Animal Rights Group Challenges Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon Tradition

Every November, the White House hosts a unique pre-Thanksgiving event — the presidential turkey pardon. This “lighthearted” tradition saves two turkeys from becoming dinner, but not everyone sees it as festive. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is calling for an end to the ceremony, describing it as a “humiliating meat-industry stunt.”

Ingrid Newkirk, PETA’s president, wrote to President Joe Biden, urging him to use his final months in office to scrap the ritual. She criticized the turkey industry for its practices, calling them “astoundingly cruel” and unfit to be celebrated in a public forum.

This year, the lucky turkeys are two hefty birds from Northfield, Minnesota, raised by John Zimmerman and his 9-year-old son, Grant. Weighing in at 40 and 41 pounds, the gobblers will be formally pardoned by Biden and then retire to Farmamerica, an agricultural center where they’ll live out their days as ambassadors for the farming industry.

The tradition has roots dating back to Abraham Lincoln, whose son reportedly persuaded him to spare a turkey intended for Christmas dinner. While this story may be more legend than fact, official turkey pardons became a regular practice under George H.W. Bush and have been carried on by every president since.

As Biden prepares to leave office, this year marks his last turkey pardon. But PETA hopes it will be the final chapter of the tradition altogether.

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Related Content:

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