned with her signature “Be Best” initiative.

Dozens of excited attendees played ring toss with the first lady, taking pictures and chatting with Mrs. Trump.

First Lady Melania Trump participates in a Be Best ring toss game at the White House Easter Egg Roll in Washington on April 6, 2026. (Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times)

The first lady later joined hundreds of children in a specially decorated reading nook on the new Rose Garden patio as she read “The Runaway Bunny,” written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd.

Among other speakers visiting the reading nook were Second Lady Usha Vance, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

First Lady Melania Trump reads "The Runaway Bunny" to children during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll in Washington on April 6, 2026. (Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times)

Celebrating Easter with egg rolling at the White House dates to at least 1878, when President Rutherford B. Hayes officially established the tradition by inviting a group of children onto the grounds.

Other records suggest informal egg rolling was underway during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, according to the White House.

Perennially popular, the celebrations got out of hand in 1939 when the Secret Service determined that a group of individuals, including children, had devised a scheme to charge admission for adults who snuck into the festivities.

To manage the crowds in recent years, officials have allocated tickets in blocks, with rotating time periods for respective reservations. Upward of 50,000 visitors were expected this year, according to the president.

Trump spoke to reporters during unplanned, intermittent exchanges throughout the event; many of their questions related to the war in Iran.

President Donald Trump (L) and First Lady Melania Trump watch the start of an Egg Roll race at the White House Easter Egg Roll on April 6, 2026. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“If it were up to me, I‘d take the oil. I’d keep the oil, and we‘d make plenty of money,” Trump said. “And I’d also take care of the people of Iran much better than they’ve been taken care of.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel, special assistant to the president Stephen Miller, and other administration officials attended the event.

Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine joined the president for a press conference later in the afternoon.