Obama keeps tradition, pardons two turkeys

President Barack Obama on Thursday officially pardoned two turkeys as part of a Thanksgiving ritual, but this time his nephews stood in place of his daughters, who he said “still believe in bad puns”.

“Malia and Sasha, by the way, are thankful that this is my final presidential turkey pardon. What I haven’t told them yet is that we are going to do this every year from now on. No cameras. Just us. Every year. No way I’m cutting this habit cold turkey,” Obama said amidst laughter in the Rose Garden of the White House.

Obama appeared with two his nephews Austin and Aaron Robinson. He said Austin and Aaron, “who, unlike Malia and Sasha, have not yet been turned cynical by Washington”. This year he pardoned two turkeys Tater and and its alternate Tot, both 18-week old, weighing 40 pounds.