The Rampant Rumor About Donald Trump's Out-Of-Touch Halloween Party That Just Won't Die

In the spirit of Halloween, President Donald Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump handed out candy to young trick or treaters who graced the White House lawn on October 30, 2025. Hosted annually by the White House, the traditional event was a downright wholesome moment in the midst of a national crisis. With the government shutdown, over 1 million federal employees have faced no pay for a decision out of their control. During the heartbreak of a nation struggling under the mounting pressures of what may possibly be the longest shutdown in United States history, leaving many without work, without pay, and without resources, Trump flew down to his Mar-a-Lago estate to host an expensive Halloween party. 

Photos from the event show a packed hall with many dressed in 1920s garb, including flapper dresses with feather headbands, which blend into the large white feathered centerpieces at the celebrity adorned tables. It's a lavish display of the president's wealth, a man often forgotten to be a billionaire. With all that money, one may assume that the party was all on his tab, but rumors have circulated online that the allegedly $3.4 million party was actually paid for with taxpayer dollars. If true, the president, who is already facing backlash over his controversial demolition of the White House's East Wing for a ballroom, would face a major storm of hatred and even, possibly, jail time. After all, using American tax dollars for personal expenses while president is illegal. 

SNAP, a federally funded program providing food-purchasing assistance to low-income individuals and families, was gutted of its budget due to the government shutdown. While millionaires, billionaires, and even government officials clinked drinks and dined in Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, over 41 million Americans lost access to the anti-hunger program. In Florida alone, where President Donald Trump's personal estate is located and where 1 in 8 people rely on SNAP as of 2024, the tension was felt as millions were suddenly left without means to provide food for themselves and their loved ones. However, the worries of these families that depend on the program may not have been heard through the music that filled Trump's Florida ballroom. One can't help but wonder if, when he flew back to the White House, the construction of his new ballroom drowned out the cries of the 1 in 5 D.C. residences who use food stamps. 

Even if the rumors claiming that Trump used taxpayer dollars is not true, the party still flaunts a great divide between classes. His lavish digs and huge bash share an image of the president unburdened by the millions of Americans who's access to food hung in the balance during his Halloween party. The wildly inappropriate and tacky party proved Trump is too out-of-touch to understand the concerns of his people because, the bottom line is, Trump will never be on food stamps.