The Thanksgiving turkey pardon is usually a light, almost predictable White House ritual, two oversized birds, a few corny jokes, a photo op, and everyone goes home. But this year’s ceremony turned unexpectedly chaotic, with one turkey missing, political jabs flying across the Rose Garden, and President Trump's evergreen humour.
As he pardoned Waddle and Gobble, the lucky turkeys, Trump opened with a swipe at President Joe Biden, claiming last year’s Thanksgiving pardon was invalid because Biden “used an autopen.” Trump joked that Peach and Blossom, the turkeys pardoned in 2024, were now on their way to be processed. "But I have stopped that journey and I am officially pardoning them and they will not be served for Thanksgiving dinner," Trump said, appearing to joke.
He then shifted his attention to familiar political rivals. “The turkeys being pardoned today go by the names Gobble and Waddle,” Trump said. “When I first saw their pictures… I was going to call them Chuck and Nancy, but then I realized I wouldn’t be pardoning them. I would never pardon those two people.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker became the next target. While speaking about National Guard deployment, Trump complained about restrictions in Chicago. “Gov Pritzker, if you’re listening, let’s get your act together,” he said, calling him a “big fat slob.” He followed it with: “I refuse to talk about the fact that he’s a fat slob. I don’t mention it,” before joking that he’d also like to lose a few pounds.
The ceremony’s chaos didn’t end there. One of the stars, Waddle, was nowhere to be found. “Waddle, by the way, is missing in action, but that’s OK. We’ll pretend Waddle is here,” Trump told the crowd.
This year’s ceremony marks the 78th edition of the tradition, carried on through 15 administrations. The turkeys, raised in North Carolina by Travis Pittman and presented under the guidance of National Turkey Federation chairman and Butterball CEO Jay Jandrain, were named Gobble and Waddle, chosen through an online poll shared on the First Lady’s social media pages.
What is the turkey pardon tradition
The origins of the tradition trace back to the Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln spared a turkey at the request of his son, Tad. That bird, named Jack, became an early symbol of presidential mercy. But the modern, official White House turkey pardon only began in 1989, a once-simple ceremony that, this year, became anything but.
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