U.S. President Joe Biden pardons the national Thanksgiving turkey, Peanut Butter, as he participates in the 74th National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 19, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden pardoned Peanut Butter and Jelly, two giant white turkeys from Indiana, in the White House Rose Garden Friday, continuing a Thanksgiving tradition that dates back decades.
“Instead of getting basted these two turkeys are getting boosted,” said Biden, referencing the vaccine booster shots that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized broader use of earlier in the day.
“It’s important to continue traditions like this, to remind us how from darkness there is light and hope and progress, and that’s what this year’s Thanksgiving in my view represents,” he said.
Before he spoke, the turkeys wandered freely on the lawn as the smell of hot apple cider wafted through the air. A band played avian-related tunes, including Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” and “Birdland” by Weather Report to a crowd of White House staff and their children.