For the seventh time in as many years, President Barack Obama pardoned the national turkey. Check out the video and timeline of presidential turkey pardons.
In the Rose Garden on Wednesday afternoon, a turkey named “Abe” was officially pardoned by the president.
The turkey will live out his days in leisure on a turkey farm with a turkey barn named the White House.
The next in the line of succession, a turkey named “Honest”, was held in an undisclosed location for his own protection.
Should “Abe” not be able to serve his official duties, “Honest” would step in as the next turkey in line of succession.
Both Honest and Abe are 18-week-old, 40 pound turkeys.
The turkey pardon tradition dates back President Harry Truman who pardoned a turkey in 1947.
President Obama was accompanied by his two daughters, Sasha and Malia.
Obama thanked them during the ceremony “for once again standing here with me during the turkey pardoning … They do this solely because it makes me feel good – not because they actually think that this is something I should be doing.”
Story from The Associated Press.