Thanksgiving pardon for Chocolate and Chip
Washington: Joe Biden used his powers as US president to pardon 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,” Biden said at the pardoning ceremony on the South Lawn, a lighthearted autumn event that has become something of a White House tradition.
The large white birds, which were raised on a farm in North Carolina, were named for the president’s favourite ice cream flavour, Biden told several schoolchildren who were present for the event.
“That’s a big bird,” Biden quipped as 21kg Chocolate was placed on a table.
Biden used the backdrop of the recent US midterm elections – in which his Democrats fared better than many experts expected, retaining control of the Senate and only narrowly losing the House of Representatives to Republicans – to crack jokes about the timehonoured turkey pardoning.
“The votes are in. They’ve been counted and verified. There’s no ballot stuffing.
“There’s no fowl play,” Biden said to laughter – and likely a few eyerolls.
“The only red wave this season (related to the traditional colour of Republicans) is going to be a German Shepherd named Commander,” the president said, referring to his dog, who “knocks over the cranberry sauce on our table.”