Obama makes final Thanksgiving turkey pardon

President Barack Obama pardoned his last Thanksgiving turkey on Wednesday (Nov 23), an annual tradition that sees the USA leader spare two birds – the centrepiece of most holiday tables – from the carving knife.

Michelle Obama and her daughters Malia, 15, and Sasha Obama, 12, stand onstage during remarks by President Obama for a taping of the Christmas in Washington television benefit program.

Obama laughs with his daughters Sasha, 11, and Malia, 14, as he pardons National Thanksgiving Turkey at the White House. “It’s my prayer that on this thanksgiving we begin to heal our divisions and move forward as one country, strengthened by a shared objective and very, very common resolve”, he said at the opening of his festive message.

The president was joined in the Rose Garden by his young nephews, Austin and Aaron Robinson, instead.

President Barack Obama pardoned his final Thanksgiving turkey from the gravy train with a series of gloriously bad puns and corny dad jokes.

The first Thanksgiving turkeys to visit the White House didn’t get a pardon, either. President Obama in his first term started a new tradition of pardoning two turkeys, following the requests of his daughters Sasha and Malia.

Wednesday marked the final time President Obama would pardon a Turkey for Thanksgiving, which has become a time-honored White House tradition. School children from the state had submitted pairs of names for this year’s turkeys.

In 2011, Obama’s turkey pardon jokes got outwardly political as he mocked his own love of executive orders as well as the press’s ability to “gobble without really saying anything”. A biography for each bird was provided to help voters with their decision. No cameras. Just us.

“And so let’s get on with the pardoning”. Each 18-week-old bird weighed in at about 40 pounds.

Remembering President Lincoln, he said, President Lincoln boldly proclaimed a Thanksgiving to be a National holiday where the nation’s gift should be “solemnly and gratefully acknowledged is with one heart and one voice by the whole American people”.

As for the turkeys, their permanent home will be at Virginia Tech’s “Gobblers Rest” exhibit, according to the White House.

His statement echoes MP Jo Cox’s maiden speech to parliament, in which she said that “we have far more in common with each other than things that divide us”.

He said: “Of course, we have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving”.

On his “dad jokes”: “Look, I know there are some bad ones in here, but this is the last time I’m doing this, so we’re not leaving any room for leftovers”.