US President Joe Biden on Monday (Nov 25) pardoned two white-plumaged turkeys, Peach and Blossom, in his final participation in the annual rescue program before vacating the White House for President-elect Donald Trump. Democrats mocked the fate of the two birds, which are named for the Delaware state flower, the peach blossom, which symbolizes resiliency. Speaking before a crowd of about 2,500 people gathered on the South Lawn, Mr. Biden expressed satisfaction as he neared the end of his half-century career in the corridors of power in Washington.
“This event marks the official start of the holiday season here in Washington. This is my last chance to speak here as your President during this season and express thanks and gratitude. So I want to say to you – this is my life It has been an honor, I am forever grateful,” Mr. Biden said.
Both turkeys, which strutted in the background during Mr Biden’s speech, were brought from a farm in the southern Minnesota town of Northfield, run by John Zimmerman, president of the National Turkey Federation, which has gifted Thanksgiving turkeys to US presidents. I had given. Since the Harry Truman administration.
Why is the turkey pardoned?
The tradition of pardoning the turkey reportedly began during the Civil War when President Abraham Lincoln’s son Tad requested him to spare a turkey named “Jack” from his holidays, and he did. According to the White House, Lincoln’s 1863 pardon of turkeys, recorded by reporter Noah Brooks in a dispatch in 1865, started the tradition.
However, what has developed into the current tradition of turkey pardons actually begins during Truman’s presidency in 1947. The official tradition began at the White House in 1989 when then-President George H.W. Bush offered the first official presidential pardon.
“I assure you, and this good Tom Turkey, that he will not go to anyone’s dinner table, not for this guy, he has just been granted clemency by the President – and he has to spend his days on a children’s farm. Not far from here,” Mr. Bush said in a speech at the time.
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How many turkeys have been pardoned by the President?
The President pardons a turkey or two every year. Like this year, Mr Biden pardoned two turkeys, Liberty and Bell, in 2023.
What happens to a pardoned turkey?
After being rescued, the lucky turkeys are sent out to farms to live a life full of food and comfort. According to the National Turkey Federation, Peach and Blossom is expected to hold a retreat this year at FarmAmerica, an agricultural interactive center in Minnesota.
