On Halloween evening, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted a memorable trick-or-treat event, marking the last Halloween celebration for the 81-year-old during his current tenure at the White House.
Amid the festive atmosphere, Biden interacted lightly with young visitors, including a humorous moment where he pretended to bite off the leg of a child dressed as a chicken. During this time, the iconic theme of Jaws kept playing in the background.
US President Joe Biden bites a child during a trick-or-treaters celebration for Halloween at the White House in Washington. photo by @SmileItsNathan pic.twitter.com/VXzvtI3IZo
– Corinne_Perkins (@corinne_perkins) 30 October 2024
First Lady Jill Biden also attended the festivities dressed as a giant panda – marking her first collaboration with the National Zoo to celebrate the panda’s return to Washington, DC.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden – dressed as a panda! – Hand out candy for Halloween at the White House, including to the Secretary of State. State Blinken’s children. The theme is hello-read pic.twitter.com/dSrswXITT2
– Maddie Gannon (@maddiegannon3) 30 October 2024
FLOTUS also delighted the children with a reading session, introducing the educational theme of “Hello-Read”. Earlier in the day, he shared the story of a spooky pumpkin with a group of costumed children on the White House lawn.
Jill Biden fully dressing up as a panda for Halloween ad is really funny pic.twitter.com/uSUvf6EPxq
-Annika???????????? (@theanikaj) 31 October 2024
As the evening wore on, the couple spent more than an hour distributing gifts to more than 8,000 attendees, including local students and families with military backgrounds. President Biden, dressed in a suit and tie, filled children’s treat bags with White House-branded Hershey’s Kisses, while the first lady handed out copies of 10 spooky pumpkins. The White House grounds were decorated with festive decorations, including a large orange moon, stacks of books, and cardboard cutouts of the family cat Willow.
The Air Force band played spooky tunes throughout the evening.
On Halloween, former President Donald Trump is set to visit Albuquerque, New Mexico, to appeal to Latino voters and promote his immigration policies. Despite New Mexico’s predominantly Democratic and Hispanic population, Trump aims to take advantage of recent Republican gains among Latino men. His visit is significant, especially after a rally in New York where inflammatory comments were made about Puerto Rico, increasing tensions with Latino communities.
Trump’s campaign focused on New Mexico’s proximity to the border and its oil and gas industry, hoping to attract conservative Latinos working in these sectors. However, Democrats argue that his claims about energy production are misleading, as oil and gas production has increased under President Biden.
The visit will take place at a private venue after the state rejected Trump’s request for a public venue due to maintenance claims. Critics, including New Mexico Democratic spokesman Daniel Garcia, argue that Trump’s past actions, including unpaid debts from previous campaign tours, indicate that he is unlikely to succeed in influencing voters in the state.
