White House turkey pardon: Corn named National Thanksgiving Turkey

WASHINGTON — Following Thanksgiving tradition, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump pardoned a turkey Tuesday afternoon, naming Corn as the 2020 National Thanksgiving Turkey.

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Update 2:35 p.m. ET Nov. 24: The National Turkey Federation presented two birds for the occasion: Corn and Cob.

Corn was named the National Thanksgiving Turkey, though both will retire to a new home on the campus of Iowa State University, according to The Associated Press.

Original report: Election Day may be over, but you can still cast your vote in the race for National Thanksgiving Turkey.

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Photos: White House turkey pardon hopefuls Corn, Cob arrive in Washington National Thanksgiving Turkey candidates Corn and Cob are presented to journalists in the Grand Ballroom of the Willard InterContinental Hotel on November 23, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will host the annual presidential turkey pardoning ceremony Tuesday in the White House Rose Garden, where one lucky bird will win the title, according to the White House website.

This year, voters can choose between candidates Corn and Cob, two turkeys from Iowa, in an online poll. Corn, a 42-pounder with a 35-inch wing span, loves college football and storm chasing, while the 41-pound Cob enjoys pickleball and puzzles, the White House joked. National Turkey Federation Chairman Ron Kardel, of Walcott, Iowa, raised both birds, according to the website.

No matter who wins, both Corn and Cob “will retire to their new home on the campus of Iowa State University” following the ceremony, the White House said.

The pardoning has been an annual tradition since 1989, but farmers have presented Thanksgiving turkeys to presidents for seven decades, The Associated Press reported previously.

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Photos: 2020 White House Christmas tree arrives in Washington, D.C. First lady Melania Trump looks at the 2020 Official White House Christmas tree as it is presented on the North Portico of the White House, Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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