President Trump Saves Gobble And Waddle From The Thanksgiving Table
Language
Reading Level
Listen to Article
Alignment
On November 27, 2025, more than 46 million turkeys will end up on Thanksgiving dinner tables across the US. However, Gobble and Waddle will not be among them. President Trump pardoned the two lucky turkeys in an elaborate ceremony held at the White House Rose Garden on November 25, 2025.
Only Gobble received the official pardon, but Waddle also trotted away unharmed. The two turkeys will spend the rest of their lives at North Carolina State University. They will help educate visitors about poultry science.
"See how happy he is," President Trump remarked about Gobble at the ceremony. "Waddle, by the way, is missing in action, but that's okay — we can pretend he's here."
The 24-week-old birds each weigh about 50 pounds (22.7 kg). They were hatched and raised on a farm in North Carolina. As part of the "presidential flock," the turkeys went through special training to get used to noise and crowds.
The preparation paid off when Gobble and Waddle arrived at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, DC, on November 24. The two toms confidently strutted down the red carpet in the hotel's lobby, posing for fans. They then retired to their luxurious suite to rest up before the pardoning ceremony.
"Our special guests arrived yesterday with a red carpet welcome and quickly settled in. I checked in on them this morning, and I did a credit check as well," hotel manager Jaap Boelens joked. "I noticed the mini bar was raided, and that's totally fine."
A bit of history
Gobble and Waddle’s pardoning marks the 37th anniversary of official White House turkey pardons. The fun custom was once credited to President Harry Truman. But the Truman Library staff dismissed that idea in 2003, due to lack of evidence. President John F. Kennedy did spare a Thanksgiving turkey in 1963, though he never called it a pardon. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan used the word "pardon" while sparing a turkey from the National Turkey Federation. But it was a lighthearted way to avoid a serious political question. President George H. W. Bush was the first to give an official turkey pardon in 1989. Since then, every US president has held a formal turkey-pardoning ceremony at the White House before Thanksgiving.
We wish Gobble and Waddle a long and happy retirement. As for the rest of the turkeys? Let’s just say they’ll be the stars of many Thanksgiving tables.
Happy Thanksgiving from the DOGOnews Team!
Resources: History.com, CNN.com, abc7.com, Cals.nscu.edu
