Dressed as everything from police officers and soldiers to dolls and racing drivers, young visitors lined up to receive sweets from the presidential couple. Trump also signed autographs, including on the costumes of two children dressed as racing drivers, while he and Melania posed for photographs with families. Among the more unusual outfits was a baby dressed as a paper ballot.

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The festivities featured an unexpected spectacle when Air Force One flew over the White House, prompting the president and first lady to look up as the aircraft passed overhead, with the Washington Monument visible in the distance.

Several senior members of the Trump administration also attended the celebrations with their families, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The president and first lady greeted them alongside other guests during the event, which brought together children in an array of colourful costumes.

The White House Halloween celebration is an established tradition, giving invited families an opportunity to meet the president and first lady while taking part in the American custom of trick-or-treating. Held two days before Halloween itself, on 31 October, this year’s gathering combined the familiar ritual of handing out sweets with photographs, autographs and a flypast by the presidential aircraft.