The 2025 Thanksgiving in Washington came with poultry and plenty of Donald Trump‘s signature pageantry. Trump stepped up to grant freedom to two fortunate birds, with Melania Trump and a holiday-ready crowd looking on.
Donald Trump opened with, “On behalf of the First Lady and the entire Trump family, I want to wish all Americans a very, very happy Thanksgiving.”
Then he said the country is doing, “Really well economically, like we’ve never done before.”
The lucky birds, whom Trump playfully described as ‘handsome,’ waited for their moment as the president continued the ritual of presidential poultry salvation. “Today, we continue a time-honored American tradition,” he said, before announcing an “absolute and unconditional presidential pardon.” And that’s when the twist came.
Donald Trump bent toward one of the feathered guests (Gobble, for the record) and declared,
“You are hereby unconditionally pardoned. You said Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. There you go. You’re right.”
Gobble & Waddle living their best life.
🇺🇸 Don’t miss the Presidential Turkey Pardon — 12 PM EST! pic.twitter.com/YwCtCdn3Mz
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 25, 2025
RELATED: Trump Roasts Biden, “Unpardons” Turkeys in Hilarious White House Ceremony
And because no modern ceremony ends at the podium, the internet quickly turned the pardons into memes.
An X (formerly Twitter) user wondered about Gobble and Waddle’s post-ceremony plans: “Will the pardoned turkeys head to a farm or somewhere special after the ceremony?” Another suggested: “How about a stream on who’s leading in getting the pardon? Make it more exciting…” A third suggested: “BREAKING! Leftists file emergency motion to suspend pardons to resist Trump.” Meanwhile, others admitted: “[Expletive] I’ve never been jealous of a turkey before.”
One of the more savage reactions said: “Get Stephen Miller in there, and you can have Goebbels Gobble & Waddle.” Another user called out whoever named the birds: “Whoever picked those names is trolling the President [laughing emoji].” And because politics touches everything, a critic insisted the pardons were: “Obviously a racist dog whistle… Whiteness! How transparent, Orange Man.”
The turkey-pardon conversation was every bit as chaotic as predicted. But the birds are now living rent-free in the nation’s mind, thanks to Donald Trump. Presidential turkey pardons provide a reprieve from Washington’s dire headlines. For a few minutes each year, cameras point to barnyard beings rather than briefing rooms. So for Gobble and Waddle, this really was their lucky day!
NEXT UP: “Awkward Gesture” – Body Language Pro Reveals What Melania and Trump’s Thanksgiving Hand-Hold Meant
