Fox News Confirms Pete Hegseth Was The Man Behind The Bunny At 2026 Egg Roll

The 2026 White House Easter Egg Roll went from bad to worse in true Donald Trump fashion. To kick things off, the president gave a speech from the White House balcony where, as children waited in anticipation, Trump ranted about attacking Iran, Venezuela, egg prices, and fences. Standing next to Trump as he carried on was the Easter Bunny. Having the Easter Bunny stand with the president during the event is a tradition that dates back to disgraced President Richard Nixon's time in office, and the role is usually played by a White House staffer. This year, according to Fox News' Jesse Watters, Trump's Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth took on the role of the mythical egg-hiding rabbit. 

Watters: I did find out who was in the Easter bunny costume at The White House. Hegseth was the bunny. Imagine you're in Iran and you're in a bunker, and he's telling you he's going to bomb you back to the stone age next to a bunny. pic.twitter.com/MwUwEpWiRP

— Acyn (@Acyn) April 6, 2026

While the Fox News team laughed at the "war bunny" and the idea of watching Trump from a bunker in Iran as he threatens your nation while standing next to a giant rabbit, the revelation was met with equal amounts of sarcasm online. X users went after not just Hegseth, but other members of Trump's administration. One user pointed out the absurdity of the moment, stating, "Imagine you're the secretary of defense and a sundowning geriatric dementia-riddled idiot makes you dress up as the Easter Bunny." Another summed it up perfectly, adding, "This f***ing clown show never ends."

Meghan Hays, who worked in the White House during President Joe Biden's term, detailed the work that goes into preparing for the role to Fox News. Hays, who played the Easter Bunny twice, explained that the military is involved in getting the Easter Bunny ready for the big day, with practice starting the week before the event. She also noted that "it's normally someone from the military who is in these bunny suits." Brian Evans, a Marine, was one of three bunnies in 2018 and told the Greenfield Reporter, "I had an absolute blast — I went full character. I danced and sang to kids and took a ton of pictures." He also backed up what Hays said about preparation, adding, "I had no idea how much work went into this operation of the annual Easter Egg Roll, but I can tell you it's a really big deal from determining the color of the eggs to figuring out what songs to play."

But there may be another reason the secretary of defense chose to suit up. Wearing the Easter Bunny costume might've helped Hegseth avoid having more unflattering photos taken, an issue that he's deeply concerned about. It would also keep the press on hand from asking him questions he wants to avoid, like ones about the Kid Rock helicopter incident. At the very least, it helped Hegseth keep from being a MAGA fashion disaster at the event — though his wife wasn't as lucky.