Trump saves pair of turkeys in White House Thanksgiving tradition

Two birds kept their heads Tuesday during a visit to the White House, where President Donald Trump spared their lives in the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon.

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“It was 70 years ago that the National Turkey Federation first presented the National Thanksgiving Turkey to President Harry Truman — who, I might add, did not grant the pardon,” Trump said.

“He refused. He was a tough cookie. Today, I’m going to be a much nicer president.”

President Donald J. Trump and @FLOTUS Melania Participate in the Pardoning of the National Thanksgiving Turkey at the White House. https://t.co/Zauqz4jfWv

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2017

The president finished his remarks with a wish for a happy Thanksgiving all around the country.

The Minnesota birds will head to “Gobbler’s Rest” at Virginia Tech to spend the remainder of their lives.

Not that they had it so bad before the pardon.

The turkeys had been kicking back at the fancy Willard Intercontinental Hotel in the nation’s capital since Sunday.

In this photo released by The White House, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, two turkeys set to be pardoned by President Donald Trump are shown in a Washington hotel, Sunday Nov. 19, 2017. President Trump will pardon them on Tuesday. (White House Photo by Hannah MacInnis via AP)

The hotel visit was paid for by the National Turkey Federation, which presented Truman with that first bird in 1947.

While Truman was the first president presented with a turkey, former President George W. Bush actually granted the first pardon, according to a White House history website.

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