This Year's White House Easter Egg Roll Was Sponsored by Big Tech
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President Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday. Traditionally, the event has been considered apolitical and the only backer was the American Egg Board.
But this year, the event took on a decidedly different look with corporate sponsorships introduced for the first time, much to the chagrin of government ethics and legal experts. In reflection of President Trump's stronger ties to Big Tech and Silicon Valley, the top-tier sponsors for this year's event were Amazon, YouTube, and Meta.
Details on how the sponsorships appeared on-site remain unclear, but Politico reports that Amazon is behind activities on the South Lawn, including the reading nook and a family photo area. Meta is providing an 'AI-powered experience' and accompanying photo op, while YouTube is sponsoring the Bunny Hop Stage.
The event started on a somber note as President Trump, flanked by the first lady and an Easter bunny, made additional remarks to his short statement on the death of Pope Francis earlier in the day.
The White House solicited corporate sponsors through an outside production agency, Harbinger, according to CNN. Sponsors contributing $200,000 receive a custom 30-by-30-foot branded activation space, four tickets to the Easter Egg Roll brunch with the first lady, and the option of a meet-and-greet or White House tour. Lower-tier packages are available at $125,000 and $75,000.
The White House Easter Egg Roll dates back to 1878 under President Rutherford B. Hayes, though informal egg-rolling gatherings began earlier during the Lincoln administration. After egg rolling was banned on Capitol grounds in the 1870s, children were invited to the White House lawn, launching what became an annual tradition.
Over time, first ladies have shaped the event with their own touches—from folk dancing to the iconic egg roll races—and attendance grew so large that limits were eventually imposed. (Today, the White House uses an online lottery system to offer free tickets to families across all 56 U.S. states and territories.) The tradition was paused during World War II, but was reinstated in 1953. Since 1981, guests have received commemorative wooden eggs signed by the President and First Lady.
Additional corporate sponsors behind this year's Easter Egg Roll include the Toy Association, the International Fresh Produce Association, and the National Confectioners Association.
The American Egg Board is still supporting the event, supplying the 30,000 hard-boiled (or 2,500 dozen) eggs. The organization also continued another tradition—that of the First Lady's Commemorative Egg, an intricately decorated real egg honoring each First Lady's values and initiatives. The 2025 First Lady's Commemorative Egg, inspired by Melania Trump's 'Be Best' initiative, features butterfly imagery carved into a chicken egg to symbolize growth.
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