President Obama used the annual pardoning of a Thanksgiving turkey at the White House Wednesday to try out some new comedic material on his recent executive action on immigration reform.
“I know some will call this amnesty,” Obama joked ahead of pardoning one lucky turkey from a “delicious fate.”
The president was in a playful mood on the eve of Thanksgiving, calling his move “the most talked about executive action this month” and “fully within my legal authority.”
Last week, Obama announced his executive action to protect up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.
For those keeping score, Cheese, not Mac, received the presidential pardon.
However, both birds will live out the rest of their days at a farm in Northern Virginia.
Obama, joined by his daughters Sasha and Malia, admitted that the routine is one of the stranger parts of being commander in chief.
“It is a little puzzling that I do this every year,” he said, but added, “It’s nice once in a while just to say, ‘Happy Thanksgiving.’”
