After losing the 1992 election, President Bush’s administration wanted to cut the yearly “pardoning” of a live turkey at Thanksgiving time in November. In the ceremony, the president appears with a real turkey at the White House and says the turkey will be pardonednot killed for a meal.

　　But when they took the event off the president’s schedule, they were in for a surprise. Smith says The White House was “swamped” by turkey industry supporters demanding that the pardon ceremony continue.

　　“I guess there are a lot of turkeys in a lot of congressional districts with a very stronglobby because we had to put it back on. And the lame duck president had to go pardon the turkey one more time.”

　　What will happen next in the current presidential transition is hard to predict. Smith says Trump’s campaign and election “blew up all of the models.”

　　The Trump transition team will work on filling those 4,000 jobs. Their new administration will need to be ready for whatever happens on January 21, the first full day of the Trump presidency.

　　I’m Anne Ball.

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　　Words in This Story

　　transition n. a change from one group or state or condition to another

　　assets n. investments or other items worth money

　　swamp n. a wet and muddy place outside

　　pond n. a body of water

　　daunting adj. difficult

　　task n. a job for someone to do

　　inauguration n. the ceremony when the new president is sworn into office

　　pardon v. to be forgiven, so one will not face punishment

　　lobby v. to try to influence government officials to make decisions for or against something