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Video: Joe Biden pardons turkeys for Thanksgiving but jabs Republicans
Joe Biden Thanksgiving: "I hereby pardon Chocolate and Chip," Joe Biden said at the pardoning ceremony on the South Lawn.
US president Joe Biden pardoned two turkeys, sparing them from winding up as the main course during an upcoming Thanksgiving dinner later this week.
"I hereby pardon Chocolate and Chip," Joe Biden said at the pardoning ceremony on the South Lawn, an event that has become a White House tradition.
The large white birds, which were raised on a farm in North Carolina, were named after Joe Biden's favorite ice cream flavor.
"That's a big bird," Joe Biden quipped as 46-pound Chocolate was placed on a table.
But Joe Biden also used the backdrop of the recent US midterm elections- in which Democrats fared better than expected- to crack jokes about the time-honored turkey pardoning.
"The votes are in. They've been counted and verified. There's no ballot stuffing. There's no fowl play," Joe Biden said.
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"The only red wave this season (related to the traditional color of Republicans) is going to be a German Shepherd, Commander," Joe Biden said.
The US president also mentioned how the Covid-19 pandemic had interrupted or curtailed such celebrations in recent years, and urged the invitees to feel gratitude.
"Two years ago, we couldn't even safely have Thanksgiving with large family gatherings. Now we can," Joe Biden said.
“That's progress, and let's keep it going,” he added.
