Meet National White House Turkeys Peanut Butter & Jelly

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - You can’t have your peanut butter without the jelly!

Flocking to D.C. from Jasper, Indiana without feather ado, the 2021 national turkeys were introduced at the Willard Intercontinental on Thursday.

Peanut Butter and Jelly ruffled some feathers as they strutted in the Grand Ballroom at the Willard InterContinental.

It was their official debut to meet the press before Friday’s White House ceremony.

Ahead of the big day, they’ll relax in a bed of woodchips Thursday night before heading to the executive mansion.

Indiana Turkey grower Andrea Welp raised the male broad breasted white turkeys.

“We placed these turkeys in mid-July, and we’ve been working with them on a daily basis,” says Welp.

Phil Seger of the National Turkey Federation says it’s an absolute honor for Indiana to be invited by the White House to participate in this year’s pardon.

“It’s probably the biggest honor you can get in the turkey industry,” he says.

As a former turkey grower, Senator Mike Braun says he’s excited a farm from his home county was chosen.

“It’s a treat,” said Sen. Braun. “One of the nicer things you get to do when you’re out here in DC, and I guess the two luckiest turkeys in the country.”

After their pardon, the turkeys will travel to live at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

The White House says the beginning of this tradition can be dated back to 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln was recorded by a reporter for pardoning a turkey.

Some however credit it with dating back to 1947 when then President Harry Truman used the turkey pardoning to kick off the holiday season.

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