President Biden on Monday upheld the White House tradition of granting pardons to turkeys, sparing them from ending up on somebody’s Thanksgiving dinner table.
At a festive White House ceremony, Mr. Biden used his clemency power to save Chocolate and Chip, two turkeys that hail from Monroe, North Carolina.
“I hereby pardon Chocolate and Chip,” Mr. Biden said as the two turkeys gobbled excitedly on the White House’s South Lawn.
The president said the two birds will use their new lease on life to earn an honorary degree in poultry science from North Carolina State University.
“When we told them they were joining the Wolfpack, they got a little scared,” Mr. Biden joked, referencing the school’s mascot.
The silly ceremony was full of puns and one-liners, a notable departure from the intense pressure of the presidency. Mr. Biden joked that there was “no ballot stuffing” or “fowl play” in deciding which turkeys should be pardoned.
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Mr. Biden also took a shot at Republicans, joking about their less surprisingly poor performance in the November midterm elections.
“The only red wave this season is going to be when my German Shepherd, Commander, knocks over the cranberry sauce at our table,” Mr. Biden said to applause.
The origins of the annual White House turkey pardon are shrouded in mystery. Some say it started when President Lincoln set free a bird that his family planned to eat for Christmas after his son Tad pleaded with him to set it free.
In 1963, just before his assassination, President Kennedy decided to send back the Thanksgiving turkey that arrived at the White House, saying it should grow up. Mr. Kennedy never formally granted the turkey clemency, however.
Some have credited President Truman with the pardon, but in 2003 his presidential library said there were no documents, speeches or newspaper clippings suggesting that he ever pardoned a turkey during his presidency.
The first official pardoning began in 1989 by President George H. W. Bush. It has happened every year since then.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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