Sarah Hooper
Published November 26, 2025 9:36am
Updated November 26, 2025 9:41am
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Previous Page Next PageThe president has pardoned two North Carolina turkeys, Gobble and Waddle, ahead of Thanksgiving Day on Thursday.
In the White House Rose Garden, Gobble stood upon a platform with yellow flowers as Donald Trump gave his speech next to his wife, Melania.
‘Gobble, I just want to tell you this – very important – you are hereby unconditionally -‘
Trump was interrupted by Gobble doing his best – well, gobble.
The President finished: ‘ – pardoned.’
But he wasn’t done there. Trump tried to do his own gobble, to the laughter of everyone in the garden.
He was overheard saying: ‘Who would want to harm this beautiful bird?’
Trump gave an unforgettable speech to the turkey (Picture: Reuters)
Though Gobble was the only turkey officially pardoned in front of the cameras, it wasn’t initially clear what had happened to Waddle, the second turkey set for reprieve.
‘Waddle, by the way, is missing in action, but that’s OK, we’ll pretend Waddle is here,’ Trump said.
Waddle was later pictured in the White House press briefing room.
US Presidents have been doing ceremonial turkey pardonings since the 1940s, but it wasn’t until President George HW Bush entered office that it became an annual tradition.
In 1989, George HW Bush joked: ‘Our special guest seems … understandably nervous, but let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy.
Waddle, the turkey, was given a tour of the White House briefing room (Picture: EPA)
‘He’s granted a Presidential pardon as of right now.’
From there, the rest was history.
How are the turkeys chosen?
The turkeys which take centre stage in the White House are often chosen when they’re young from a ‘presidential flock’, where they’re trained to be comfortable around lights for the big day.
From there, they’re named, and people vote for which name to pardon.
Past names include Corn and Cob, Liberty and Bell and more.
What happens to the Turkeys after they’re pardoned?
You might think that the turkeys are sent to a farm to live their lives in peace, but that’s not always the case.
Some are sent to petting zoos, others to universities where they remain in the Agricultural buildings.
Others were sent to Disneyland to greet crowds – but sadly, many of these pardoned turkeys don’t live long, having been bred in captivity.
The history of Thanksgiving
Since the 1800s, birds have been sent to the White House as gestures of holiday goodwill.
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The first Thanksgiving was established nationally by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, in a bid to boost national morale during the bloody Civil War.
The holiday is really all about food, but also about honouring the ‘first’ Thanksgiving with the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians, who saved the Pilgrims from certain death.
But the holiday isn’t without controversy. Native Americans accuse it of whitewashing the nation’s history and the violence which unfolded after the first Thanksgiving.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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