Biden pardons Thanksgiving turkeys, takes shot at Republicans

The official Thanksgiving turkeys were pardoned on Monday by President Joe Biden, who made a series of jokes at the expense of the Republicans.

There are votes in. They've been verified. Biden joked at the White House that there had been no ballot stuffing and no fowl play.

If our German shepherd Commander knocks over the cranberry sauce at our table, the only red wave this season will be.

Due to presidential pardons for Thanksgiving main courses, chocolate and chip won't be eaten this holiday season.

The birds will stay at the University of North Carolina.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks as he pardons the National Thanksgiving Turkey, in the annual ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., November 21, 2022.

The governor of North Carolina attended the pardon ceremony along with a group of people.

Biden's dog Commander looked on from the White House balcony and barked at the president as he spoke. A version of the Skynyrd song "Free Bird" was played as a joke.

President Harry Truman was the first to officially receive a turkey for Thanksgiving.

The White House Historical Association says that presidents have been gifted turkeys.

The first official executive clemency for a turkey was granted by President George H. W. Bush in 1989 when he joked to animal rights activists that the bird was going to be pardoned.

While presidents from Bush onward have used the pardon event as an excuse to make cringe-inducing jokes, many Americans may be concerned about the rising cost of turkey.

Hunter Biden and his son Beau Biden attend the annual ceremony to pardon Chocolate and Chip, the National Thanksgiving Turkeys on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, U.S., November 21, 2022. 

According to data from the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average American family is going to pay 20% more for Thanksgiving dinner in 2022.

The average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 is $65.05 compared to $53.31 in 2021.

The average price for a 16-pound turkey this year is $28.96, which is $5 more than in 2021. The average price for a turkey in 2020 is $9.57 less than in the previous year.

A 14-ounce bag of stuffing costs $3.88 this year, up a whopping 69% from a year ago, according to the Farm Bureau Federation.

The two national Thanksgiving turkeys, Chocolate and Chip, are photographed on the South Lawn of the White House before a pardon ceremony in Washington, DC, on November 21, 2022.