Hello and happy Tuesday. Welcome to OnPolitics, I'm Kathryn Palmer. Here's the top political news to get you through the day. |
Continuing one of the most American of political traditions, the president today pardoned two turkeys at a drizzly ceremony held in the White House's Rose Garden. |
Gobble and Waddle will avoid the Thanksgiving Day table, heading instead to a farm. |
Yet, unlike tradition, the president's remarks focused significantly on political matters, even making several jokes that blurred the line between the light-hearted ceremony and some of the administration's most controversial policies. Trump began his speech by calling the previous administration's pardons "hereby null and void," referring to former President Joe Biden's use of an autopen. The president also made cracks about the turkeys' diet and putting them into detention facilities. |
The tradition's origins stretch back to 1947 when President Harry Truman received a live turkey from the National Turkey Federation. It wasn't until 1989 that the practice of saving the turkeys − not eating them − really started. |
That's the year President George H.W. Bush declared that the year's bird would be officially pardoned, sparking the annual presidential action we see today. | President Donald Trump looks at Gobble one of two turkeys to ceremonially pardoned for Thanksgiving in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 25, 2025. Jonathan Ernst, Reuters |
SCOTUS to weigh in on 2026 redistricting |
A new test is coming to Texas' controversial gerrymandered congressional maps, after the state launched what has become a national battle over mid-decade redistricting. |
Soon, the Supreme Court will weigh in on a legal dispute over the Texas maps. Last week, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito temporarily paused a lower court ruling that blocked the new voting map in Texas, which had said the maps were likely unconstitutional and "racially gerrymandered." |
Nationwide, the stakes are high for both the GOP and Democrats, as a change in control of just a few seats could tip the balance of power inside the House during Trump's final two years in the White House. |
Trump signs order to boost AI |
The president yesterday signed an executive order aimed at boosting national scientific research through AI. |
The order gives AI companies access to scientific data sets held by the government and creates a computing platform for integrating AI with the National Labs infrastructure. |
Trump has been embraced by many tech leaders in his second term, and has taken a favorable approach to the industry by promoting cryptocurrencies, warning foreign countries against adopting tech regulations, and pushing a plan for American dominance in artificial intelligence. |
Reach out at kapalmer@usatoday.com. | | Thanksgiving traditionally marks the kickoff to the social season in Palm Beach. | | Doug Jones said Alabamians want a governor who "treats this state with grace and dignity and not just like a rest stop on the way to the Florida beach." | | | | Mark Kelly said he won't be silenced or intimidated after President Trump's Defense Department opened an investigation targeting the Arizona senator. | | | | The 36-year-old widow confirmed she was not pregnant, but went on to advise women to prioritize having children if that is their desire. | | | | The Trump administration has moved to roll back protections under the Endangered Species Act. See what animals advocacy groups say could be at risk. | | | | | Sign up for the news you want | Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don't miss out! We're always working to add benefits for subscribers like you. | | | | | |
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