Trump jokes he wouldn't pardon Schumer and Pelosi at 2025 turkey ceremony
Source: FOR THE REAL PATRIOTS · All FOR THE REAL PATRIOTS reports
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Summary
The short clip from the White House Rose Garden on November 25, 2025 shows President Trump during the annual National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation. He jokes about wanting to name the two turkeys "Chuck and Nancy" after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, then declares he would never pardon them regardless of Melania's advice. Trump notes the birds are over 50 pounds each and the largest presented to a president. The broadcast focuses exclusively on this roast segment of the longer ceremony that also included re-pardoning last year's turkeys and policy references.
Editorial Assessment
The clip is factually faithful to Trump's delivered remarks but presents only the partisan humor without the full context of the lighthearted tradition or other elements of the speech. Viewers miss that the turkeys Gobble (52 lbs) and Waddle (50 lbs) were raised in North Carolina by a Butterball grower, stayed at the Willard hotel, and will retire to NC State University. The "largest ever" line is hyperbolic—historical records show a 60-lb bird under Clinton—but these were among the heaviest in recent cycles. The channel's framing amplifies the anti-Democrat angle, potentially skewing perception toward pure political combat rather than the ceremonial roast it was. Overall quality is typical for partisan highlight reels: entertaining for the base, incomplete for understanding the event.
Key Moments
I was going to call them Chuck and Nancy but realized I wouldn't be pardoning them. I would never pardon those two people.
Exact quote from Trump's Nov. 25, 2025 Rose Garden remarks, widely reported by AP, WSJ, CNN, and official transcripts.
I wouldn't care what Melania told me. Darling, I think it would be a nice thing to do. I won't do it, darling.
Direct quote from the ceremony; humorous reference to first lady's potential intervention.
These are two of the largest turkeys ever presented to an American president. Over 50 lb each. It's the largest we've ever had.
Gobble weighed 52 lbs and Waddle 50 lbs per National Turkey Federation; among heaviest recently but records include a 60-lb bird in 1997 under Clinton.
Notable Concerns
- Partisan channel framing turns a ceremonial joke into an 'epic roast' without noting it was one segment of a longer speech
- Slight exaggeration on turkey size record omits historical precedents
Sources Consulted
- Trump spares turkeys — but not his political opponents — at annual pardoning ceremony
- North Carolina Turkeys, Gobble and Waddle, Pardoned by President Trump
- Trump pardons Thanksgiving turkeys with digs at Biden, Schumer and Pelosi
- Trump Pardons Thanksgiving Turkeys—and Takes Jabs at Democrats
- In latest dishing out of pardons, Trump keeps Gobble and Waddle off the menu
- How Biden's presidential turkeys stack up to the rest