President Biden is scheduled to grant clemency to a turkey - or possibly two - on Monday as the White House commemorates the 76th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey ceremony, one of the longstanding, though peculiar, traditions at the White House.
The turkeys selected for this year's ceremony have been given the names Liberty and Bell, and in keeping with tradition, they have been housed in a room at the opulent Willard Intercontinental hotel, just a few blocks away from the White House. These turkeys come from Willmar, Minnesota, located to the west of the twin cities.
Interestingly, this year's turkey pardoning ceremony coincides with President Biden's 81st birthday, and he has no other public engagements on his schedule for the day. The turkey pardoning ceremony offers a lighthearted moment to figuratively roast both the turkeys and the politics of Washington, D.C., at a time when the Biden administration is primarily focused on the crisis in Israel and Gaza.
The history behind the presidential turkey pardon ceremony is not entirely clear. According to the White House, President Harry Truman was the first to participate in a photo-op with a turkey he received from the National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board. However, the Truman Library and Museum disputes this claim, suggesting that the tradition may have actually started with President Abraham Lincoln after his son convinced him to spare a bird they had planned to eat for Christmas.
This year's turkeys were provided by the Jennie-O Turkey Store and were hatched in July. According to Jennie-O, the turkeys have been treated exceptionally well in accordance with their status.
Following the ceremony at the White House, the turkeys named Liberty and Bell will retire to a farm at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities.
