Gobble, Gobble – A History of the Presidential Turkey Pardon in 9 Pictures

There have been many National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentations at the White House over the years, but it wasn’t until Ronald Reagan pardoned a turkey that the idea took hold and George H.W. Bush made the presidential pardon a yearly tradition. In honor of Thanksgiving, here are the top 9 most entertaining photos of presidents with turkeys:

Eisenhower-Turkey

President Dwight Eisenhower appears to read jokes to his turkey.

Johnson

President Lyndon Johnson looks skeptical.

gerald-ford-pardon

President Gerald Ford stares down the bird.

Nixon

President Richard Nixon shakes hands with his turkey.

Reagan

President Ronald Reagan gets a surprise as the bird attempts to take flight.

Clinton

President Bill Clinton applauds his pardon.

Bush-Turkey

President George W. Bush says, “CHEESE!”

Obama

President Barack Obama looks hesitant as Sasha face-palms.

And because there are so many good ones of him, here’s a bonus Dubya pic:

Bush

President George W. Bush’s turkey gets a little TOO friendly!

Enjoy your turkey!

 

Which picture is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below!

Alexa is a freelance writer and communications consultant, with experience working on the Hill, at the RNC, and for... More about Alexa

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