President Biden prepares to wield his executive clemency powers in a lighthearted tradition that has become a cherished part of White House holiday festivities.
According to CNN, the President will conduct his fourth and final Thanksgiving turkey pardon ceremony Monday on the White House South Lawn, continuing a 77-year tradition of presidential turkey presentations.
This year's pardoned pair, weighing 40 and 41 pounds respectively, hail from Northfield, Minnesota. The birds were hatched in July and will experience the customary VIP treatment, including a stay at the prestigious Willard Hotel before their big moment in the spotlight.
The practice of pardoning turkeys has deep historical roots in American presidential lore. While folklore traces the custom back to Abraham Lincoln's presidency, the formal ceremony began with President Truman in 1947. The National Turkey Federation's role as the official turkey supplier to the first family was established that same year.
A notable moment in the tradition's history occurred in 1920 when two turkeys, one from Texas and another from Kentucky, engaged in an unexpected confrontation outside the White House.
The Kentucky bird emerged victorious in this peculiar historical footnote. The modern custom of officially pardoning the turkeys took hold during George H.W. Bush's presidency in 1989.
President John F. Kennedy issued the first documented turkey pardon in 1963, though the practice didn't immediately become an annual tradition. Interestingly, while President Gerald Ford famously pardoned Richard Nixon, neither president extended such clemency to any turkeys during their terms.
Recent presidents have transformed the ceremony into an opportunity for holiday-themed humor and political witticisms.
Following the 2022 midterm elections, Biden delivered this quip about the pardoned pair:
The votes are in, they've been counted and verified, no ballot stuffing, no fowl play. The only red wave this season is going to be if German shepherd Commander knocks over the cranberry sauce.
The event has become a platform for presidential personalities to shine through their unique approaches to humor.
Barack Obama's characteristic eloquence was on display in 2016 when he remarked about less fortunate turkeys:
I want to take a moment to recognize the great turkeys who weren't so lucky, who didn't get to ride the gravy train to freedom. Who met their fate with courage and sacrifice and proved that they weren't chicken.
President Biden's final turkey pardon marks the conclusion of his contribution to this cherished White House tradition. The ceremony, set for Monday on the South Lawn, will feature two Minnesota-raised turkeys presented by National Turkey Federation chair John Zimmerman.
Following their presidential pardon, the fortunate fowl will retire to Farmamerica, an agricultural interpretative center in southern Minnesota, where they will join the ranks of previously pardoned turkeys in a well-earned retirement. This transition from potential holiday fare to preserved presidential pardoners represents the continuing evolution of a uniquely American tradition.
