The annual White House Easter Egg Roll isn’t generally seen as a hyper-partisan event. But that changed this week, when both President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used the festive holiday occasion to rail against their enemies.
According to the New York Times, both Trump and Hegseth harangued reporters, following reports that the Defense secretary had participated in a second Signal chat, with family members, in which he discussed Yemen war plans. and from NPR that the Administration was already looking for a replacement for Hegseth at the Pentagon.
Hegseth, in front of his children, ripped the media.
“These kids right here,” the secretary said. ” “this is why we’re fighting the fake news media.”
“Dad’s drunk again. I want to die. This sucks.” pic.twitter.com/FZ8nR7FRvz
— Roshan Rinaldi (@Roshan_Rinaldi) April 21, 2025
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
“This group right here — full of hoaxters. You peddle anonymous sources from leakers with axes to grind and then you put it all together as if it’s some news story,” Hegseth continued.
Trump himself was seen ripping reporters.
“Why would you even ask a question like that?,” the president answered to a reporter who asked about Hegseth’s status in the relationship. A video showed Trump ripping “the fake news,” presumably talking to children at the event:
Donald Trump is whining about “the fake news” TO CHILDREN at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
This man is deeply unwell.
Put Gramps to bed. pic.twitter.com/Igm3Tk5IZ2
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) April 21, 2025
There was plenty of other weirdness on display at the Easter Egg roll.
Trump was also photographed showing off a trading card, to children, of his assassination attempt last summer:
Trump Showing Kids a Trading Card Depicting His Assassination Attempt at the WH Easter Egg Roll.
Totally normal and sane. . pic.twitter.com/77UNTtVCac
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) April 21, 2025
Trump, flanked by the Easter Bunny, also mentionedcand bragged that “I’ve got a better bunny.”
“What a good looking crowd. You remember when the bunny saved Joe Biden? The bunny’s not gonna save me, right? I got a better bunny.”
— Pres. Trump at White House Easter Egg Roll pic.twitter.com/LaFOfsG8aC
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) April 21, 2025
Meanwhile, former cabinet secretary Robert Reich pointed out a corporate angle from the event:
The White House Easter Egg Roll is sponsored by Amazon, Google, and Meta — who are all being sued by the federal government for antitrust violations.
It’s the first time the event has had corporate sponsors.
Everything is for sale under Trump — and Big Tech wants to cash in.
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) April 21, 2025
Photo courtesy of X caption.
