On his 81st birthday: Biden pardoned turkeys for Thanksgiving

US President Joe Biden took part in the annual White House tradition before Thanksgiving - the turkey pardon, reports UNN with reference to voice of America.

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This year, the American chapter pardoned two birds named Liberty and Bell, raised on a farm in Minnesota. According to custom, the night before participating in the pardon ceremony, the turkeys "lived" in a luxury hotel in downtown Washington, reports NBC News.

Turkey is a key dish during Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States, and the tradition by which the president pardons one or both turkeys from the fate of being on the festive table dates back 76 years, but the first such official ceremony was held at the White House in 1989 under the presidency of George H. W. Bush.

This year's turkey pardon ceremony marks Joe Biden's 81st birthday, and the president has no other plans in his public schedule. CNN writesthat the Bidens will limit themselves to a low-key family celebration.

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Biden will celebrate this year amid a new wave of discussions about his age and the actual start of the 2024 presidential race, writes USA TODAY. Biden is already the oldest president in U.S. history, and if re-elected, he will be 86 years old at the end of his second term.

Biden himself often jokes about his age, especially in June, he said, "I know I'm 198." Also speaking about voters who are concerned about his age, Biden said: "I respect that they are looking at this carefully. I would also take a close look at this. I looked at it carefully before I decided to run, and I feel good."

At the same time, a Monmouth University poll in October found that 76% of voters believe Biden is too old to effectively perform his duties during his second term in office. For comparison, 48% of respondents said the same about Republican leader Donald Trump, who is now 77 years old and who is still ahead of other Republican nominees.