00:00Why does the President of the United States pardon a turkey every year?
00:04And how did two birds named Gobble and Waddle end up staying at a luxury hotel before heading to the White House?
00:10It's one of Washington's strangest yet most beloved holiday traditions, the annual presidential turkey pardon.
00:16Every year, around Thanksgiving and the festive season, two specially selected turkeys travel to the capital for a VIP experience.
00:23And this year's Guests of Honor, Gobble and Waddle, are living it up with a taste of luxury at the iconic Willard Hotel before their big moment at the White House.
00:32I'm happy to announce you all. Please welcome them, Gobble and Waddle.
00:38But how did this tradition even start?
00:40The origins go back to 1947 when President Harry Truman was first presented with a Thanksgiving turkey,
00:45a simple holiday gesture that eventually took on a life of its own.
00:48Fast forward to 1963, when President John F. Kennedy made headlines by sparing a turkey and sending it back to the farm.
00:56It wasn't called a pardon yet, but it planted the seed.
00:59Then came 1989. Standing on the White House lawn, President George H.W. Bush looked at the turkey beside him
01:05and declared it was receiving an official presidential pardon.
01:08And that's the moment the modern tradition was born.
01:11Today, the ceremony comes with all the fanfare you'd expect.
01:14Cameras, crowds and even a public vote.
01:16This year, First Lady Melania Trump's official account posted a poll asking Americans to decide which turkey should receive clemency.
01:23So when Gobble and Waddle step up onto the White House grounds, they're not just any birds.
01:27They're part of a decades-long American tradition that blends history, humor and holiday spirit.
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