Why do Presidents pardon Turkeys?
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, President Donald Trump kicked off Thanksgiving weekend with the classic White House tradition of pardoning turkeys.
Waddle and Gobble, the birds spared from the dinner table, enjoyed luxury accommodations at the Willard InterContinental before their Tuesday afternoon Rose Garden appearance.
The president pardons turkeys as a symbolic White House tradition that began with President George H.W. Bush in 1989, although it has roots tracing back to a story about President Abraham Lincoln sparing a turkey for his son. The annual ceremony spares the nominated turkey from being the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving dinner, serving as a lighthearted fixture of the holiday season.
- Abraham Lincoln: A popular, though not fully documented, story holds that in 1863, President Lincoln pardoned a turkey after his son, Tad, had grown fond of it and pleaded for its life.
- Harry Truman: The modern tradition of presidents receiving a turkey as a gift began in 1947 when the National Turkey Federation first presented one to President Truman.
- George H.W. Bush: In 1989, President George H.W. Bush formalized the act, making the first official presidential pardon of a Thanksgiving turkey a reality. He declared that the turkey was “granted a presidential pardon” to “live out his days on a children’s farm”.
- Official pardon: Since 1989, each president has continued the official ceremony of pardoning a turkey, often with a humorous speech.
- Selection and preparation: The National Turkey Federation raises a turkey to be honored at the ceremony. The chosen bird receives special care and attention.
- Alternate turkey: For several years, two turkeys have been selected—a primary bird and an alternate, in case the main turkey gets “stage fright” or is otherwise unable to perform.
- Fate of the pardoned turkeys: The pardoned turkeys are typically sent to a farm to live out their days.
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Not the first turkeys has has pardoned, by far.
If DJT issues a pardon, its at his discretion, not a staffer with an autopen like Biden
Ha – he has no clue