News
On Tuesday, President Trump took part in the long-running White House tradition of "pardoning" a turkey for Thanksgiving. After cracking a few jokes about Democrats, recounts, and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Trump announced that he was issuing a presidential pardon to "Peas," the turkey in question. The event was fodder for jokesters on social media, and the memes and tweets about Trump's turkey pardon poked fun at the strange tradition.
Before the event, the White House held an online vote on which of two turkeys — Peas and Carrots are their names — would be pardoned. Peas won the vote, although the White House made clear that neither turkey would be slaughtered regardless of the outcome. At the event, Trump joked that Carrots demanded a recount and refused to concede, and later suggested that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals — which has blocked many of Trump's signature policies — might overturn the pardon.
In a sense, Peas wasn't the only one to be "pardoned" by Trump on Tuesday. Minutes before the turkey event, Trump released a statement suggesting that his administration will take no action against Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia; the CIA recently concluded that Salman ordered the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but Trump said Tuesday that "we may never know all of the facts" and that the United States "intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia."
Social media was flooded with memes and tweets about the turkey pardon. Here are some of the best.
Where's Carrots?
Just to be clear: Although several of Trump's criminal associates are reportedly cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller, Trump hasn't pardoned any of them. Yet.
Melania's Coat
Melania Trump's colorful coat received a good amount of attention on social media — both positive and negative — during the event.
A Wolf In Turkey's Clothing
Paul Manfort, Trump's former campaign manager, is currently in jail after pleading guilty to money laundering and tax evasion. However, some have suggested that Trump might eventually pardon him.
D'Souza, Arpaio, And Peas
Trump has pardoned or commuted the sentences of several controversial figures during his presidency, most notably former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and right-wing author Dinesh D'Souza.
Power Move
Well, it certainly would inject some life and excitement into the turkey pardoning event.
Not The Only Pardon
Trump didn't literally pardon the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia — indeed, this would be impossible, as he hasn't been charged or convicted of anything in a U.S. court — but he did indicate that he won't hold him responsible for the killing of Khashoggi.
The Don Jr. Angle
This obviously isn't true, but it does make for an amusing visual. Rumors have swirled in recent weeks that Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, expects to be indicted by Mueller.
How Do You "Pardon" A Turkey
Regardless of how you feel about PETA as an organization, this is undeniably true. Peas and Carrots did nothing wrong!
As silly as the turkey pardon is, it does provide some much-needed levity to U.S. politics around the holidays, and as such, it probably isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
