Updated on: November 25, 2025 / 8:01 PM EST / CBS News
Washington — President Trump on Tuesday pardoned turkeys Gobble and Waddle in keeping with the storied White House Thanksgiving tradition. Mr. Trump, with first lady Melania at his side, said he was granting the turkeys a “full and unconditional pardon.”
Tuesday’s ceremony was one of Mr. Trump’s final activities at the White House before he headed to Mar-a-Lago for the holiday. The birds had stayed at Washington’s Willard InterContinental Hotel ahead of the pardoning. Waddle also visited the White House briefing room, where White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s son Nicholas looked on.
Members of Mr. Trump’s Cabinet attended the Rose Garden event, recently redone by Mr. Trump. In the crowd were Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The first lady joined Mr. Trump as he arrived for the ceremony, and Mr. Trump complimented the redesigned Rose Garden during his remarks.
Mr. Trump joked while granting Gobble a “full and unconditional pardon,” quipping about some of former President Joe Biden’s controversial pardons as part of his remarks. After the pardon, Vice President J.D. Vance, his wife Usha and their daughter Mirabel visited Gobble.
Travis Pittman of Wayne County, North Carolina, raised Gobble and Waddle and had the honor of presenting them. “This is a dream come true,” Pittman told CBS News. He typically raises flocks of at least 19,000 turkeys on his farm for Butterball, the nation’s largest turkey producer. Pittman said Gobble and Waddle were more comfortable and came to him first each day. He credited his young son Carter for helping feed and interact with the birds and said the moment was a reminder that farming is a family business and a full-time commitment.
Ed O’Keefe contributed to this report.
