Trump re-grants pardons to Biden’s turkeys, playfully suggesting he thought of calling this year’s birds ‘Chuck and Nancy’

Annual Turkey Pardon by President Trump

On Tuesday, President Trump held the traditional turkey pardon at the White House. He humorously suggested that he might re-pardon last year’s turkeys, which only received an “auto-open” reprieve, and mentioned the names “Chuck and Nancy” for the current year’s birds.

Former President Joe Biden humorously remarked that he “used an autopen for the turkey pardons last year,” dismissing them as “totally invalid.” This claim has been made by him on several occasions, pointing to late Democratic grants, and an autopen portrait has taken the place of a Biden photo in the White House gallery.

Trump quipped, “Last year, the turkeys known as Peach and Blossom were about to be processed… but I’m formally pardoning them now. They won’t be on the Thanksgiving menu,” with a touch of humor.

This year’s turkeys, named Gobble and Waddle, were touted as the most plump birds showcased at the annual event. Trump shared a light-hearted anecdote about initially wanting to name them after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, only to conclude he couldn’t forgive them. “I don’t care what Melania says,” he added with a grin.

Gobble and Waddle are part of a broader trend in Trump’s second term, which has seen around 1,700 pardons and many commutations, though the latest figures are still pending.

Continuing with his humor, Trump remarked that his staff had been tasked with preparing documentation to transport Gobble and Waddle to a detention center in El Salvador. “Even those birds don’t want to be there,” he joked.

He also mentioned a draft joke about J.B. Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, but felt too irritated to deliver it after learning about a disturbing incident in Chicago. Trump criticized Pritzker, stating, “The mayor is incompetent and the governor is a huge fat man.”

In a self-reflective moment, he noted, “A speechwriter made a joke about his weight, but I don’t talk about people’s size. I refuse to address the fact that he’s a slob… And I could stand to lose a few pounds myself, especially with Thanksgiving coming up.”