Washington D.C.–President Donald Trump pardoned a turkey named Butter in a time honored tradition at the White House today. During a 24-hour online poll, Americans were given the opportunity to choose between two turkeys, one named Bread and the other named Butter. The National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation began 71 years ago when, in the 1940s, farmers and manufacturers began to send birds to the White House as a means of promoting the poultry industry. President George H. W. Bush was the first to formally grant a Presidential pardon to a Thanksgiving turkey. This year, both Butter and Bread will be headed to Virginia to join last year’s contestants, Peas and Carrots, at Virginia Tech’s Gobblers Rest exhibit in Blacksburg, Virginia.
