When will President Trump pardon a turkey? Details on the 2025 event
Two turkeys are set to be pardoned by President Donald Trump this week, continuing a national tradition that has lasted over three decades.
Each year, the turkeys are granted an official pardon by the U.S. president, sending them away from the Thanksgiving table and instead to farms where they are protected and cared for.
Now, it's almost time for that ceremony. With the pardoning fast approaching and Thanksgiving celebrations on its heels, here's what you need to know about the event, the turkeys, and their futures.
When is the 2025 turkey pardoning ceremony?
The annual presidential turkey pardon will take place Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 12 noon ET at the White House. According to an Office of the First Lady press release, the chosen turkeys named Gobble and Waddle are staying at The Willard InterContinental Hotel ahead of their pardoning ceremony, which is adjacent to the White House grounds.
Turkey topics: Who was the first president to pardon a turkey? History of the unusual event
Watch the president turkey pardon live
USA TODAY is livestreaming the ceremony. Watch it below or on YouTube .
How did the Thanksgiving tradition begin?
The tradition of a White House ceremony ahead of Thanksgiving began in 1947, when President Harry Truman received a live turkey from the National Turkey Federation , according to the National Archives. Contrary to reports that he pardoned the turkey, the Truman Library suggests the bird was probably served as dinner.
The National Turkey Federation has continued to provide the National Thanksgiving Turkey, which shifted over the years from being a bird to be eaten to one to be pardoned.
Who was the first president to pardon a turkey?
While the presidential turkey pardon has a long history, the tradition was cemented by President George H.W. Bush, who, at the 1989 presentation, declared that the year’s bird would be officially pardoned, sparking the annual presidential action we see today. Bush declared at the presentation that the turkey "will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy – he’s presented a presidential pardon as of right now – and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here."
How are turkeys chosen now? Meet this year's birds.
In recent years, the White House has selected which turkey should be presented as the National Thanksgiving Turkey and which should be the alternate, according to the federation. The president announces the final choice during the ceremony, but both are spared and sent to a petting zoo or an agricultural center for the remainder of their lives.
This year's turkeys were named Waddle and Gobble after social media users selected them via an online poll put out by the Office of the First Lady. Students from North Carolina 4H and FFA had come up with the list of possible names for the birds.
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Vote for the 2025 turkey
Constituents are able to vote on which of the two turkeys will officially participate in the ceremonial pardoning (though both will be pardoned).
People can cast their vote by texting "Gobble" or "Waddle" to 45470. Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. ET Monday, Nov. 24.
What happens to the turkeys after they are pardoned?
This year, Gobble and Waddle will return to North Carolina following their pardoning. There, they will spend the rest of their lives under the care of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, where they will have dedicated housing, daily care and veterinary services, the press release states.
This story was updated to reflect a new expected start time for the event.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is the 2025 presidential turkey pardon? Date, time, how to watch
