Lame duck saves turkey from pot

Washington – Lame duck President Donald Trump addressed a live turkey and journalists on Tuesday but again avoided the elephant in the room – his failure to concede defeat to Joe Biden.

The annual Rose Garden ceremony to spare a turkey from joining the 45 million or so birds cooked for Thanksgiving dinner today featured a relaxed Trump.

“What a bird,” he said to the large white turkey named Corn, noting that Thanksgiving is a “special day for turkeys” but “for the most part not a very good one”.

The pardoning event, a decades-old tradition, is usually no more than a quirky photo-op.

This time journalists pored over every syllable, wondering if Trump would finally concede the election, or perhaps hint at pardons for some of his human friends currently or formerly behind bars before he leaves office.

There was no concession. There were no hints.

Likewise, there was no reference to his approaching 20 January departure or his refusal three weeks on from Election Day to congratulate Biden when he made a surprise appearance before journalists earlier.

The White House press corps scrambled – wondering if history was about to be made – when Trump’s staff announced with two minutes warning that he’d be appearing at the briefi ng room podium.

But when Trump emerged alongside Vice-President Mike Pence, it was only to deliver a run-of-the-mill statement about record highs on the US stock market.

This lasted one minute and then he was gone, taking no questions. –