WASHINGTON, Nov 21: US President Donald Trump has pardoned two Turkeys ahead of the Thanksgiving Holiday later this week, continuing a century old presidential tradition that began with Abraham Lincoln.
The two birds, Peas and Carrots, from South Carolina would spend rest of their days at Gobbler’s Rest, an agricultural education facility at Virginia Tech University.
While Peas was selected for presidential pardon through a nationwide online voting process, Carrots was pardoned by Trump at a Rose Garden thanksgiving event held at the White House.
“At this time of the year we reflect on all of the many blessings of our lives,” he said, segueing into the order of the day “when a lucky turkey gets a presidential pardon. That turkey is so lucky. I’ve never seen such a beautiful turkey.”
The First Lady, Melania Trump, accompanied her husband during the annual turkey pardon tradition.
In his brief remarks, Trump said: “The winner of this vote was decided by a fair and open election conducted on the White House website. This was a fair election.”
“Unfortunately, Carrots refused to concede and demanded a recount and we’re still fighting with Carrots… Carrots, I’m sorry to tell you the results did not change. That’s too bad for Carrots,” he said.
“Even though Peas and Carrots have received a presidential pardon, I have warned them that House Democrats are likely to issue them both subpoenas. Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee that your pardons won’t be enjoined by the Ninth Circuit. Always happens,” Trump said jokingly.
According to White House Historical Association, it is often stated that Lincoln’s 1863 clemency to a turkey recorded in an 1865 dispatch by White House reporter Noah Brooks was the origin for the pardoning ceremony.
“While 1947 was the beginning of the official turkey presentation from the poultry industry, the turkey pardon remained a sporadic tradition. In December 1948, Truman accepted two turkeys and remarked that they would come in handy for Christmas dinner,” said historian Betty C Monkman.
“There was clearly no plan for these birds to receive a presidential pardon. The Washington Post used both ‘pardon’ and ‘reprieve’ in a 1963 article in which President Kennedy said of the turkey, ‘let’s keep him going’,” he said.
“During the latter years of the Nixon presidency, Patricia Nixon accepted the turkeys on behalf of the President and in 1973 sent the bird to the Oxon Hill Children’s Farm.”
“The 1978 turkey, presented to Rosalynn Carter, met a similar fate when it was sent to Evans Farm Inn to live in a mini zoo,” the historian said.
After 1981 the practice of sending the presentation turkey to a farm became the norm under Ronald Reagan.
According to Monkman, the turkey ceremony also became a source of satire and humor for reporters.
The formalities of pardoning a turkey gelled by 1989, when George H W Bush, with animal rights activists picketing nearby, quipped, “But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy — he’s granted a Presidential pardon as of right now — and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here.” (PTI)
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