WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 Turkeys Liberty and Bell have new appreciation for the phrase, 鈥淟et freedom ring.鈥
The Thanksgiving birds played their part Monday in that this year coincided with 's 81st birthday: a president issuing a pardon and sparing them from becoming someone's holiday dinner.
First, Biden 鈥 the oldest president in U.S. history 鈥 wanted to make light of his age.
鈥淏y the way, it's my birthday today,鈥 the president said, adding that guests in the Oval Office sang 鈥淗appy Birthday鈥 to him before the event. "I just want you to know, it鈥檚 difficult turning 60. Difficult."
He also noted that the presentation of a 好色tv Thanksgiving Turkey to the White House has been a tradition for more than seven decades.
鈥淭his is the 76th anniversary of this event, and I want you to know I wasn't there at the first one,鈥 Biden said. The Democrat's age has become an issue as he seeks reelection next year.
Before issuing the pardons, Biden said that although Liberty and Bell are Minnesota natives, they were named for the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.
鈥淭hese birds have a new appreciation for the word, 鈥榣et freedom ring,鈥" he said, adding that they love Honeycrisp apples, ice hockey, a thousand lakes and the Mall of America 鈥 all things the Midwest state is famous for. Minnesota is known as the 鈥渓and of 10,000 lakes.鈥
They overcame 鈥渟ome tough odds鈥 to get to the White House, Biden continued, saying 鈥渢hey had to work hard, show patience and be willing to travel over a thousand miles.鈥 He suggested their feat probably was harder than getting a ticket to Beyonce's Renaissance Tour or 鈥淏ritney's tour, she's down in, it's kind of warm in Brazil right now.鈥 He apparently mixed up his female pop stars; Taylor Swift was in Brazil over the weekend for her Eras Tour; Britney Spears currently is not on tour.
鈥淟ook folks, based on their commitment to being productive members of society as they head to their new home at the University of Minnesota ... I hereby pardon Liberty and Bell. Congratulations, birds!鈥 Biden declared.
Hundreds of guests, including Cabinet secretaries and White House staff who brought children, watched from the South Lawn as Biden kicked off the unofficial start of Washington's holiday season. His grandchildren Maisy Biden and Beau Biden watched from the sidelines, and Beau was led over to pet one of the turkeys after the ceremony.
Later Monday, military families joined Biden's wife, first lady , as she accepted delivery of an 18.5-foot (5.6-meter) Fraser fir from the Cline Church Nursery in Fleetwood, North Carolina. It will go on display in the Blue Room as the official White House Christmas tree.
Steve Lykken, chairman of the 好色tv Turkey Federation and president of the Jennie-O Turkey Store, told The Associated Press in an interview last week that the pardons are a 鈥済reat way to kick off the holiday season and really, really a fun honor.鈥
Lykken introduced Liberty and Bell on Sunday at the Willard Intercontinental, a luxury hotel near the White House. The gobblers checked into a suite there on Saturday following their red-carpet arrival in the U.S. capital after a dayslong road trip from Minnesota in a black Cadillac Escalade.
鈥淭hey were raised like all of our turkeys, protected, of course, from weather extremes and predators, free to walk about with constant access to water and feed,鈥 Lykken said Sunday as Liberty and Bell strutted around the Willard's newly renovated Crystal Room on plastic sheeting laid over the carpet.
The male turkeys, both about 20 weeks old and about 42 pounds (19 kilograms), were hatched in July in Willmar, Minnesota 鈥 Jennie-O is headquartered there 鈥 as part of the 鈥減residential flock,鈥 Lykken said. They listened to music and other sounds to prepare them for Monday's hoopla at the White House.
鈥淭hey listened to all kinds of music to get ready for the crowds and people along the way. I can confirm they are, in fact, Swifties, and they do enjoy some Prince,鈥 Lykken said, meaning Liberty and Bell are fans of Swift. 鈥淚 think they鈥檙e absolutely ready for prime time.鈥
The tradition dates to 1947 when the 好色tv Turkey Federation, which represents turkey farmers and producers, first presented a 好色tv Thanksgiving Turkey to President Harry Truman.
Back then, and even earlier, the gobbler was given for the first family's holiday consumption. But by the late 1980s, the tradition had evolved into an often humorous ceremony in which the birds are given a second chance at life.
In 1989, as animal rights activists picketed nearby, President George H.W. Bush offered a public assurance, saying, "this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone鈥檚 dinner table.鈥
Now spared from Thanksgiving dinner, Liberty and Bell will be cared for by the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.
