USA Trump pardons turkeys and shoots against Democrats
Waddle and Gobble may live on. US President Donald Trump has pardoned the two turkeys in a traditional ceremony before Thanksgiving. The turkeys will not be slaughtered for the family feast like many others of their kind, but will now be allowed to live in dignity on a farm in the state of North Carolina.
25.11.2025, 19:14
SDA
He would never pardon Chuck and Nancy
Trump also used his speech at the big American family celebration to attack his political opponents. He explained that when he saw the first pictures of the turkeys, he wanted to call them Chuck and Nancy - alluding to the Democrats Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. "But then I realized that I would never pardon them." The governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, called Trump a fatso. The Democratic governor and the city of Chicago had filed a lawsuit against the US government's plan to deploy National Guardsmen in the city of millions.
The White House had previously lashed out at journalists. On the X platform, the White House posted a photo of the turkey Waddle in the press room and wrote: "The turkey is not interested in fake news."
A night in a luxury hotel
Gobble and Waddle spent the night before the big ceremony at the White House in the utmost luxury. They stayed at the Willard InterContinental Hotel right next to the White House. Photos and videos show them waddling around on a huge bed. After the ceremony, both turkeys return to North Carolina, where they are allowed to spend the rest of their lives in safety on a farm.
American families traditionally serve turkey at Thanksgiving. The presidential pardoning of turkeys has a long tradition. Since the 19th century, the presidential family has received a particularly sumptuous turkey before the holiday. According to the White House, President Abraham Lincoln (1861 to 1865) is said to have pardoned one of the animals for the first time at the request of his son.
