There’s No Egg Shortage at the White House

On Monday, just hours following the pope’s passing, former President Donald Trump declared that he was “restoring faith in America” during the annual Easter Egg Roll held on the White House lawn. The celebration — featuring games where kids push eggs across the grass with wooden spoons — has been a presidential tradition since 1878.

However, this year marked the first instance where the event included corporate partners, reportedly offering attractions such as an “AI-Enhanced Interactive Zone and Photo Spot,” sponsored by Meta, as well as a “Bunny Boogie Stage” presented by YouTube. Notably, despite the soaring costs of eggs nationwide, CBS shared that 30,000 real eggs were made available at the White House for guests to paint and roll.

Although Trump has acknowledged the ongoing egg shortage, he seemed unwilling to allow it to dampen his Easter festivities. “They asked us not to use real eggs this year. They said, ‘Could you maybe switch to plastic ones?’ And I said, ‘That’s not what we’re doing,’” he boasted earlier this month.

To be fair, the Easter Egg Roll traditionally consumes a large quantity of hard-boiled eggs; in fact, according to The New York Times, last year’s event hosted by President Biden used twice as many. Yet this year, the situation is different. Egg prices have surged to unprecedented levels, primarily due to a bird flu outbreak that has swept through poultry farms, leading to the culling of millions of egg-laying hens. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the average cost of a dozen eggs in March was $6.23, though in some regions, customers are encountering prices over $10. The Times also noted that, due to the expense, some families have resorted to dyeing potatoes instead of eggs for the holiday.

As in previous editions of the event, the eggs used are donated through the American Egg Board, which gathers contributions from farmers nationwide. Emily Metz, who serves as the board’s president and CEO, told NBC that their use of real eggs doesn’t strain the country's egg resources or retail supply, as they rely on small and medium-sized eggs typically not destined for grocery store shelves. Trump, however, appears unfazed by the supply concerns. “There’s an oversupply,” he asserted during a press briefing last week. “In fact, the prices are dropping too much.”

Still, if nothing else, there’s a small comfort in imagining members of Trump’s entourage spending their day surrounded by the pungent scent of tens of thousands of hard-boiled eggs under the spring sun.