The lame duck President Joe Biden on Monday granted Thanksgiving pardons to turkeys Blossom and Peach to save them from an American family celebration.
The 82-year-old took part in his latest thrift of the gobbling fowl, giving the two lucky birds a long life on a farm instead of being someone’s holiday dinner.
The Commander-in-Chief filled his speech with cringe-inducing one-liners about “fowl play” that were interrupted at one point by Peach’s growl.
‘Yes, I hear you. Peach just wants to say something,” Biden responded.
“They tell me there are 2,500 people here… looking for pardon!” Biden joked as he addressed the crowd on the South Lawn.
“Keep calm and carry on,” he added, before switching to a more serious tone to reflect on the “honor of a lifetime” as president.
The lame duck President Joe Biden on Monday granted Thanksgiving pardons to Blossom and Peach turkeys to save them from an American family celebration
President Joe Biden with his grandson Baby Beau
The topic of pardons is an ongoing one in the White House, with Hunter Biden set to be convicted of tax crimes in the coming months.
The president has repeatedly said he will not pardon or commute his son’s sentence.
But Biden does have the power to grant reprieve to anyone he wants, including his son, the people worried about Donald Trump’s retaliation, and even turkeys.
“I hereby forgive Peach and Blossom!” he declared. As he granted the pardon, Hunter’s son Baby Beau watched from the sidelines.
Blossom and Peach weigh 40 and 41 pounds respectively and were raised on a farm in Northfield, Minnesota.
They were raised by John Zimmerman, president of the National Turkey Federation, and his 9-year-old son Grant.
Zimmerman told reporters that he trained the two birds to get used to the lights, cameras and noise that takes place during the pardon.
“We got them used to lights and cameras and even introduced them to a wide variety of music, from polka to classic rock,” he said.
Ahead of their official pardon, the two lucky birds will stay at the famed Willard InterContinental Washington Hotel.
The 82-year-old took part in his latest thrift of the gobbling fowl on Monday, giving the two lucky birds a long life on a farm instead of being someone’s holiday dinner.
Biden walks to the Oval Office before pardoning the National Thanksgiving turkeys
Blossom, one of two turkeys pardoned by President Joe Biden for Thanksgiving, sits in a crate on the South Lawn of the White House
Blossom and Peach stand on the South Lawn prior to the traditional Thanksgiving ceremony
Photographers hunker down to get a photo of Blossom before the White House issues a pardon
After being pardoned, the turkeys will return to Farmamerica, an agricultural interpretation center in Waseca, Minnesota.
There is a bit of mystery and controversy surrounding the history of the event.
Abraham Lincoln was the first president to pardon a turkey in 1863, reportedly because his son Tad became attached to the bird.
Harry Truman was the first president to receive a live turkey from the Turkish Federation in 1948. But he and his family ate it.
The federation began sending turkeys to the White House for pardons in 1963, when John F. Kennedy was president. From then on, he and his successors took part in what has become a fun, if unique, tradition.
After the pardon, Biden and first lady Jill Biden will go to New York to take part in a tradition they started during their terms: Friendsgiving with the troops.
President Joe Biden pardons the National Thanksgiving Turkey Peach, along with National Turkey Federation Chairman John Zimmerman and his son Grant
The two turkeys who were granted a reprieve pose for photos for the press at the famous Willard Hotel in Washington DC
Blossom and Peach weigh 40 and 41 pounds respectively and were raised on a farm in Northfield, Minnesota
The Bidens will be at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island to serve dinner at the U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York.
The event is part of the first lady’s Joining Forces initiative.
The first family will spend Thanksgiving on Nantucket, an island off the coast of Massachusetts.
It is their long tradition and they are expected to be accompanied by their family.
The Bidens leave on Tuesday and return on Saturday. President Biden leaves on Sunday for a trip to Angola.