President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania gave out candy to tiny trick-or-treaters on the White House South Lawn Thursday evening in between the president’s rallies and jet engine roars. 

Trump was in a dark blue suit with a royal blue tie, and Melania wore a Noor Hammour brown trench with Manolo snake pumps when handing out candy. 

Guests included military, law enforcement, and foster and adoptive families, according to the First Lady’s office, which decorated the South Portico with a harvest-moon theme as a band played.

The themes of Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Jaws and other spooky serenades sang out from violins and cellos courtesy of the US Air Force Strolling Strings. 

The president and first lady walked out holding the hand of a young girl as eager attendees began lining up for candy and photo-ops.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, his wife Jennifer, and several of their children were greeted by the president and first lady, as were Trump adviser Stephen Miller and his wife Katie Miller, along with their children.

A giant inflatable moon adorned the White House’s southern facade just above the president and first lady as they tended to the crowd. A sign reading ‘Halloween 2026’ hung above the door. 

Air Force One soon buzzed overhead, flying low and slow to show off for the crowd of costume-wearing families. 

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump hand out candy as they welcome children during the ‘Halloween at the White House’ event on October 29, 2026 in Washington

The president attended a campaign rally in South Carolina just hours before the event

The White House announced it had a ‘harvest moon’ theme for this year’s decorations

President Trump placed a chocolate bar on a child dressed as a minion in 2019

The president greeted children trick-or-treating in front of the White House, which was decked out for Halloween 

The new plane, gifted to the president by Qatari officials, made two passes over the executive residence. 

The president appeared cheerful during the celebration, which doubled as a brief respite for the Republican amid his busy schedule. 

Before the event, he was in Rock Hill, South Carolina, for a rally where he told the crowd to ‘pretend that I’m on the ballot.’ 

After the trick-or-treating line concludes, he will hold two more tele-rallies. 

Last year, Trump recreated his viral Halloween moment from 2019 when he placed a chocolate bar on the head of a child dressed as DJ Marshmellow.

The youngster took the joke in good spirit and walked with the candy balancing on top of his glowing costume. 

In 2019, Trump famously tappied a child dressed up in a Despicable Me minion costume with a bar of chocolate.

Rather than toss it into the child’s goody bag – as he had done with every other youngster – he tapped the head of the costume then placed the bar on top.

The White House holds an annual Halloween event every year, a tradition dating back to President Dwight Eisenhower’s term in 1958.

This year’s ghoulish festivities landed squarely in campaign season, with Election Day on Tuesday and Republicans fighting to hold both chambers of Congress.  

The odds have increasingly favored the Democrats, who appear in polls and predictions to be strongly favored to win control of the House and Senate. 

Trump heads to Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday for another rally as he barnstorms for Republicans in the final days of the midterm campaign.

One child attended the event dressed as Trump himself with a red hat and matching tie 

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, his wife Jennifer and their children attended the event. They were in line next to Trump adviser Stephen Miller and his wife Katie Miller, along with their children

Donald Trump and Melania handing out candy at the White House in 2025, rehashing a 2019 party trick from  where he puts a bar of chocolate on a trick-or-treater’s head

Trump smiled in front of a child who started crying 

The event took place on the South Lawn. Two children dressed as police officers greeted the President and Frist Lady 

The White House was covered in vines and decorations, completely transforming ahead of the holiday 

On Saturday – the actual day of Halloween – Trump was expected to hold a rally in Kansas, but it was canceled on Thursday. 

The president appears poised to return to his Mar-a-Lago home on Saturday, potentially arriving as early as Friday, according to The Palm Beach Daily News. 

The outlet reported that flight restrictions related to presidential travel were to be expected over the weekend. 

The Mar-a-Lago Club’s annual Halloween bash is also expected on Saturday night.