White House thanks Daily Caller for retracting story on religious Easter egg ban

The White House expressed appreciation for The Daily Caller on Tuesday after the conservative outlet retracted a post that implied the Biden administration had instituted a new ban on religious symbols on Easter eggs during its annual holiday celebration.

"It’s important to acknowledge when a mistake has been made and take responsibility for it. So I want to recognize The Daily Caller for having the integrity to retract their story about the false claims that circulated this week about the Easter Egg Roll," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

"We hope others learn from their good example. So, leave that there," she added.

The Daily Caller published an article last week that said the Biden White House had "banned children from submitting Easter eggs with religious themes" for its Easter art contest. Conservatives, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), had chastised the White House over reports that religious symbols had been banned.

But White House officials pointed out that the ban of religious symbols on eggs as part of the art contest has been in place for decades, including during the Trump administration.

"With that additional context included, the news value of the article was significantly diminished, leading the senior leadership at the Caller to the decision to retract," the Caller wrote in its retraction. 

Conservatives had also blasted Biden for proclaiming Transgender Day of Visibility on the same day as Easter.

Transgender Day of Visibility always falls on March 31, since it was first recognized 15 years ago. Easter, which can fall on any Sunday from late-March to mid-April, happened to fall on the same day this year.