Trump Pardons Turkeys Gobble and Waddle in Rose Garden

President Donald Trump pardoned two Thanksgiving turkeys named Gobble and Waddle during a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday, continuing an annual tradition amid his pointed remarks on political rivals and the economy.

The birds, raised in North Carolina, were selected through a public online poll conducted by the Office of the First Lady. Trump, speaking under overcast skies, began with humor directed at Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer of New York and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. "The turkeys being pardoned today go by the names of Gobble and Waddle," Trump said. "When I first saw their pictures, I was going to call them Chuck and Nancy, but then I realized I wouldn't be pardoning them. I would never pardon those two people." He added that even first lady Melania Trump could not persuade him otherwise.

Gobble appeared at the event, emitting a sound resembling its name, while Waddle was absent after an earlier appearance in the White House briefing room. White House aides explained that Waddle needed to skip the outdoor ceremony. Trump described the pardons as "full, absolute and unconditional," granting the turkeys legal immunity from...