Watch: Joe Biden gets no response after asking turkey ‘you wanna talk’ at pardon ceremony

Ahead of Thanksgiving, two lucky turkeys were allowed to spend the rest of their lives at a university campus in North Carolina, thanks to US President Joe Biden and the 75-year-old tradition of a pardon ceremony. On Monday, Biden delivered brief remarks as he pardoned a pair of turkeys on the White House’s South Lawn.

During his speech, he asked National Turkey Federation chairman Ronald Parker how many turkeys he has been raising. Parker responded that Circle S Ranch grows about 9.5 million per year. “God love ya. Nine and a half million turkeys. I tell you what. That’s like some of the countries I’ve been to. And the – anyway,” Biden said. He then made sure to point the mic towards one of the turkeys named Chocolate and asked, “Do you want to talk?” A clip of the one-sided conversation was uploaded by RNC Research on Twitter, and undoubtedly, mocked. 

The video, shared by an account managed by the Republican National Committee, has garnered more than 65,000 views and multiple comments. Reacting to it, one Twitter user wrote: “Has he [Biden] spoken a single sentence in the last 6 months that made any sense?” Another user quipped, “Which one's the turkey ?” A third user defended Biden and said, “At least he has a sense of humor.”

What happened during the pardon ceremony? 

On Monday, Biden commenced the tradition by delivering a speech packed with Thanksgiving references and subtle digs at Republicans. “It’s a wonderful Thanksgiving tradition here at the White House. There’s a lot to say about it, but it’s chilly outside, so I’m going to keep this short. Nobody likes it when their turkey gets cold!” he joked. 

Biden also subtly ridiculed the Republicans for the “red wave” that did not come to fruition in the US midterm polls. “First of all, the votes are in. They’ve been counted and verified. There’s no ballot stuffing. There’s no fowl play. The only red wave this season is going to be if a German shepherd, Commander, knocks over the cranberry sauce on our table,” he said as the crowd chuckled.