Trump’s decision to invite sponsors for Easter Egg Roll divides Internet: ‘He sells signed Bibles’

Trump’s decision to invite sponsors for Easter Egg Roll divides Internet: ‘He sells signed Bibles’
President Donald Trump’s team is looking to bring in corporate sponsors for the White House Easter Egg Roll (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: The White House Easter Egg Roll is getting a serious Trumpian makeover—and not everyone is happy about it.

President Donald Trump’s team is now looking to bring in corporate sponsors for the iconic event—a 147-year-old tradition that sees children adorably rolling eggs on the South Lawn.

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 22: U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump watch children participating in the 141st Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House April 22, 2019 in Washington, DC. About 30,000 people are expected to attend the annual tradition of rolling colored eggs down the South Lawn of the White House that dates back to the Rutherford B. Hayes Administration in 1878. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
 President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump watch children participating in the 141st Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 22, 2019, in Washington, DC (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Donald Trump tries to woo corporate sponsors

According to a nine-page sponsorship guide obtained by The New York Times, companies can shell out anywhere between $75,000 and $200,000 to get their brand splashed all over the event—with premium perks for those willing to drop big bucks.

The top-tier package reportedly includes a corporate booth, logo placements, branded snacks and drinks, VIP brunch with first lady Melania Trump, an exclusive White House tour, engagement with the press corps, and a whopping 150 tickets to the event.



 

"Be a part of history," the sponsorship guide teases. Created by Harbinger, a Republican-founded event production company, the guide urges brands to "provide financial support, activities, and giveaways to enhance the event while gaining valuable brand visibility and national recognition".

To be fair, the White House Historical Association (a nonprofit started by Jackie Kennedy in 1961) has always benefited from the event’s proceeds. And it’s not like taxpayers are footing the bill—most of the funding comes from private sources anyway.

For decades, the American Egg Board—a marketing group for the egg industry—has supplied thousands of eggs for the festivities.

Internet divided over corporate sponsors for White House Easter Egg Roll

The internet was split into two camps over the idea of sponsors for the event. Trump critics were left fuming over a supposed corporate takeover of the White House.

"Everything Trump and his administration do is illegal," one raged on X (formerly Twitter).

"Constant grift. It's the theme of this administration," another huffed.

"There is nothing Trump won't monetize. We will be lucky if the White House is still owned by the federal government by the time he's done," someone else lamented.

"Leave it to Trump to commercialize Jesus' crucifixion. And leave it to self-proclaimed 'America First Christian Patriots' to applaud him for his depravity. It truly is a cult. A sick and dangerous one," a comment read.

"To be fair, he sells signed Bibles. If you can't make a buck off Jesus' bunny rabbit, why even celebrate?" another added.



 



 



 



 



 

Meanwhile, others saw it as an opportunity to keep the tradition alive without draining taxpayers' wallets.

"As long as the taxpayers aren't paying for it, is that a bad thing? I mean what if not a single dime of taxpayers' money is used and yet the event still goes on and is better than before. Shouldn't that be positive? That's what sporting events do," a person offered.

"Oh, no! Don’t tell [me] they’re trying to let taxpayers off the hook for yet another trivial expenditure! It’s all too horrible!" another quipped.

"It's been sponsored forever. The left just has to cry about everything. It is amazing to me. LOOK IT UP. The American Egg Board is a key supporter, continuing its involvement for over 45 years along with Crayola, Coca-Cola, and Disney. Nothing new and different," yet another explained.



 



 



 

For those unfamiliar with the White House Easter Egg Roll, it dates all the way back to 1878 under President Rutherford B. Hayes. It was actually born out of necessity after Congress banned children from rolling eggs (and themselves) down Capitol Hill.

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 21:  U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and first lady Michelle Obama (L) watch
 Former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama watch children participate in the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn April 21, 2014, in Washington, DC (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Now, tens of thousands of people gather every year on the South Lawn, where children roll hard-boiled eggs across the grass in a race to the finish line.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

 

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