Speaker 4 (00:03):
Just a quick update for press. The birds will be coming down in about 10 minutes, so once you have your spot set, they'll be down shortly.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Shoot, didn't make that.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Audio check.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yeah, it's okay.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
All right.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
That's all right. I'm sure it's real close. Just going to fine tune.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
I'm still at 38,000.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
38,000.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Yeah, great.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, I don't mind having a little bit of a shot anyway. Very exciting.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Not that many of us. So then they're both going to head back up and they're going to settle on for a little bit and then they're going to come and get us and grab the camera. I'm probably going to do this without [inaudible 00:01:25].
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah, just going to go [inaudible 00:01:26].
Speaker 1 (01:30):
I didn't bring it because I thought-
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I always bring it now everywhere.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Good for you.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Because these little cameras are really hard to like… I don't know what to do with them.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Oh, yeah. I can kind of find mine.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yours is a little bigger, but for me, I'm like, what do I… Just do this? I mean…
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
That thing on Saturday, there was no real media. It was all YouTubers and stuff.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Were you guys… Were you guys there?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
No. We were not.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Who was there? Oh, it was-
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Maybe Proto was there.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
NASA was there.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Oh, yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
They were there, but I didn't see them at the event. I just saw them somewhere along the [inaudible 00:02:42], but other than that, it was just us. I didn't see anybody else. Who's that… What's that congressman? Al Green. Something to do with this.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
He's still recovering form that.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
It was two hour walk around and they go [inaudible 00:02:42] okay everybody. Teleprompter. I didn't have a shot on my phone. And this guy, oh my God, he sings these stupid songs and dresses up like a giraffe.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Yeah. They love it.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
No. So it was that and then-
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
It was bigger than I thought. It was kind of cool. They played-
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
I was like, cool.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
I did not hear about the [inaudible 00:05:21].
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Really?
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Yeah. [inaudible 00:05:23]. I was working.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
I have this way, I count crowds. Count's 20, and I'll get to where my numbers [inaudible 00:05:43].
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Wow. Okay.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
So I was like, [inaudible 00:05:57].
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
So, yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
So sometimes, you really are [inaudible 00:06:08].
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Not very often. I don't try. Yeah. [inaudible 00:06:18] Is it New York?
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Oh, that's where [inaudible 00:06:47].
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I know. No. [inaudible 00:06:49]. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
I think I'd rather do [inaudible 00:06:55].
Speaker 1 (07:00):
I mean, a day in New York is a day well spent. It's, like, my dream.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Just in New York?
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Yeah. It's so diverse.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
In D.C., you get so many. New York, it's like, you're interviewing Tommy Hilfiger and then you're heading to Wall Street and then you've got a [inaudible 00:07:18]. It's kind of like-
Speaker 2 (07:16):
It's everything.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Yeah. Doesn't that look professional?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
It's really hard work.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
It's the one day a year where everything's got to go according to plan.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Watch your lives. Like, on your phone. Yeah. See like… Love this. Camera YouTube.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Excellent.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
We're ready. Bring him in.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Okay. Good morning. The birds are on their way down. They look forward to seeing you. So if you're press, please go on and get set. If you're one of our invited guests, we ask you to please stay, come a little closer if you'd like, sit in the chairs. But everyone will have an opportunity to have a little bit of time with the birds once they're here. And we'll get started shortly.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
This is so weird, that bubble. It always has to be… I don't know what's going on with this. It's a really old tripod.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Do you have the little line that turns green, it's level?
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Do you have that?
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yeah. Just one [inaudible 00:12:51].
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Oh, I see.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Yeah. That's fine. I don't know that that's 100%.
Audience (12:50):
[inaudible 00:13:03].
Speaker 5 (12:50):
Sorry. So sorry.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
You can gobble. It's fine.
(12:50)
[inaudible 00:15:33].
Speaker 5 (12:50):
He's scared.
Speaker 6 (15:54):
We're going to hold for just a second until we get the live feed up and then we'll get started.
(15:57)
[inaudible 00:15:58].
Speaker 7 (15:58):
Come over here. Come to me.
Speaker 8 (16:05):
Hey, buddy.
Audience (16:05):
[inaudible 00:16:37].
Speaker 5 (16:05):
Oh. Okay.
Speaker 6 (17:39):
I would start a joke routine, but it would be really bad.
Audience (17:40):
[inaudible 00:18:08].
Speaker 8 (17:40):
So who's who? [inaudible 00:21:09].
Audience (17:40):
[inaudible 00:21:14].
Speaker 6 (22:00):
I appreciate everyone's patience. Technology is always wonderful when you're trying to do a live event. So we'll get started.
(22:07)
One second, we're going to be live-streaming on the National Turkey Federation social media page, and then we hope to have this taped for a broadcast later today.
(22:23)
Let's do it.
