U.S. President Donald Trump attended a Halloween party Friday night at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to a CNN report. The costume party — held on the 31st day of the ongoing government shutdown — was inspired by The Great Gatsby and featured the phrase “A little party never killed nobody,” per the White House. Trump was seen speaking with Sen. Marco Rubio, while his daughter Tiffany and her fiancé Michael Boulos sat at his table.
The White House also released a Halloween-themed video on X, depicting the U.S. Capitol as an abandoned, haunted building. The video accuses Democratic leaders of being responsible for the shutdown. It features animated pumpkins, broken furniture and the faces of Democratic lawmakers appearing on the Capitol’s walls.
The video released by the White House: Ghosts of Democratic leaders haunt Americans
Narration in the video says: “The nation stands still, in the midnight glare. Congress is closed. No voices there, as the Democrats' shutdown leads to despair. Their party leaders haunt Americans without care.” The caption on the post added: “Guess ghosts aren't the only ones disappearing this Halloween. The Democrats’ shutdown.”
A new ABC News poll released this week found that 45% of Americans blame congressional Republicans for the shutdown, while 33% blame Democrats. Seventy-five percent of respondents said they were concerned about the shutdown, with 43% saying they were “very concerned.” Only 9% said they were not concerned at all. Sixty-three percent of Americans said they disapprove of how Trump is handling the situation.
The White House also posted holiday-themed photos, showing the building decked out in pumpkins and orange lights, along with the caption: “Looking spooky today.” In another image, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are seen handing out candy to children in costume before departing for Mar-a-Lago.
Vice President J.D. Vance also joined the festivities, posting a video of himself in a curly wig wishing viewers a happy Halloween. “Remember to say thank you while you trick or treat,” he said. The White House shared the post, adding: “Make sure you say thank you.”
Meanwhile, two federal judges ruled that the U.S. government must continue funding SNAP, the nation’s largest food assistance program, during the ongoing shutdown. The decision came just one day before the U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to freeze funding for the program, which serves roughly 42 million Americans.
Trump responded on Truth Social, saying: “Our government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain monies we have available, and now two Courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do. I do not want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and reopen the government.”
He added, “I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible. It is already delayed enough due to the Democrats keeping the Government closed through the monthly payment date and, even if we get immediate guidance, it will unfortunately be delayed while States get the money out. If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will be my honor to provide the funding, just like I did with Military and Law Enforcement Pay. The Democrats should quit this charade where they hurt people for their own political reasons, and immediately reopen the government.”