Meet Chocolate and Chip: Biden pardons turkeys in annual tradition

WASHINGTON (WJLA/TND) — The national Thanksgiving turkeys, Chocolate and Chip,became poultry royalty when they receive their presidential pardon from President Joe Biden Monday.

The turkeys,each weighing nearly 50 pounds,arrived in D.C. Saturday from Monroe, North Carolina. They were checked into the Willard hotel as they awaited their declaration of freedom.

Biden participated in the annual national Thanksgiving turkey presentation at the White House at 11 a.m.

“The votes are in, they’ve been counted and verified,” Biden said as hundreds of people gathered on the South Lawn. “There’s no ballot stuffing. There’s no fowl play. The only red wave this season’s gonna be if German Shepard Commander [Biden's dog] knocks over the cranberry sauce on our table."

The National Turkey Federation is celebrating 75 years of this American Thanksgiving tradition, which dates back to 1947 with President Harry Truman.

And what's next for the turkeys after their presidential pardon? The NTF says their future plan is to "earn an honorary poultry science degree from NC State University."

"The official 'pardoning' of White House turkeys is an interesting White House tradition that has captured the imagination of the public in recent years," according to The White House Historical Association. "It is often stated that President Abraham Lincoln's clemency to a turkey recorded in an 1865 dispatch by White House reporter Noah Brooks was the origin for the pardoning ceremony."

Past pardoned turkeys include Peanut Butter and Jelly last year, Corn in 2020 (instead of Cob) and Bread and Butter in 2019.