Speaker 9 (22:26):
Good morning everyone. It's great to have everyone here. Welcome to the Willard Room here at the InterContinental [inaudible 00:22:34] Willard. It's an absolutely honor to welcome everyone here as we begin the beautiful American tradition, the arrival of the national Thanksgiving turkeys.
(22:43)
My name is [inaudible 00:22:44], hotel manager, and I've had the privilege to welcome you all. It's my fourth year already and I'm really looking forward to this one.
(22:49)
So each year we bring something new, and this year we're especially grateful and proud that we're the first [inaudible 00:22:57] to enjoy these beautiful turkeys in our newly restored guest rooms. Our special guests-
(23:08)
Yeah.
(23:08)
Our special guests arrived yesterday with a red carpet welcome and quickly settled in. I checked in on them this morning, I did a credit check as well, and I noticed that the minibar was raided. And that's totally fine. Enjoyed some good room service and overall it seems they really loved the accommodation. So thank you.
(23:26)
This year's pair is visiting us from [inaudible 00:23:28], North Carolina, where they were expertly raised by Mr. Travis Pittman of Nahunta Farms. And on behalf of the National Turkey Federation, which is chaired by Jay Jandrain, president and CEO of Butterball, this day here marks the start of the 78th anniversary of this tradition of history dating back to 1947. We're very honored to provide the setting of this special moment and help launch the holiday season [inaudible 00:23:55] history and affect [inaudible 00:23:58].
(23:57)
It's now my pleasure to introduce the President and CEO of the National Turkey Federation, Leslie Oden. [inaudible 00:24:03].
Leslie Oden (24:02):
Wow, [inaudible 00:24:08]. Thank you so much. They had wonderful accommodations last night.
(24:12)
Again, my name is Leslie Oden. I'm the president and CEO of the National Turkey Federation. It's truly an honor each and every year for NTF to play just a small part in this annual holiday tradition that we commonly now call the Turkey pardon. This is our 13th consecutive year here at the Willard, and we want to say thank you to Jeff and the whole Willard team from the bell men to the folks working behind the desk, to the kitchen staff. We have truly felt just the warmest welcome each and every year, and we thank you so very much.
(24:43)
Again, as he mentioned, this is the 78th annual tradition for the National Turkey Federation to be a part of this historic event at the White House, and I know that these two special birds are really excited to go over to the White House tomorrow. And we thank you all for being here to celebrate not only these two turkeys, but the entire US turkey industry that works tirelessly every day and is the most resilient humans I've ever met, to get to represent them on this national stage. Their hard work each and every day to deliver safe, nutritious, and wholesome turkey to the everyday consumer, not only at Thanksgiving.
(25:20)
And so thank you all for being here, being our special guests to have these two birds, and then we're going to pass it along to our chairman, Jay Jandrain, the CEO of Butterball.
Jay Jandrain (25:36):
Thank you, Leslie.
(25:39)
Welcome everyone to the presidential turkey media event.
(25:40)
Oh, sorry.
Leslie Oden (25:40):
[inaudible 00:25:46] there.
Jay Jandrain (25:52):
[inaudible 00:25:48]. Thank you, Leslie.
(25:52)
Good morning everybody. We're glad that you're here to join us at the Willard once again for this most joyful American tradition. On behalf of Butterball and the National Turkey Federation,
Jay Jandrain (26:00):
It's truly an honor to carry on this tradition for the past 78 years and through 15 presidential administrations. Every year, the presidential flock represents the very best of our industry, the hard work, the long hours, the care, and the pride that our turkey farmers bring to their flocks. Not just for this, but for 365 days a year. This year is no different.
(26:23)
I wanted to take a moment to recognize the farm family behind this presidential flock. Travis and Amanda Pittman and their son Carter who are here from Nahunta Community Farm and New Horizon Farm in Wayne County, North Carolina, who alongside the Butterball team, raise this flock with incredible dedication.
(26:44)
Their commitment reflects the thousands of turkey growers across this country who do this every single day, caring for these birds with skill and pride in their work. These turkeys are also American Humane Certified, which means that they're raised with the absolute highest standards that we could possibly have for animal care and welfare. That's something Butterball and our entire industry takes incredibly seriously.
(27:09)
Now, as many of you know, these presidential turkeys have a big few days ahead of them. This means they were given some extra preparation as they were raised. These birds were socialized to ignore the bright lights and cheering crowds, which they've seen a lot of already, since we've been here, and of course, the day, tomorrow, when they get to meet the President of the United States.
(27:31)
For me, and for everyone at Butterball, this moment is a reminder of just how special this industry is. We're proud to play a part in making Thanksgiving possible for millions of American families. We're equally proud of the ways that our teams give back. From donating a million meals through Feeding America and our partnership with Operation BBQ Relief, to supporting the food banks in the areas in which we live and work, and particularly, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and the Arkansas Food Bank. Thanksgiving is about generosity, community, and togetherness.
