On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden freed two turkeys from North Carolina named Chocolate and Chip. He did this while wearing the aviator sunglasses that are his trademark.
In return, the two huge turkeys ate their thanks as part of a tradition at the White House that gets people laughing and kicks off the holiday season.
The south lawn was cold because it was November. Biden said he didn’t want the event to last too long because “nobody likes it when their turkey gets cold.”
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Before the pardon, the U.S. military band played “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd to get the crowd in the mood for the event. Commander, Biden’s German shepherd, watched and barked loudly from the White House balcony behind him.
On Thursday, millions of turkeys will be roasted in ovens across the country for Thanksgiving. They will be covered in gravy and served with potatoes, green bean casserole, and other sides.
But Chocolate, who weighs 46 pounds (21 kg), and Chip, who weighs 47 pounds, will spend the rest of their lives at North Carolina State University, which is in their home state. The White House turkey pardon is a long-standing tradition.
Biden was talking about the midterm congressional elections on Nov. 8, in which Democrats kept control of the U.S. Senate but narrowly lost control of the House of Representatives to Republicans. This stopped the opposition party from getting the “red wave” they had hoped for.
“People have voted. They have been tallied and checked. There is no stuffing of ballots. “It’s not a “fowl” play,” he joked. Biden stated that the only time a “red wave” will occur is if Commander knocks over the cranberry sauce.
Biden and his wife, Jill, flew to North Carolina on Monday evening to thank Marines stationed there at a “Friendsgiving” dinner.
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“You only make up 1% of the population, but you protect the rest of us,” Biden told service members before putting on an apron and gloves to serve them mashed potatoes. “We came to tell you how much we appreciate everything you’ve done.”
