President Donald Trump turned the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon into a sharp-witted jab at bureaucratic overreach this week, blending humor with a pointed critique of past administrations.
At the White House Rose Garden in Washington, D.C., Trump hosted the 78th annual National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation, pardoning two hefty birds named Gobble and Waddle while taking a swipe at last year’s process under former President Joe Biden, as New York Post reports, as New York Post reports.
The ceremony, attended by First Lady Melania Trump, saw the plumpest turkeys of the event, Gobble and Waddle, receive their official reprieve from the holiday table.
Interestingly, these fortunate birds spent the night prior to the event in style, checked into the Willard InterContinental Hotel in the nation’s capital, a detail that underscores the lighthearted pomp of the occasion.
Vice President JD Vance, along with his daughter Mirabel, greeted one of the pardoned turkeys, adding a family touch to the proceedings, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and her son Niko posed for photos with a bird in the briefing room.
Several high-ranking officials, including Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, were also present, lending weight to this uniquely American tradition.
Yet, the real buzz came when Trump announced a re-pardon of last year’s turkeys, Peach and Blossom, claiming their previous clemency under Biden was invalid due to the use of an autopen—a bureaucratic shortcut that, in his view, lacks the personal touch a pardon deserves.
"The turkeys known as Peach and Blossom last year have been located, and they were on their way to be processed … but I have stopped that journey, and I am officially pardoning them, and they will not be served as Thanksgiving dinner," Trump declared. Let’s be honest, if a signature can’t even be handwritten, what’s the point of the ceremony?
This move, while humorous, subtly critiques the detachment of past leadership, a theme that resonates with those frustrated by government over-automation at the expense of tradition.
Trump didn’t stop there, tossing in a playful jab at prominent Democrats while musing over potential names for this year’s birds.
"When I first saw their pictures … I was going to call them [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck [Schumer] and [former House Speaker] Nancy [Pelosi], but then I realized I wouldn’t be pardoning them," Trump quipped, adding a cheeky, "I wouldn’t care what Melania told me." It’s a classic bit of political ribbing, reminding us that humor can cut through partisan tension without crossing into malice.
The President’s knack for blending levity with commentary kept the crowd engaged, a reminder that even symbolic events can carry a punch when wielded with wit.
On a more serious note, Trump’s clemency record stands out, with a reported tally of around 1,747 pardons since taking office, including significant numbers for January 6 defendants and notable figures like former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Rep. George Santos.
While the turkey pardon is ceremonial, it reflects a broader theme of mercy in Trump’s administration, a point often overlooked by critics quick to paint conservative leadership as unyielding, though the balance of who receives clemency remains a topic of vigorous debate.
As the event wrapped up, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump prepared to head to Mar-a-Lago for the Thanksgiving holiday, leaving behind a ceremony that mixed tradition, humor, and a subtle nudge at the inefficiencies of yesteryear’s governance.
