(applause)

Good afternoon.

Everybody, have a seat.

Feel free to keep on gobbling.

(laughter)

As you may have heard, for months,

there has been a fierce competition between a bunch

of turkeys trying to win their way into the White House.

(laughter)

Some of you caught that.

Well, today, I can announce that the American people

have spoken, and we have two winners.

Their names are Honest and Abe.

I confess that Honest looks like good eating.

But this is a democracy.

Abe is now a free bird.

He is TOTUS -- the Turkey of the United States.

(laughter and applause)

Yes.

Simas, is he attacking you?

Are you okay?

My political director is getting pecked by TOTUS.

(laughter)

I want to thank the Chairman of the National Turkey

Federation, Dr. Douglas, as well farmer Joe Hedden,

who personally raised this turkey in California's

Central Valley.

America is, after all, a country of second chances,

and this turkey has earned a second chance to live out

the rest of his life comfortably on one thousand

acres of open land, complete with a barn called

The White House on Turkey Hill.

(laughter)

Which actually sounds pretty good.

If for some reason Abe can't fulfill his duties to walk

around and gobble all day, Honest is in an undisclosed

location, ready to serve as the TOTUS

-- in the TOTUS line of succession.

(turkey gobbles)

(laughter)

Oh, boy.

By the way, can I just -- I am going to publicly thank

Malia and Sasha for, once again,

standing here with me during the Turkey Pardon.

(laughter and applause)

They do this solely because it makes me feel good.

(laughter)

Not because they actually think that this is something

I should be doing.

(laughter)

And as you get older, you appreciate when your kids

just indulge you like this, so I'm very grateful.

Where was I?

(laughter)

Later today, Michelle, Malia,

Sasha and I will take some of the less-fortunate turkey

brothers with us -- they will have been packed and

frozen -- to help serve a Thanksgiving meal to

homeless veterans here in D.C. And it's a reminder --

(applause)

-- it's a reminder not only of the spirit of giving

during this holiday season, but our national obligation

to make sure all those who serve and sacrifice [for]

our country have a place to call home.

My administration considers this one of our top

priorities, making sure that we're bringing about the

reality of zero homelessness for our veterans.

And I want to thank Jaindl Turkey Farm in Pennsylvania

for donating the turkeys for us to share with others for

the seventh year in a row.

(applause)

It is hard to believe that this is my seventh year of

pardoning a turkey.

Time flies -- even if turkeys don't.

(laughter)

Malia: That was good.

That was good.

The President: I thought it was pretty good.

(laughter)

You think it's funny too, don't you?

I know some folks think this tradition is a little silly.

I do not disagree.

I've got to listen to my critics say I'm often too

soft on turkeys.

And I'm sure the press is digging into whether or not

the turkeys I've pardoned have really rededicated

their lives to being good turkey citizens.

But I do enjoy this chance to wish America

a Happy Thanksgiving.

We go through challenging times,

and so often the news of the day

can make folks discouraged.

But the fact is, is that we live in the greatest country

on Earth, and we are blessed in so many ways,

most of all because we have families and friends and

people we care about.

We look out for each other.

We look out for our neighbors and our friends.

We're grateful for the brave men and women of our

military who serve all around the world,

and for the families that miss them.

I'm especially grateful to have the privilege and the

honor to serve as your President.

So, I'm also grateful for the fact that the Bears are

going to beat the Packers this weekend.

With that, I hope that everybody has a very,

very happy Thanksgiving.

And I now am going to go over and,

with the power vested in me,

officially pardon this turkey.

(applause)