Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and preparations are in full swing. President Donald Trump and his administration are also gearing up for the annual Thanksgiving celebrations on November 27, 2025.
Thanksgiving is a big event that marks the end of fall as people celebrate the year’s harvest and are grateful for all the good things in life, like family, friends, and good health.
People enjoy a scrumptious feast with staple items like stuffed turkeys, mashed potatoes, various kinds of pies, and watch football. Its roots go back to a 1621 harvest feast between Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe.
As the federal holidays are around the corner, Donald and Melania Trump continued White House’s ceremonial turkey pardon tradition. This year, Trump pardoned two white turkeys, Gobble and Waddle, each weighing over 50 pounds.
The turkeys were raised on a North Carolina farm, and before they were bought in front of the public for the Thanksgiving tradition, they enjoyed a night at the Willard InterContinental Hotel.
While everyone was happy to meet Gobble, Waddle wasn’t present during the ceremony.
“Gobble” and “Waddle” have officially been pardoned by President Trump… though “Waddle” was apparently MIA for the actual ceremony!🦃This is a tradition first started by the George H.W. Bush administration in 1989. pic.twitter.com/sqL8sJvneG
— Emma Allen (@EmmaAllenTV) November 25, 2025
Netizens were curious about why Waddle wasn’t present at the Rose Garden, as everyone seemed to be in a light-hearted and jolly mood to kick off the ceremony. However, Donald Trump addressed the absence, telling the audience, “Waddle, by the way, is missing in action… We’ll pretend Waddle is here.”
Meanwhile, when it was Gobble’s turn, Trump said, “Gobble, I just want to tell you this — very important — you are hereby unconditionally pardoned.” He then took a minute to praise the bird.
According to PBS News, Waddle was spotted in the briefing room before the ceremony as Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had fun with the turkey. Furthermore, Leslee Oden, the president of the National Turkey Federation, confirmed that Waddle was officially pardoned as the alternate turkey, with Gobble serving as the national Thanksgiving turkey.
A turkey got closer to the White House mic than most Americans. As Trump preps a pardon for Waddle, remember the real turkeys were civil rights and democracy under his watch. pic.twitter.com/KGOkG0jN1K
— Free Citizens (@free_citizens1) November 25, 2025
After the ceremony, these turkeys will be transferred to North Carolina State University’s College of Agriculture, where they will live a peaceful life under expert care.
The pardon ceremony became a tradition in America after the late President Abraham Lincoln spared a turkey from being slaughtered, as his son loved it.
Trump also delivered a long speech to mark the occasion, which received backlash for turning it political. He mocked Joe Biden’s pardon ceremony, took a jab at Illinois governor JB Pritzker as he mocked his weight, and called him “a big fat slob.”
In 2024, former president Joe Biden and his team pardoned two turkeys, Peach and Blossom, weighing 41 and 40 pounds, respectively. Peach and Blossom joined other pardoned turkeys during Biden’s presidency, including Liberty and Bell (2023), Chocolate and Chip (2022), and Peanut Butter and Jelly (2021).
Trump also boasted about his team’s accomplishments since they returned to office and claimed that the price of Thanksgiving baskets has decreased under his leadership in popular stores like Walmart.
Gobble is officially pardoned by @POTUS and @FLOTUS however Waddle is MIA pic.twitter.com/5iwrhoMkTG
— Marisela Ramirez (@mariselapenny) November 25, 2025
On November 6, he wrote on Truth Social that Walmart data showed Thanksgiving dinner in 2025 to be 25% cheaper than in 2024. This year’s basket costs under $40 and feeds 10 people, roughly $4 per person (with fewer items). The 2025 basket contains 15 products compared to 21 the year prior.
The new basket was also made as a part of Walmart’s lower-priced “Great Value” brand. Hence, Trump’s claims were found misleading.
