Trump spares turkeys at annual pardoning ceremony : NPR

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump didn’t bring much joy to the holidays when he formally granted pardons to two Thanksgiving turkeys on Tuesday, adding more offense than goodwill to the traditional White House ritual.

He joked about sending Turkey to a notorious prison in El Salvador that is used to hold immigrants deported from the United States. He said the birds should be named Chuck and Nancy – after Democratic stalwarts Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi – but “I will never forgive those people.”

Trump claimed that turkey pardons issued by President Joe Biden last year were invalid because they used AutoPen. “Where’s Hunter?” He suggested that his predecessor’s son might once again face legal danger.

And all this came as Trump turned his attention to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat who has opposed a White House plan to deploy the National Guard to Chicago.

Trump said he had prepared a joke about Pritzker, but “I refuse to talk about the fact that he’s a fat idiot. I don’t mention it.”

Scattered laughter echoed among the audience sitting amidst the cloudy sky and intermittent drizzle in the Rose Garden courtyard.

Trump finally got down to business, pardoning the turkey gobble and waddle. Both were saved from the dinner table, but only one made headlines.

“Gobble, I just want to let you know – very important – you have been unconditionally pardoned,” Trump said. He stroked the feathers and said, “Who would want to harm this beautiful bird?”

Waddle was previously seen in the White House briefing room.

“Waddle, do you want to feed us something?” White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt asked.

Turkey obliged.

“Awesome message!” Levitt said.

Trump used part of his formal remarks to emphasize that Thanksgiving meal prices are falling under his leadership, although his figures are misleading. Some research indicates that the price of holiday dinners may be higher this year, a reminder of the persistent frustration with inflation.

The president plans to fly south to his private Florida resort on Tuesday, marking a holiday break during a turbulent and uncertain chapter of his second term.

Trump is struggling to advance a plan to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine after an earlier version faced intense criticism from European allies and even some Republicans. The US military is also set to target Venezuela with military strikes, part of an anti-drug campaign that could eventually destabilize the country’s leadership.

In Washington, Trump faces the prospect of a fragmented Republican coalition ahead of next year’s midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Some members of his party have already taken the rare step of taking on the president by successfully pushing legislation to force the Justice Department to release more documents about the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Trump suffered a setback in court this week when a federal judge dismissed the cases against James Comey and Letitia James, two targets of the president’s antitrust campaign.

Comey, the former FBI director who was fired by Trump during his first term, was charged with making false statements and obstruction of Congress. James, the New York attorney general who investigated the president between his two terms, was charged with mortgage fraud.

Both pleaded innocent and said the prosecutions were politically motivated, pointing to Trump’s public demands for the Justice Department to punish his enemies.

The judge said the interim US attorney, a former member of Trump’s private legal team who received the indictment, was illegally appointed. However, the decision was made without prejudice, so the Justice Department could try again to charge Comey and James.

The White House plans to remain open for holiday tours. However, despite the arrival of the Christmas tree via horse-drawn carriage on Monday, the presidential residence will be very different this year.

Trump’s decision to demolish the building’s East Wing to make room for the new ballroom has turned a portion of the White House grounds into a construction site.