Peanut Butter and Jelly make debut ahead of White House turkey pardon

President Biden will make the first pardon of his presidency Friday as two turkeys travel to the White House for the annual National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation.

The gobbling duo’s names, Peanut Butter and Jelly, were revealed at a Thursday news conference at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington. Each weighed in at about 40 pounds.

“These two seem to be pretty well behaved,” said Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.).

Wheeled in on luggage carts to make their public debut, the two Hoosier turkeys stayed as guests at the luxury hotel ahead of the pardoning ceremony after traveling from Indiana earlier this week.

The White House shared a video on Twitter Thursday morning of the two birds strutting around on the plush beds at the hotel.

Meet Peanut Butter and Jelly, the turkeys who will be pardoned by @POTUS tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/36XjavdIlm

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 18, 2021

The turkeys were raised by National Turkey Federation Chairman Phil Seger and turkey grower Andrea Welp in cooperation with Farbest Farms.

“I know the kids have really had a lot of fun raising the birds, especially dancing to loud music to try to get them used to all of the media attention for their big day,” Welp said of her children.

Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.), whose district includes the Jasper-based farm, said he had visited on multiple occasions. 

“And every visit I’m in awe of their expansive network that is putting quality food on the table for millions of families across the globe,” Bucshon said. 

The White House turkey pardon is an annual Thanksgiving tradition that’s said to date back to the days of Abraham Lincoln.

The president will officially pardon only one of the turkeys, although both will reside at Purdue University following their visit to the nation’s capital.