Biden set to ‘pardon’ two Thanksgiving turkeys from Minnesota

November 20, 2023

KVRR Staff,

Biden Turkey Pardon — Two turkeys, named Liberty and Bell, who will receive a Presidential Pardon at the White House ahead of Thanksgiving, attend their news conference, Sunday Nov. 19, 2023, at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)†

WASHINGTON (AP) — Liberty and Bell are ready for their presidential pardons.

The two Thanksgiving turkeys were due at the White House on Monday to play their part in what has become an annual holiday tradition: a president sparing them from becoming someone’s dinner.

“We think that’s a great way to kick off the holiday season and really, really a fun honor,” said Steve Lykken, chairman of the National Turkey Federation and president of the Jennie-O Turkey Store.

The event, set for the South Lawn this year instead of the Rose Garden, marks the unofficial start of the holiday season in Washington, and Monday was shaping up to be an especially busy opening day.

Lykken introduced Liberty and Bell at the Willard Intercontinental, a luxury hotel close to the White House. The gobblers checked into a suite there on Saturday following their red-carpet arrival in the U.S. capital after a road trip from Minnesota in a black Cadillac Escalade.

The tradition dates to 1947 when the National Turkey Federation, which represents turkey farmers and producers, first presented a National Thanksgiving Turkey to President Harry Truman.