The White House Easter Egg Roll has been held annually since former President Rutherford B. Hayes invited local children to the White House grounds to play in 1878.
Now, it’s under threat from a far-Left group — and first lady Jill Biden has yet to respond.
Jill Biden is facing a demand from the animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) — ditch the eggs and use potatoes instead.
In a statement this week, PETA organization urged First Lady Jill Biden to “modernize the celebration” by using dyed Easter potatoes rather than hard-boiled eggs.
“Children love animals and would be sad to learn that the eggs used for fun and games at the White House come from tormented hens whose lives are spent in cages that afford them less space than a standard sheet of typing paper,” PETA’s demand said.
The group said that even eggs from “cage-free” and “free-range” farms involve the mistreatment of chickens, claiming the hens remain confined in “cramped, filthy sheds where they can’t even stretch their wings, root in the soil, or breathe fresh air.”
PETA said potatoes would provide an ethical stand-in for the classic White House children’s activity.
“Beloved in all their wonderful forms, potatoes are an American staple that make for the perfect spudstitute for the thousands of eggs used in the event,” PETA’s letter to Jill Biden stated, leaning hard into the potato puns.
“These plentiful plants aren’t stolen from exploited hens,” the far-Left group said.
While the White House has not yet responded publicly whether Jill Biden will stop letting the children use eggs.
PETA’s demands comes amid broader inflation pressures that have already forced some low-income families to seek out affordable egg alternatives.
Soaring egg prices have led many parents to turn to cheaper ingredients like potatoes for Easter recipes and activities over the past year.
For the annual Easter Egg Roll specifically, the costs and complexities of sourcing thousands of eggs adds yet another challenge alongside coordinating the massive event’s other moving pieces.
Will the Biden’s crack like an egg, and try to appeal to the far-Left group and sell PETA’s proposed potato plan as part of wider cost-saving measures?
Critics have balked at the idea of radically overhauling such the iconic White House tradition rich with symbolism and history dating back well over a century.
Swapping out the humble egg for “woke” spuds could strike many as yet another Biden administration concession to fringe activism.
The controversy opens yet another culture war battlefront, this time centered on a beloved family event on the White House grounds.
The White House’s ultimate decision could resonate far beyond Easter.
The Horn editorial team