President Biden’s pardoned turkeys ruffle activist feathers

Every November, two turkeys take center stage at the White House for the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation, a quirky tradition blending humor, history, and political theater. This year, Peach and Blossom, raised by National Turkey Federation Chairman John Zimmerman in Minnesota, were officially pardoned by President Joe Biden.

The turkeys will retire at Farmamerica in Waseca, Minnesota, where they’ll live out their days as agricultural ambassadors. Raised on the Zimmerman family farm, which has produced 4 million to 5 million turkeys over the past two decades, Peach and Blossom represent a legacy of agriculture. Alongside raising turkeys, the family grows corn and soybeans to support their flocks.

This year, Zimmerman was joined by his young son, Grant, who played a key role in preparing the turkeys for their Washington debut. Their journey to the nation’s capital included a stay at the historic Willard InterContinental Hotel, where the pair enjoyed top-notch accommodations.

Not everyone, however, found the spectacle worth celebrating. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals turned heads with their protest, featuring a “Hell on Wheels” turkey truck parked near the White House. The truck, complete with images of sickly turkeys crammed into crates, blasted turkey cries and subliminal messages urging people to “go vegan.”

“It’s a life-sized turkey transportation truck covered with images of real sickly turkeys,” said Amanda Brody, PETA’s assistant manager for international grassroots campaigns. “If people listen very closely, they will hear a subliminal message to go vegan every 10 seconds. That’s because we want people to listen closely and watch closely, because every turkey is an individual.”

In statements earlier this month, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk didn’t hold back in her criticism of the White House event, calling it a “humiliating meat-industry stunt.” In a letter to Biden, Newkirk said, “Turkeys are devoted parents who purr to their chicks, and whose skin changes color to express their emotions, yet in the meat industry, they’re treated as unfeeling objects, crammed into filthy sheds, and slaughtered, often while they’re still conscious.”

Newkirk further urged Biden to use his “lame duck” period in office to cancel the pardon entirely, citing climate impacts, animal cruelty, and zoonotic disease risks.

The turkey pardon tradition, formalized in 1989 by President George H.W. Bush, is often seen as a lighthearted holiday spectacle. However, PETA argues that it trivializes the plight of millions of turkeys raised for meat.

“Every turkey is an individual,” Brody emphasized. “No one needs to eat meat, dairy, or eggs to be healthy, and everyone can help stop this needless suffering by simply going vegan today or enjoying a vegan roast at their Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday.”