Make Easter Affordable Again! PETA Asks President Trump, First Lady to Celebrate American Farmers with First White House Potato Roll

For Immediate Release:
March 5, 2025

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

With eggs scarce as hen’s teeth and egg prices at an all-time high (and projected to rise another 41 percent this year), PETA sent a letter today to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump suggesting a new, spudtacular tradition: the Make America Great Easter Potato Roll. PETA notes that using dyed potatoes instead of eggs—which are in short supply due to the slaughter of more than 166 million farmed birds, most of them egg-laying hens, amid the bird flu outbreak—would boost America’s fine crop of potato farmers and set a winning example for families hoping to make the holiday more affordable.

“Swapping tired old Easter eggs for America’s favorite vegetable would sprout smiles across the country, save money, and give chickens a break,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “It’s an apeeling idea for POTUS and FLOTUS to initiate a new White House tradition with a budget-friendly potato roll, sack races for the kids, and maybe even a potato painting contest.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help anyone looking to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to the President and First Lady follows.

March 4, 2025

Dear Mr. President and Mrs. Trump:

I’m writing on behalf of the largest animal rights organization in these United States with a suggestion that could set a new precedent for innovation at the White House and be a winner with the populace: Replace the tired old Easter Egg Roll with the Make America Great Easter Potato Roll. It would work! With eggs scarce as hen’s teeth and egg prices at an all-time high (and projected to rise 41% more this year), this would be a terrific way to put America’s potato farmers first and set a winning example for citizens looking for an affordable, protein-rich option. Easter has to do with Christian values, not chicken factories. In starch contrast, a potato roll would absolutely be a reason to rejoice.

Our suggestion is not half-baked: Amid an eggstinction caused by the worst avian flu outbreak in history, in which at least 166 million farmed birds—most of them egg-laying hens—have been wiped out, hosting an Easter Egg Roll that typically uses 30,000 eggs seems a bit eggcessive. On the other hand, potato prices are down, and potatoes are a great American food, grown here for thousands of years (and commercially in at least 30 states). They are the most popular vegetable in our country and can be safely dyed, allowing for spudtaculartraditional activities, such as rolling, seeking, and decorating them. Children could also enjoy potato sack races, games of hot potato, and ice cream made from potato milk. (Yup, it’s a thing, as seen on TikTok, the social media platform you saved from eggstinction!)

We urged the previous administration to take a crack at uprooting this Easter tradition, but we have faith that your administration can actually get it done. We are standing by to provide the potatoes for the event if that pleases you. We wish you and your family a very happy Easter and look forward to hearing from you.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk

President