Journalism of Courage
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt brought her son Nicholas “Niko” Robert Riccio to meet Waddle, one of the National Thanksgiving turkeys as US President Donald Trump pardoned Waddle and Gobble, two giant white-plumed turkeys on Tuesday as they were spared from Thanksgiving dining tables, which added to more than 1,600 pardons he has granted during second term.
Niko, who is about one and half years old, was seen playing around pardoned turkey Waddle as the scene made the reporters laugh during the press conference at the White House. The 50-pound bird was seen moving near the podium where the press secretary usually addresses the reporters.
During the press conference at the White House, Leavitt was holding her son but later put the toddler on the ground so he could crawl around. Niko, while crawling, reached near Waddle and was inches away before he moved towards the press secretary podium and was picked up by her mother.
Videos of Niko crawling and going past the turkey have gone viral on social media with netizens reacting to it.
The birds weighing more than 50 pounds each, were raised on a farm in North Carolina and spent the night before the ceremony at a luxury accommodation in Willard InterContinental Hotel situated near the White House.
At the 78th annual National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation, Trump pardoned the turkeys while taking a jibe at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Trump said he wanted to change the name of the birds to Chuck and Nancy, “but then I realized I wouldn’t be pardoning them, I would never pardon those two people.” During his second term, Trump has pardoned over 1,500 people who were involved in the January 6, 2021 US Capitol riots and his allies involved in the bid to overturn his 2020 election loss.
(with inputs from Reuters)
