President Trump will still pardon a Thanksgiving turkey this year, per White House tradition, amid a very nontraditional post-election period, with both a contested presidential transition and a surge in COVID-19 cases sparking grave new concerns.
As in any other year, the President will host two turkeys, choosing one official Thanksgiving turkey to pardon and the other serving as an alternate. Both will then be taken to Iowa State University to live out their lives, spared from this and future Thanksgivings.
This year's turkeys hatched in July and have been raised by Iowa farmer Ron Kardel, according to the National Turkey Federation.
The pardon, set for Tuesday in Washington, would be just the president’s fourth public appearance since the election, after he spoke from the White House to falsely claim the results were fraudulent, after an update on COVID-19 vaccines last week and a Veterans Day visit to Arlington Cemetery. He hasn’t taken questions from reporters since before the election.
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump plan to stay in Washington for the holiday instead of traveling to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach like they usually do. The CDC has recommended minimizing travel and large gatherings this Thanksgiving as coronavirus cases rise across the U.S.
On Monday, the day before the turkey pardon, the official White House Christmas Tree — which comes from West Virginia — will be presented to the first lady. It will be showcased in the Blue Room along with the rest of the residence’s traditional decorations.
The presentation of the official tree dates back to 1966, and the turkey pardon tradition dates back to President Abraham Lincoln.
Editor's Note: Based on a press release from First Lady Melania Trumps office, an earlier version of this article originally referred to the origin of the White House Christmas Tree as Oregon. However, The 2020 White House Christmas Tree actually comes from Dan and Bryan Trees in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, according to a correction from a White House communications official.