Trump administration staffers hosted a Halloween party this week in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building that included a reimagined Mount Rushmore with President Donald Trump’s face and that of numerous Cabinet members, according to two people familiar with the matter and a photo reviewed by The Washington Post.
The display was accompanied by a sign that read “Mount Trumpmore National Memorial” — mocked up to look like an official National Park Service sign, a photo shows, one of numerous partisan decorations that decked the space.
Some young Trump staffers also dressed up in National Park Service uniforms to accompany the display, according to the two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
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Another display at the party featured a graveyard — with one gravestone that read “DEI,” standing for the diversity, equity and inclusion policies that Trump has sought to end across the government, one of the people said.
The Eisenhower building, which is next-door to the White House, typically hosts staffers and their children for Halloween, often with displays and stations for them to go around and collect candy. The decor is generally not so partisan, the people said.
In reference to the partisan decor, the White House said in a statement that “to say politics is ‘unusual’ or isn’t a thing is laughable.”
“The men and women of this Trump administration work incredibly hard. To allow them the opportunity to enjoy some fun time and invite their families is something that we not only sanctioned, but actively promoted,” the White House said. “Hundreds of children were able to attend and we’re proud of the creativity that was shown.”
An additional display titled “Sleepy Joe Hallow” appeared to mock former president Joe Biden, who Trump has called “Sleepy Joe.”
Other displays, posted on X by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller’s wife Katie Miller, include one that read “Most Wanted: The Joe Biden Autopen,” referencing the former president’s use of the mechanical device that replicates his signature, and a faux McDonald’s.
Tuesday’s party at the Eisenhower building was separate from a Halloween celebration held at the White House on Thursday, which included a low-altitude flyover by the president’s plane that scared some observers.
