Overview
- After spending the night at the Willard InterContinental, Waddle and Gobble were pardoned in the Rose Garden and will retire in North Carolina, with some reports citing the University of North Carolina.
- Trump joked he had considered naming the birds Chuck and Nancy, then said he would never pardon Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.
- He insulted Illinois Governor JB Pritzker during the remarks following disputes over federal National Guard deployments to Chicago.
- The White House posted a photo on X saying the turkey does not care about fake news, and pro-Trump outlets rapidly circulated clips from the event.
- Coverage also noted Trump’s swipe that Joe Biden’s 2024 turkey pardons were invalid because an autopen signed them, reinforcing his use of ceremonial moments for attacks.