WASHINGTON -President Donald Trump pardoned two Thanksgiving turkeys named Gobble and Waddle on Tuesday. The birds, each more than 50 pounds, came from a farm in North Carolina. They spent the night before the event at the Willard InterContinental Hotel near the White House.
The ceremony followed a tradition that started under President George H.W. Bush in 1989. Trump joked that he first thought about naming the turkeys Chuck and Nancy, a jab at Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. He said he changed his mind because he “would never pardon those two.”
Trump has now issued more than 1,600 pardons in his second term, including allies tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election and people involved in the January 6 Capitol attack.
He also talked about Thanksgiving costs. Trump said the holiday meal should be cheaper this year, pointing to a Walmart study claiming a 25% drop. Another survey from the American Farm Bureau said the savings were closer to 5%, putting the average meal at $55.18.
Trump also re-pardoned Peach and Blossom, the turkeys forgiven by Joe Biden last year. He argued, without evidence, that Biden’s pardons didn’t count because an automatic signing tool was used.
Gobble and Waddle will retire at North Carolina State University’s agriculture college, according to the National Turkey Federation.