Trump adds two Thanksgiving turkeys to his long list of second-term pardons

President Donald Trump added two Thanksgiving turkeys to his long list of pardons for his second term on Tuesday, giving the birds a dose of his much-discussed presidential immunity.

After a White House speech that felt more like a campaign rally than a symbolic ceremony, Trump spared Gobble and Waddle from appearing on Thanksgiving plates. He also joked that he was pardoning last year’s turkeys, Peach and Blossom, after an extensive Justice Department investigation found that President Joe Biden’s use of automatic pardons invalidated their pardons. “They were about to be processed,” he said.

He also joked that he was considering naming the turkeys Chuck and Nancy — after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — but that he wouldn’t forgive them if that were the case. “I will never forgive these people,” he said.

He then delved into immigration, crime and other issues, while taking time to mock Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat. “I refuse to talk about the fact that he’s a redneck,” Trump said, before adding: “I’d also like to lose a few pounds, by the way.”

He then turned to the subject of the event, saying, “Gobble, you are hereby unconditionally pardoned. »

Gobble, the official White House turkey, is a 52-pound bird, while Waddle, the designated replacement, weighs 50 pounds. Both hatched on July 14.

Waddle visited the White House briefing room before the pardoning event, after the two birds enjoyed a luxurious stay in a hotel room.

Gravy for turkeys? After the ceremony, they are scheduled to travel to North Carolina State University, where, according to the National Turkey Federation, they will spend the rest of their days as industry ambassadors.

While Abraham Lincoln is said to have been the first to spare a turkey at the White House – at the request of his son – the tradition of the “pardon” only dates back to 1989. That’s when President George HW Bush declared that the bird sent to him had “been granted a presidential pardon.”