U.S. President Donald Trump looks at Gobble, one of two turkeys to be ceremonially pardoned on Thanksgiving, in the White House Rose Garden on November 25, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
President Donald Trump extended the holiday tradition on Tuesday by granting pardon power to both Thanksgiving turkeys, Gobble and Waddle, during a ceremony at the White House.
During the Rose Garden ceremony, President Trump also touched on recent developments regarding a potential U.S.-brokered peace deal with Ukraine.
“I think we’re very close to a deal, but we’ll see,” Trump said. “I thought the other one would have finished sooner…but I think we’re making progress.”
President Trump also bashed former President Joe Biden, claiming that Biden used an autopen to sign last year’s turkey pardon and declared it “totally invalid.” He said he had “officially pardoned” the birds Peach and Blossom, adding: “We saved them in the nick of time.”
First Lady Melania Trump’s office was encouraging Americans to text “gobble” or “waddle” to 45470 to determine which birds will receive formal pardons. Earlier this year, she posted a poll to X to decide on a name for the bird.
Gobble and Waddle, born in July and weighing 52 and 50 pounds, respectively, spent the past week getting used to the noise, lights and crowds before checking into the ceremony suite at the Willard InterContinental Hotel. This is a perennial perk of being a presidential turkey.
National Thanksgiving turkeys (Waddle and Gobble) from North Carolina wait in their room the day before their Thanksgiving pardon at the White House at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, DC, USA on November 24, 2025.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt holds her son Nicholas as Waddle, one of the National Thanksgiving turkeys, visits the White House press briefing room before the turkey pardon ceremony with US President Donald Trump on November 25, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Alex Roblewski AFP | Getty Images
Experts previously told CNBC that retailers who ordered turkeys early secured lower prices, while those relying on the spot market faced higher costs. Wells Fargo’s The agriculture team warned that prices for the same size bird can vary by more than $20 wherever consumers shop.
Major retailers are trying to capitalize on holiday promotions to keep shoppers from turning away. walmart We’re promoting a dinner bundle for 10 people for under $56. Aldi has one for $40. Amazon We are offering a $25 dinner promotion. and target They announced a Thanksgiving deal for 4 people for $20.
AFBF says the price of a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people is lower for the third year in a row, even though the price of turkey is soaring. The national average for a “classic” 16 pound turkey dinner with sides is $55.18.
The annual turkey giveaway dates back to the 1940s and became an official presidential pardon in 1989 under the George HW Bush administration. But presidents have been given turkeys since the 1870s, according to the White House Historical Association. Over time, this ritual evolved into soft marketing for America’s multibillion-dollar poultry industry.
This year’s colorful moment comes as President Trump enters his second term, relying heavily on his actual pardon power, granting relief to more than 1,000 January 6 rioters and other high-profile figures such as former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, disgraced former Rep. George Santos and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
