Trump Pardons Gobble and Waddle, Throws Shade at Biden’s Turkey Pardons

President Trump staged a turkey pardon ceremony outside the White House on Tuesday, officially sparing two turkeys named Gobble and Waddle from becoming Thanksgiving dinner. But the event quickly veered into a political jab when Trump joked that President Biden’s recent turkey pardons were invalid because they were signed with an “autopen” — an automated signature device.

This seemingly trivial comment is far from innocent. It’s another example of Trump’s relentless campaign to delegitimize Biden’s presidency, even in contexts where it makes no sense. The turkey pardon, a lighthearted tradition dating back decades, became a stage for Trump to cast doubt on the official acts of his successor.

Trump’s claim about the autopen is misleading. The White House routinely uses autopens for certain official documents, and there is no legal basis to question the validity of Biden’s pardons on this ground. Yet Trump’s baseless jab plays into his broader pattern of attacking democratic norms and sowing distrust in government institutions.

This turkey pardon farce fits into a larger pattern of Trump weaponizing every platform to promote falsehoods and undermine the peaceful transfer of power. While the nation faces serious challenges—from threats to voting rights to ongoing corruption investigations—Trump chooses to focus on mocking presidential traditions.

As always, Trump’s antics serve as a distraction from the real issues. The turkey pardon should be about gratitude and national unity, not petty political point-scoring. But for Trump, every moment is an opportunity to stoke division and erode trust in democracy—even if it means making a joke at the expense of Thanksgiving.