HOLIDAY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House on Monday [11-25-19] revealed the names of the two feathered contenders who will vie for the title of National Thanksgiving Turkey — Bread and Butter. The turkeys arrived at the Willard Hotel on Sunday to enjoy a luxurious stay in a historic D.C. suite ahead of Tuesday’s time-honored White House tradition in which the sitting president publicly spares two lucky birds from becoming Thanksgiving dinner. The tradition began after Abraham Lincoln granted a one-time, unofficial turkey pardon because his son had grown fond of a bird delivered to the White House. The gesture continued in jest throughout various administrations until George H.W. Bush made the turkey pardon official when he took office in 1989. President Donald Trump has kept up the tradition, delivering an official pardon last year to Peas and Carrots, two turkeys who preened for the cameras before being sent off to ‘Gobbler’s Rest,’ an agricultural education facility at Virginia Tech University.”
–Abbey Marshall, “White House reveals names of turkeys destined for Trump pardon,” Politico, November 25, 2019 12:08 pm