President Trump Pardons Turkeys at White House Ceremony

During the annual turkey pardon event at the White House, President Donald Trump once again strayed from his prepared remarks, much to the amusement of those present. On Tuesday, he pardoned two turkeys named Gobble and Waddle, although one of them was said to be “lost in action.”

In his address before the pardon, the president tossed out some unscripted jokes that elicited laughter from the audience. One notable moment was when he took a jab at Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recognizing their ongoing disputes over the governor’s request to send the National Guard to aid Chicago, which has been plagued by crime. Trump playfully mocked Pritzker, not only for rejecting federal help but also for his weight.

Trump remarked, “I’m not going to make a Pritzker joke,” adding a bit cheekily that he didn’t want to discuss the governor’s size. He continued, “I don’t talk about people being fat. I refuse to talk about the fact that he’s fat. I won’t mention it!” Yet, he did go on to label Pritzker as a “fat slob,” while also admitting he himself could stand to shed a few pounds.

Not content with just Pritzker, Trump seemed eager to keep the humor flowing as he shifted to the turkey pardons. However, he couldn’t resist making another dig at two prominent opponents in Congress. “When I first saw their pictures…well, I shouldn’t have said that,” he stated, only to follow it with comparisons that implied he originally planned to call them Chuck and Nancy, referencing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. “But then I realized I can’t forgive them. I can never forgive those two,” he concluded.

Regarding pardons, Trump also took a swipe at former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen for last year’s turkey pardon, questioning its authenticity. He claimed, “He used an autopen to pardon a turkey last year. So I have a public mandate to determine, and I have determined, that last year’s turkey pardon is completely invalid, as are the pardons for just about everyone other than hunters.” He did find a moment of levity, joking about Hunter Biden’s pardon, calling it a “reprieve” that was “good.”