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Biden’s Farewell Pardon: A Thanksgiving Tradition Comes to an End

In Citizen
November 29, 2024

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Joe Biden, in his final year as President, granted clemency to two turkeys in a traditional Thanksgiving ceremony. Despite the seriousness of his role, Biden took the opportunity to express gratitude to the country for allowing him to serve as President.

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President Biden pardoned the last two turkeys of his presidency in a ceremony at the White House, expressing his gratitude for being the commander in chief. He mentioned that over the past four years, he has pardoned various pairs of turkeys, including Peanut Butter and Jelly, Chocolate and Chip, Liberty and Bell. This year, Peach and Blossom are the lucky ones to receive a pardon based on their good behavior. This event also marks the beginning of the holiday season in Washington, and it is President Biden’s final time speaking as president during this season. He expressed his gratitude and thanked the people for the honor of serving as president.

Written by Zach Montague.

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On Monday, President Biden made an appearance that lasted eight minutes to pardon two Thanksgiving turkeys. He mentioned the 77-year-old tradition briefly and took a moment to express gratitude to the country.

During the brief speech, only a few witty remarks were made to acknowledge Peach and Blossom, two birds weighing over 40 pounds each, who were named after Delaware’s peach blossoms, the official flower of Mr. Biden’s state of residence.

The president stood next to Peach, whose loud noises were captured by the microphone, often interrupting Mr. Biden’s speech and causing laughter among the audience.

"The president mentioned that Peach is making a final request," stated the president.

Mr. Biden shared with those watching on the South Lawn of the White House that his motto is to remain calm and keep eating. He was wearing his distinctive aviator sunglasses as he listed off the names of the turkeys he had pardoned during his four years in office.

The president adopted a more somber attitude to recognize the emotional truth that the holiday season signified the last phase of his presidency, and potentially the conclusion of his career in public service spanning over five decades.

"This will be my final speech as your president during this time, and I want to express my thanks and appreciation," stated Mr. Biden. "I want to tell you that serving as your president has been the greatest honor of my life. I am eternally thankful."

On Monday, the president and first lady had plans to continue their tradition of serving food at a holiday celebration with friends. This year, they were celebrating with members of the Coast Guard and their families on Staten Island. During this event, President Biden took a moment to honor those who have lost loved ones, specifically mentioning his son Beau who passed away from brain cancer in 2015.

He expressed the idea of taking a break from our hectic schedules to prioritize our families during this moment.

Before taking photos with Peach, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s upcoming inauguration in two months hinted at potential changes to the norms and traditions that President Biden frequently praised. Despite the uncertainty in Washington, President Biden left those at the ceremony with a non-political message.

He stated that in America, we always persevere and never lose hope. We continue to push forward and maintain our belief in better days ahead.

Zach Montague is a journalist from the Times who reports on the U.S. Department of Education, the White House, and federal courts. To learn more about Zach Montague, visit his page.

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