Biden pardons the last turkeys of his presidency

President Joe Biden may be a lame-duck president, but he spent Monday sparing the lives of two birds.

Biden performed an annual White House tradition for his final time, pardoning two lucky turkeys: Peach and Blossom, who hail from Minnesota and are about 17 weeks old, according to a National Turkey Federation press conference Sunday.

The two names are intended as a tribute to Biden’s home state of Delaware and its state flower, the peach blossom.

“Peach blossom also symbolizes resilience, which frankly is appropriate for today,” Biden said during the pardon ceremony.

Biden started the ceremony by making a joke about the large crowd present to witness the two turkeys’ second chance at life.

“They tell me there are 2,500 people here today … looking for a pardon,” Biden joked.

Association President John Zimmerman and his 9-year-old son, Grant, raised the birds and introduced them Sunday.

As the president was about to pardon Peach, the bird swooped off the stage.

“What did you say, Peach?” asked the president.

“Peach is making a last-minute plea here,” he told the audience.

Peach weighs about 41 pounds, loves to eat hot dishes topped with tater tots and lives by the motto “keep calm and swallow,” Biden told the crowd gathered for the ceremony.

Blossom’s goal is to road trip all 10,000 Minnesota lakes and live by the motto “no ‘fowl’ play.”

Peach and Blossom spent the night before the pardon staying in a luxurious suite at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC

The National Turkey Federation posted pictures of the feathered couple at the hotel and even a “Get Ready With Us” video of the two arriving at their turkey-proof accommodation.

President Harry Truman started the turkey pardon tradition 77 years ago in 1947, when the National Turkey Federation presented him with a turkey that he spared from the meal.

After their pardons, the two turkeys will become agricultural ambassadors and enjoy retirement on a farm in southern Minnesota, the National Turkey Federation said Sunday.

“Maybe they’ll go to a hockey game in Minnesota or a football game, but their home base will be in Waseca, Minnesota,” Zimmerman said. “But if the need arises, they are willing to travel.”

Biden ended the ceremony on a more serious note, telling the audience that he and the first lady would travel Monday night to a “Friendsgiving” dinner with the Coast Guard in Staten Island to thank them for their service and sacrifice, as did Biden’s late son, Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer

“May we take this moment to take time from our busy lives to focus on what matters most, our family,” Biden said.