Trump pardons turkey at White House for Thanksgiving
Donald Trump pardoned a turkey on Tuesday, a traditional event that marks the arrival of Thanksgiving in the United States.
The annual ceremony to spare the life of one of the 45 million turkeys cooked for Thanksgiving dinner in the United States featured a relaxed Trump.
What a bird, "he told the great white turkey Corn, noting that Thanksgiving is a" special day for turkeys "although" for the most part, it's not very good. "
This tradition of pardon in general is nothing more than a peculiar photo shoot.
But this year's pardon came, however, amid Trump's unprecedented refusal to accept his defeat in the presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden. This Tuesday, the president once again retweeted a photo of him in which he looks defiantly on the Oval Office desk, with the caption: "I do not grant ANYTHING !!!!!"
This time, journalists pored over each syllable, wondering if Trump would finally concede the election.
But there were no concessions, and no leads.
Trump later appeared alongside Vice President Mike Pence in the press room, but it was only to issue a statement on record highs in the US stock market. Then he left without answering questions.
The event in the Rose Garden of the White House was one of the few occasions that Trump has been seen in an official ceremony since his defeat on Nov. 3.
His golf outings have been more frequent than his public events, while he spent most of his time unsuccessfully trying to reverse the election results.
Many outgoing leaders intensify the use of presidential pardon as they pack their White House bags.
These are often uncontroversial displays of mercy or attempts to promote national reconciliation, such as the amnesties granted by Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter for Americans who skipped the mandatory military service of the Vietnam War.
Before leaving Washington, Trump is expected to extend his pardons to inmates who received very harsh prison sentences for relatively minor drug-related crimes since the 1990s.
But the Republican president has also considered the possibility of opting for more controversial options such as granting pardons to friends or even people who have been sentenced for crimes related to his administration.
TRUMP'S LAST CHRISTMAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE
All those warnings from public health authorities pleading with Americans to limit gatherings in the holiday season amid the spike in coronavirus cases have not stopped the White House from planning to host Christmas celebrations during the pandemic.
The arrival of the 5.6-meter (18.5-foot) Christmas tree on a horse-drawn carriage on Monday marked the start of a usual series of Christmas events at the White House, including the annual turkey reprieve and Christmas events and Hanukkah
Attending the parties will be a very personal choice, ”said Stephanie Grisham, spokeswoman for First Lady Melania Trump and chief of staff, referring to the plans. "It is a longstanding tradition for people to visit and enjoy the joyful and iconic decorations of the annual White House Christmas celebrations."
