President Biden pardons Thanksgiving turkeys at White House

President Joe Biden pardoned the official Thanksgiving turkeys and in the process made a series of “Dad” jokes at the expense of Republicans for falling well short of expectations in the midterm elections.

“The votes are in. They’ve been counted and verified. There’s been no ballot stuffing, there’s been no foul play,” Biden punned at the White House as he granted presidential reprieves to the turkeys, named Chocolate and Chip.

“The only red wave this season will be if our German shepherd Commander knocks over the cranberry sauce at our table,” the Democratic president quipped.

Chocolate and Chip are guaranteed not to be eaten this holiday season due to what have become traditional annual presidential pardons for would-be Thanksgiving main courses.

The birds will live out their days back in their home state, at the Talley Turkey Education Unit at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

The tradition of officially receiving a Thanksgiving turkey dates to President Harry Truman in 1947.

But presidents have been gifted turkeys since the 1870s, according to the White House Historical Association.

President George H. W. Bush is credited with dispensing the first official executive clemency for a turkey when he joked to animal rights activists in 1989 that the bird that year was getting a “presidential pardon.”