NC turkeys Waddle and Gobble receive Trump pardon at White House ceremony
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump bestowed ceremonial pardons on two turkeys ahead of flying to his private Florida resort on Tuesday to celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday interlude during what has been a turbulent and uncertain chapter of his second term.
Waddle and Gobble, the two birds from North Carolina that will be spared from the dinner table, enjoyed luxury hotel accommodations ahead of their White House visit. The turkey pardon is a presidential tradition dating back years.
Social media users were asked to select this year's turkey names from the options provided by North Carolina 4H and FFA students.
The turkeys have officially been named "Gobble" and "Waddle".
Both were raised in Nahunta, North Carolina.
When the two arrived in Washington they were treated to a luxurious stay at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel.
After the ceremony, the pair will live out the rest of their lives in the care of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University.