(28:08)
So before we move on to the next part, this was the time when I was going to announce the names of these two lucky turkeys for the very first time, but we are, of course, in Washington DC, and true to form we had a bit of a leak of our information here. But nonetheless, I'm happy to announce to you all, please welcome in Gobble and Waddle.
(28:33)
And with that, it's my pleasure to introduce the farmer who raised these beautiful turkeys, has been a partner of Butterball for over 10 years now. Travis is an excellent, excellent farmer. I told this to the group when we had our send off, we didn't just pick the name out of the hat to do this objective [inaudible 00:29:02] with guys like Travis. Thank you.
Travis Pittman (29:10):
Thank you, Jay. And thank you to the National Turkey Federation and Butterball, as well, for giving my family this incredible opportunity. My name is Travis Pittman, and along with my wife Amanda, and our young son Carter, we run two Butterball turkey farms, Nahunta Community Farm and New Horizon Farm in Central North Carolina. Whether we are farming our row crops, our turkeys, the farming is truly a family effort. We are with our flocks every day and take a lot of pride in caring for these birds the right way. Raising the 2025 presidential flock has been one of the highlights of my career. Knowing these turkeys would represent not just our farm, but the entire state of North Carolina, which is the second-largest turkey producing state in the country, is something that we do not take lightly.
(30:03)
Thank you. These birds really did get excellent treatment from day one. We worked closely with the Butterball team to make sure this flock had everything they needed to stay healthy, comfortable, and calm, just as we do with our production birds. The thing that makes these birds unique is that over the last few months, we have spent a lot of time getting them used to people, lights, and different sounds, so they'd be ready for the crowds and cameras today, and the rest of the week. They each had varied personalities. Some birds were natural show-offs while the others were a little slower to come around. By the end, they were all competing for this spotlight. This is also where we realized just how special these birds were. At the start of raising them, our one-year-old son, Carter, would walk up to the baby turkeys and try to feed them corn in his hand.
(30:56)
Everything changed as these birds became a little more acclimated to us and their eating habits become a little more aggressive. Carter would snatch his hand away as they started pecking him a little harder, and he'd say, "No, no, no." Now he likes to pass the corn to Mom and Dad only. What stands out the most is the teamwork behind this moment. From Butterball's support, to our family farm, to the folks at NTF, everyone has played a role in raising these incredible birds and getting them here today. It means a lot to our family to be a part of a tradition that connects small towns like ours to the White House. It's an honor to stand on this national stage and get to represent North Carolina farmers and thousands of farm families across the country that work hard every day to raise high-quality turkey for American's Thanksgiving tables.
(31:47)
Thank you for all being here and helping celebrate this tradition, and now it is my pleasure to welcome Dr. Robin Ganzert, the President and CEO of American Humane.
Dr. Robin Ganzert (32:03):
Thank you. And they are gorgeous. I know they're socialized, but I love that they're just gorgeous. Which one's Waddle and which one's Gobble?
Travis Pittman (32:10):
So Gobble is out front and Waddle is here in the back.
Dr. Robin Ganzert (32:14):
I love it. Hello, Waddle. You're coming up. Oh, now Gobble comes up. Good morning everyone. I'm Dr. Robin Ganzert. I'm the president and CEO of American Humane Society. It's really a joy to be here for one of America's most cherished holiday traditions. As you've heard, for 78 years, the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation has served as a moment of gratitude, a moment of unity, and a moment of celebration, connecting farms across our great country, all the way to the steps of the White House.
(32:48)
First, let me extend my heartfelt thanks to the National Turkey Federation, to Butterball, and to the Pittman family, for their extraordinary leadership in raising this year's … yes, extraordinary leadership in raising this year's presidential flock. The 2025 turkeys were raised with care and dedication under the direction of NTF Chairman and Butterball CEO, Jay Jandrain. Jay, congratulations. And lovingly raised by Butterball contract farmer Travis Pittman and his wonderful family from my adopted home state of North Carolina.
(33:24)
At American Humane Society we're incredibly proud that these turkeys, like all Butterball turkeys, carry the American Humane Certified seal. This is the nation's first, largest, and most trusted independent animal welfare certification program. Our standards are built on science. They are rooted in ethics, and they're verified through rigorous third-party audits. What does that mean in practice? It means that these animals, Waddle and Gobble, and so many more are raised with compassion, respect, proper nutrition, safe and healthy living conditions, and that … yes … and the highest level of humane handling. It means the care the Pittman family and Butterball provide isn't just good practice, it's independently verified excellence.
(34:21)
And today is not simply about celebrating two very lucky turkeys, it's about sharing and celebrating a shared commitment across the turkey industry. It's a commitment to doing things the right way. Butterball and the Pittman family embody this every day as they uphold the highest animal welfare standards for millions of turkeys they raise for families across our great country.
