In the most lighthearted ritual of the political calendar, President Donald Trump officially pardoned two North Carolina-bred turkeys, Gobble and Waddle, on Tuesday, sparing the hefty birds from the Thanksgiving dinner table and granting them clemency in the White House Rose Garden.
The annual ceremony, marking the first of President Trump’s second term, saw the Commander-in-Chief deliver a short address full of holiday humor before bestowing the official “Presidential pardon” upon the National Thanksgiving Turkey, Gobble, and its alternate, Waddle.
The Turkeys’ Big Day Out
The two 50-plus pound toms, named through an online vote involving North Carolina students, arrived in the nation’s capital earlier this week, receiving the traditional “luxurious stay” at the Willard InterContinental Hotel ahead of their White House debut.
- Gobble’s Moment: Taking center stage in the Rose Garden, Gobble was the official focus of the event, though President Trump was quick to ensure the alternate bird, Waddle, was also granted reprieve. The pardons ensure both birds will live out the remainder of their natural lives.
- The Destination: Following the ceremony, both birds were scheduled to be flown back to Raleigh, North Carolina, where they will retire to the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University. There, they will receive daily care and serve an educational role.
The President’s remarks focused on the spirit of the holiday, offering thanks to the troops and highlighting the country’s economic strength, while managing to weave in the traditional, self-deprecating presidential joke about the birds’ fate.
A Tradition Forged in Politics
While the ceremony is a jovial holiday photo-op, the tradition has a surprisingly complex history. Although the practice of a President sparing a turkey can be traced back to Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the annual, official “pardon” as we know it today is a much more recent development.
- The Turkey Federation: The presentation of a National Thanksgiving Turkey to the President by the National Turkey Federation began in 1947 under President Harry S. Truman, though records indicate those turkeys were often destined for the dinner table.
- The Official Pardon: The notion of a formal “pardon” was first joked about by Ronald Reagan in 1987. It was officially formalized as an annual tradition by President George H.W. Bush in 1989, making the act of saving the birds a permanent fixture of the holiday season.
The pardoning of Gobble and Waddle offers a brief, lighthearted interlude during a turbulent political period, allowing the White House to focus on a unifying American ritual before the President departs for his private Florida resort to celebrate Thanksgiving.