PETA to Trump: Make Thanksgiving Great Again—With A Potato and Soybean Pardon!

For Immediate Release:
November 18, 2025

Contact:
Alex Payne 202-483-7382

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, PETA sent a letter today to President Trump, encouraging him tomake a win-win deal for turkeys and the nation’s hardworking plant farmers—by hosting “The Great American Potato and Soybean Pardon” and inspiring everyone to celebrate Thanksgiving with a vegan feast powered by the homegrown crops. While the old Turkey Pardon is nothing more than a commercial for the cruel meat industry, the Potato and Soybean Pardon would be a fantastic way to advance the administration’s goal of a self-sufficient economy, given that the U.S. is a global leader in soybean and potato production.

“Encouraging Americans to give birds a break by gobbling up patriotic plants like potatoes and soy would give a huge boost to the farmers who have nourished our country for generations,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “The Great American Potato and Soybean Pardon would be a celebration that everyone can be thankful for, and PETA hopes this kind new tradition takes root at the White House.”

In nature, turkeys can live for over 10 years and spend their days caring for their young, building nests, and roosting in trees. But those raised for food are slaughtered within their first six months of life—and millions are killed each year for Thanksgiving alone. Workers hang the young birds upside down, drag them through an electrified bath, slit their throats, and dump them into scalding-hot defeathering tanks—often while they’re still conscious.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA’s free vegan starter kit and “ThanksVegan” guide can help anyone looking to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to President Trump follows.

November 17, 2025

The President

The White House

Dear Mr. President:

I’m writing on behalf of an organization you helped long ago when you ended mule diving in Atlantic City: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 10.4 million members and supporters, and PETA U.S. is the world’s largest animal rights organization—to thank you for that again and to suggest a new and apeelingway to support American farmers and create a more self-sufficient economy. As Thanksgiving approaches, we would love to see you make history by kicking off a new, bold tradition: the Great American Potato and Soybean Pardon. It’s not as crazy as it sounds. Here’s why:

For generations, American potato and soybean farmers have helped keep our country and our bodies strong. As the second-largest producer of soybeans and fifth-largest producer of potatoes in the world, the United States plays a vital role in powering American agriculture. Encouraging people to choose U.S.-grown foods, such as those made from soy—like tofu, which goes into Tofurky, for instance—and to pile on the mashed potatoes at the Thanksgiving table is a winner. As The Epoch Times says: “All goods, including soybeans, are arguably strategic, as they contribute to a strong economy, upon which the military depends.” Encouraging Americans to consume more homegrown soy-based foods supports our economy, our farmers, and our troops.

Our founding father Ben Franklin believed the turkey was much more respectable than the bald eagle, but the way these birds are treated nowadays is enough to turn anyone’s stomach. We’ve recorded turkeys being kicked, choked, and slammed into walls for fun by sickos who work on factory farms. Before these noble birds end up on the table, they are hung upside down with shackles while still conscious, just before their throats are slit.

Soy is pretty fantastic. It’s a complete protein, cholesterol-free, and even lower in fat than turkey. Potatoes are a great source of iron, potassium, and vitamin C, and they’re the most popular vegetable in our country! By calling soybean and potato farmers to the White House to celebrate their labor, you would bolster the economy while endorsing the presence of those dishes on the table at Thanksgiving. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Tracy Reiman

President