(34:48)
After today's ceremony, these presidential turkeys will head to North Carolina State University's Prestage Department of Poultry Science, where they will enjoy a wonderful retirement and serve as ambassadors for agricultural education. It's a perfect reflection of the values and the heart of this tradition. Community, stewardship, and gratitude. American Humane Society is honored to work alongside partners like Butterball and the National Turkey Federation who demonstrate the best of American agriculture, American resilience, American generosity, and a deep commitment to feeding families.
(35:32)
Now, it's my great pleasure to introduce someone who will carry forward the commitment through research, education, and the next generation of agricultural leaders. Please join me in welcoming Dean Garey Fox from North Carolina State University. Go Wolfpack.
Garey Fox (35:54):
Fantastic. She got the Go Wolfpack in there. That's fantastic. I love that. Good morning. My name is Garey Fox and I am the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State University. And on behalf of everybody at NC State, we are so proud to welcome Gobble and Waddle to the Wolfpack.
(36:12)
Now, that's going to sound a little bit funny, right? Almost sounds a little bit like a joke, right? Two turkeys, a fox, and a whole pack of wolves walk into a classroom. But don't worry, we had the wonderful opportunity in 2022 to accept the national Thanksgiving turkeys, and it turns out that turkeys feel right at home with the Wolfpack. We're just as excited and grateful for this opportunity this year. I want to thank the White House. I want to thank the National Turkey Federation, Butterball, the wonderful Willard staff, and definitely Travis Pittman and Nahunta Community Farms for entrusting us with these beautiful birds.
(36:55)
You already heard, North Carolina knows poultry. It's our number one … they agree, it's our number one agricultural commodity, comprising more than 40% of the state's total farm income. And that's one of the reasons at NC State that we are so deeply committed to the families and the farms and the innovation that keep the poultry industry so strong. We are, at NC State, very proud of the fact that we are one of the nation's leading land-grant universities. We combine research, we combine education, we combine extension to support farmers, to bolster economies, and to grow our state.
(37:36)
And as mentioned before, we are home to some of the top poultry and animal science experts in the world. Our Prestage Department of Poultry Science is one of only six separate poultry science departments in the entire country. After tomorrow, Gobble and Waddle are going to strut their way to NC State University, and they are going to enjoy incomparable care from our college's world-class faculty, staff, and students. We have a first-class home ready for them where they will live out their lives in comfort, but also in fame. You see, they're going to go to a number of events. They're going to head to the state fair, they're going to head to NC State events. We might even take them to a football game. Beat UNC, please, this Friday … or this Saturday. They're going to travel the state in their own bio-secure mobile coop called the Poultrymobile, and they're going to help us educate future generations, and the public, about modern agriculture and the role of agriculture in our food systems. And that's incredibly important because food security is, without a doubt, national security.
(38:50)
I am so proud to represent North Carolina agriculture, North Carolina farmers, and the excellence of NC State University. So from our pack
Speaker 10 (39:00):
… to yours. Thank you again. Have a happy Thanksgiving, and Gobble and Waddle, welcome to the Wolf Pack. We'll teach you how to do this. Let me welcome back to the stage National Turkey Federation President and CEO Leslee Oden.
Leslee Oden (39:16):
Thank you. Wonderful. Well, as we wrap up today's press conference, we just want to again say thank you to all of you that are here. Thank you to everyone that is watching. We hope that you will tune in tomorrow at two P.M. Eastern while Gobble and Waddle and Jay and Travis and our wonderful organization get to go meet the President and the First Lady. We're really excited about it, and we hope that you'll tune in.
(39:46)
Just to wrap up, these turkeys again symbolize the gratitude, the hard work, and the connection from farm and families, and as we celebrate this upcoming holiday, we hope that you'll think about those farmers like Travis and the other thousands of farmers in the turkey industry that help to not deliver just your Thanksgiving meal, but your everyday meal of turkey. We thank you all very much from being here for those.
(40:10)
We can take a few questions and then we're going to have a photo line, so if you, all of our invited guests, please join me on my left-hand side, your right-hand side, if you'd like to take a photo with Gobble and Waddle. For the press, if you'd like to have some additional time, maybe up in their suite, please see Alex Davidson here with NTF staff, and we can make sure to get you a time that's most appropriate.
(40:34)
Also, launching probably right now as I speak, the First Lady's office will be launching a poll between Gobble and Waddle to see which will become the National Thanksgiving Turkey and which will be the alternate, but have no fear. Both will obviously receive a pardon by each, so it's just only going to be the one that's going to have center stage with the President tomorrow.
(40:56)
Thank you all again for being here. We hope you have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving, and thanks so much. Okay. If I could have the Jandrain family, please, along with the Pittman family and the folks from Butterball, to please join me on my right-hand side.