Politics & Government

Photos: 2 Turkeys Pardoned By Biden Avoid The Chopping Block

President Joe Biden pardoned turkeys "Peanut Butter" and "Jelly" in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

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Turkeys Peanut Butter and Jelly wait for President Joe Biden during the 74th annual Thanksgiving turkey pardoning in the Rose Garden of the White House on Friday.
Turkeys Peanut Butter and Jelly wait for President Joe Biden during the 74th annual Thanksgiving turkey pardoning in the Rose Garden of the White House on Friday. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC — Two male turkeys named Peanut Butter and Jelly were pardoned during a ceremony hosted at the White House on Friday, saving them from the chopping block — a fate many other turkeys face in advance of Thanksgiving Day.

According to The Associated Press, presidents have pardoned turkeys since Abraham Lincoln. More than a century later, George H. W. Bush made the pardon the American tradition it is today by sparing a 50-pound bird in 1989.

Here are photos from Friday's pardon:

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Peanut Butter, the National Thanksgiving Turkey, is shown to members of the media during a news conference by the National Turkey Federation at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The two turkeys from Jasper, Indiana, were pardoned by President Joe Biden during a Friday ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Peanut Butter and Jelly, the National Thanksgiving Turkey and alternate, walk about in their suite at the Willard Hotel following a news conference held by the National Turkey Federation Thursday in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
President Joe Biden greets White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and her family during the 74th annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon of Peanut Butter the turkey in the Rose Garden of the White House. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Accompanied by National Turkey Federation Chairman Phil Seger (center) and turkey grower Andrea Welp (second from right), President Joe Biden participates in the 74th annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon of Peanut Butter in the Rose Garden of the White House. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The turkeys wait for President Joe Biden during the 74th annual Thanksgiving turkey pardoning in the Rose Garden of the White House. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
President Joe Biden pardons Peanut Butter the turkey during the 74th annual Thanksgiving turkey pardoning. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
President Joe Biden pardons Peanut Butter the turkey during the 74th annual Thanksgiving turkey pardoning in the Rose Garden of the White House. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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