President Joe Biden became so scared of seeing children in creepy costumes in the White House that he dropped the presidential M&Ms he was handing out.
The Commander-in-Chief convincingly feigned fear as an army of dinosaurs, skeletons, witches, Barney the Dinosaur, Mario and Luigi, ghostbusters and superheroes trick-or-treated on the South Lawn of the White House.
As he dropped the candy, he bent down to pick it up and put it in the bag.
Next to him, Jill Biden was dressed as Willow, the first cat, complete with ears, a tail and a face with whiskers. The president did not opt for a suit, but put on the suit he had worn all day and added a ball cap with the presidential seal to complete his ensemble.
The first lady donned her teacher’s hat to shout a “Hello-READ!” event, during which the White House was decorated with famous literary characters, such as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy’s giant ruby slippers stood on one side of the White House portico.
President Joe Biden reacts to a blue baby dinosaur
Jill Biden reads ’10 Spooky Pumpkins’ to children at the White House
Jill Biden created a literary theme and presented a “Hello-READ!”
Jill Biden also hosted a reading corner where she read “10 Spooky Pumpkin” to the children. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dressed as an angel as she read “First Broom.”
“I had a choice: be an angle or a devil. I picked an angel,” she said.
About 8,000 guests made their way through the haunted house, including students from local public schools and children associated with the military.
The weather added to the atmosphere. It was a ghostly sky over the White House and the clouds rolled in as the event began.
The rain was pouring down, but that didn’t spoil the fun. The president and first lady both posed for selfies as they greeted both parents and children.
But the evening turned so cold that Jill Biden put a jacket over her dress.
Some familiar faces made their way through the trick-or-treat line.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stopped by with his two children. White House adviser Anita Dunn brought her family, as did OMB Director Sholanda Young.
Former House Speaker Patrick McHenry crossed the line.
President Joe Biden kisses a little girl dressed as a pumpkin
Jill Biden dressed as Willow, her cat who lives in the White House
President Joe Biden picks up a book as he hands out candy to children
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dressed as an angel
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden with a trick-or-treater dressed as Batman
President Biden greets a boy dressed in military gear
President Biden greets a trick-or-treater
President Biden with two baseball players
The president and a pumpkin head
President Biden not only feigned fear at the sight of a blue baby dinosaur and a skeleton, he also greeted a young boy dressed in military gear and accepted a toy ice cream cone from a child who offered him one.
He shook boxes of M&Ms to make them rattle as he waved the kids off to get their sweet treats. He also handed out Hershey Kisses in a box with the presidential signature.
Pumpkins, gourds, hay bales and corn stalks were the favorite decorations. Yellow and orange mums spread across the South Lawn.
The fountain contained fake bubbles that resembled a witches’ cauldron.
At the White House itself, a large full moon hung from the Truman Balcony with a witch flying in front of it.
Cardboard cutouts of Willow and Commander were located on the South Portico. Cardboard stacks of books completed the look.
Several Cabinet agencies participated in the event and sat in stalls to distribute sweets.
The Education Department handed out smarties. The Secret Service had one of their cruisers that children could sit in. The State Department handed out gummy bears.
As a snack, cookies were available in the shape of carrots and round ones with a green monster face. There was hot apple cider to drink.
The chilly White House celebration was a harbinger of the official holiday weather to come.
A cold snap is spreading across the US and Forecasts show this will affect large parts of the Midwest, South and East, including almost all of the Lower 48 states.
The cold air phenomenon started Monday and will peak later this week. As a result, approximately 60 million Americans – from the plains of the Lone Star State to the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley – are under frost or freeze warnings.
Another 200 million people, experts say, are about to experience some form of unusually cold weather.
President Biden handed out M&Ms with the presidential seal
A group of skeletons with the president
President Biden pretends to eat an ice cream cone
President Biden with Secretary of State Tony Blinken and his children
President Biden with White House adviser Anita Dunn
The White House decorations include items from The Wizard of Oz
A witch flies onto the Trump balcony
There were cardboard cutouts of Willow and Commander
It also rained in 2022 during the Bidens’ Halloween event. That year marked the first time the Bidens hosted trick-or-treaters at the White House for Halloween. In 2021, they were on an official trip to Europe for the holiday and instead lit up the White House in orange.
According to the White House Historical Association, Halloween has been celebrated at the White House since the mid-20th century.
Mamie Eisenhower first decorated the White House for Halloween in 1958.
Since then, there has usually been some kind of Halloween celebration at the White House.