Rats are reportedly being spotted at the White House and in Washington DC.

News of the rodents running a mock at America's most famous building was first reported by Fox News journalist John Roberts on December 17 who claimed one rats ran over his foot while he was standing on the North Lawn.

Kaitlan Collins of CNN also backed up this claim.

Rats have been sighted all over the US capital in recent weeks, roaming the streets and eating rubbish.

Gerard Brown of the DC Department of Health said that the rat that was seen on the White House lawn was most likely to be one that was flushed out by heavy rain.

He told The Washington Post:

Water doesn't kill them or reduce them at all - rats can swim for as long as a week - but what it does do is make it difficult for them to find food. That draws them out, too

The rat problem has been heightened by the growing population in the US capital and mild winters, which have helped the rats continue to breed and access food.

Now that the rat epidemic has reached the house of the president people really couldn't resist making a few jokes and very obvious analogies about the Trump administration.

Then came the film references starting with the beloved Pixar classic Ratatouille.

There was a nod to Martin Scorsese's crime thriller The Departed too.

There have been suggestions on how to avoid the rats and get rid of them.

Many residents of Washington DC were not surprised that their city has a pest problem.