Biden: PETA Pushes Lame Duck President to End Absurd Turkey Pardon Before Oval Office Exit
For Immediate Release:
November 13, 2024
Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382
With two months left in office, there’s still enough time for President Biden to do what his predecessors failed to do—namely, stand up to meat lobby malarkey by ending the ridiculous, humiliating White House Turkey Pardon fiasco. This morning, PETA sent a letter to the “lame duck” president pointing out that turkeys bred for the table lose their ability to stand after being genetically manipulated to grow fat fast and encouraging him not to stoop to the Oval Office’s annual advertisement for the turkey factory farming industry, which has just racked up the largest number of cruelty charges in a factory-farmed animal case in U.S. history.
“Ben Franklin may or may not have lobbied for the turkey to be our national bird, but either way, turkeys don’t deserve the slaughterhouse knife or a patronizing pardon humane-washed by the president,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “It’s beneath the Oval Office to shill for the factory farming industry, and PETA is asking President Biden to leave a legacy of kindness by dumping this twisted tradition.”
Turkeys—who were almost chosen as the national bird instead of the bald eagle—enjoy perching, dust-bathing, and warming in the sun. But tens of millions are crammed into filthy sheds and then killed each year in the U.S. for Thanksgiving and Christmas alone—and birds “pardoned” by former presidents have ended up sorely neglected and confined to barren enclosures. PETA asks everyone to please eat vegan and to remember that this wretched ritual leaves turkeys miserable long after the president, the press, and the public have moved on.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA’s free vegan starter kit is filled with tips to help anyone looking to make the switch, and a list of vegan holiday recipes can be found here. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
PETA’s letter to Biden follows.
November 13, 2024
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our millions of members and supporters may I urge you to leave a legacy of kindness by canceling the ridiculous White House turkey pardon. As a “lame duck,” you no longer need to heed the interests of factory farmers and, instead, have a joyous opportunity to spare Americans and turkeys this humiliating meat-industry stunt that uses the White House as its public relations backdrop. Here’s why:
As you know, turkeys are gentle birds who don’t need to be “pardoned” for—as you might say—“any damn thing,” while turkey factory farming is a dirty business that’s unpardonably guilty of contributing to the climate catastrophe and water contamination as well as pumping birds full of antibiotics that are passed on to consumers, maximizing profits at the expense of even minimal animal welfare. Turkeys are often lame at even a few weeks of age, as they’re genetically manipulated to grow fat very quickly, making it hard for them to stand, let alone walk. They’re forced to live in overcrowded conditions, in their own waste, risking the spread of zoonotic diseases such as bird flu—the most recent outbreak of which caused the slaughter of more than 100 million birds and burdened taxpayers because factory farms receive millions of dollars in compensation for their irresponsibility.
This industry is guilty of astounding cruelty, as evidenced by PETA’s recent investigation into Plainville Farms—a “humane” turkey supplier, where workers kicked, stomped on, sexually assaulted, and beat turkeys—resulting in 141 criminal charges. The president of the U.S. shouldn’t sanction or humane-wash such industry abuses.
As your time in the Oval Office draws to a close, please end this wretched ritual that doesn’t befit public office. Thank you for your consideration. Best wishes to you and your family.
Very truly yours,
Ingrid Newkirk
President
