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It's nearly Thanksgiving and on Tuesday the White House held its annual turkey pardon (I know, I know, I know). But the following little tidbit makes today's event even more ridiculous.
ABC's Alex Mallin noticed something striking; the turkey pardoned by President Donald Trump spent more time in the White House briefing room in November than Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Fun fact: This turkey has spent more time at the podium in the White House briefing room than @PressSec for the ent… https://t.co/U2HFi2bO2z— Alex Mallin (@Alex Mallin) 1542731917.0
The turkey, White House photographer Jabin Botsford told Philip Bump of The Washington Post, spent five minutes at the podium in the White House briefing room.
Sanders - throughout the entire month of November - has spent zero time up there. None. Zilch. Bump made a graph so that the data would be easy to see.
The gaggle of journalists reportedly enjoyed the company of the bird.
"The bird quickly put the members of the press at ease, though," wrote Bump, "by treating them as they’d come to expect in that room: eyeing them skeptically, answering no questions and leaving after only a few minutes."
Savage.
@pbump They're both turkeys— John O'Keefe (@John O'Keefe) 1542738533.0
@pbump "The bird quickly put the members of the press at ease, though, by treating them as they’d come to expect in… https://t.co/d0zA1lfcVd— Becky D (@Becky D) 1542739928.0
@pbump Would prefer to see a turkey at the podium instead of Sarah Sanders. Turkey has more credibility.— Jojijojijoji (@Jojijojijoji) 1542738100.0
Sadly for Sanders, Twitter prefers the turkey.
@alex_mallin @StephanieCarvin @PressSec May be we should keep the turkey and get rid of the @PressSec. #JustSaying— ruthko🦂🌈 (@ruthko🦂🌈) 1542734393.0
@alex_mallin @PressSec The turkey was probably more honest as well.— Run Away (@Run Away) 1542732169.0
@alex_mallin @PressSec Fun Fact: The turkey makes more sense, and lies less.— Matt Wilkinson (@Matt Wilkinson) 1542733741.0
@alex_mallin @PressSec The turkey will bring more joy to more people than @PressSec will ever bring.— Don Silsby (@Don Silsby) 1542732301.0
@alex_mallin @Frozendiva29 @PressSec That turkey is doing a great job!— Wendy Leyes🍑 (@Wendy Leyes🍑) 1542746076.0
@alex_mallin @xeni @PressSec and has offered more insight into the Trump administration...— President Rufus T. Firefly (@President Rufus T. Firefly) 1542734874.0
Remember the new rules though: no tough questions and no follow-ups. The turkey does not have the time.
@alex_mallin @Bencjacobs @PressSec Do NOT ask it any follow up questions. #decorum— Paul Flower (@Paul Flower) 1542733031.0
Some are wondering what the turkey did to need a pardon from Trump in the first place.
@alex_mallin @MrDanZak @PressSec Hi. I’m supposed to tell ya all that I’m really don jr. #pardon— Peggy Matthews (@Peggy Matthews) 1542733223.0
@alex_mallin @PressSec If the president is pardoning him, I'll bet we'll soon find out that the turkey has ties to Russia.— Rick Orner (@Rick Orner) 1542734373.0
@alex_mallin @carlquintanilla @PressSec Will-Trump-Pardon-Michael-Flynn-and-Paul-Manafort-dressed-as-Turkeys-?— G Hawkins (@G Hawkins) 1542732370.0
It must have been a helluva pardon.
@alex_mallin @MewllerRawr @PressSec Oh, I have turkeys, I have the best turkeys; nobody has pardoned better turkeys than me.— JC Pozo Block. (@JC Pozo Block.) 1542736128.0
The turkey may have gobbled up more camera time today than Sanders this whole month, but the stats looking back to the summer do not look much better for Sanders.
In the last 30 days since October 20, Bump found by reviewing White House transcripts, Sanders has only spent 23 minutes speaking to reporters at the podium.
That's less than five minutes for Sanders in the past 30 days for every one minute the turkey pecked around today.
Looking back to September 1, Sanders has spent more than 100 minutes at the podium... or about 20 minutes for each of the turkey's one.
The time in minutes is deceiving, though. Since August 15, Sanders has only appeared at the podium four times.
Trump actually pardoned two turkeys today - Peas and Carrots - though it was not made clear which bird graced the briefing room.
President @realDonaldTrump, joined by @FLOTUS, has officially pardoned this year's National Thanksgiving Turkey, Pe… https://t.co/w9wzNVM575— The White House (@The White House) 1542743057.0
Peas did, however, claim this year's award for National Thanksgiving Turkey.
The votes are in, and Peas has won the title of 2018 National Thanksgiving Turkey! After today’s ceremony, both P… https://t.co/2qJbz3HdAj— The White House (@The White House) 1542739142.0
Democracy in action.
Today, Peas and Carrots conclude their remarkable journey to the White House, but only one will become National Tha… https://t.co/LOuLdOfTzr— The White House (@The White House) 1542725105.0
Peas and Carrots are fortunate fowl. Each year, around 46 million turkeys are not given the chance to be pardoned.
Hey, at least Trump didn't pardon himself.