President Donald Trump went off course during the presidential turkey pardon ceremony Tuesday to launch a series of crude insults at Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, whom he repeatedly called “a big, fat bum.”

“We could make Chicago a safe city in a four-week period,” Trump said, beginning his speech in the White House Rose Garden. “In a period of eight weeks, nine weeks, 10 weeks, it would be totally safe.”

“The mayor is incompetent and the governor is a big fat bum,” he added.

The president then boasted that he had a “very nice” joke he could tell about Pritzker and then applauded himself for not telling it because it was about his weight.

“I’m not talking about people being fat,” he continued, repeatedly doing what he claimed not to do.

He continued talking: “I refuse to talk about the fact that he is fat and lazy.”

Then he mentioned: “I don’t mention it.”

Without even a hint of self-reflection, Trump earnestly called on Americans to “renew our faith in God’s providence” while “enjoying the fellowship of family and friends” this holiday.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stand next to the national Thanksgiving turkey Gobble during a pardoning ceremony Tuesday in the White House Rose Garden.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stand next to the national Thanksgiving turkey Gobble during a pardoning ceremony Tuesday in the White House Rose Garden.

via News

Then, Gobble and Waddle, two North Carolina turkeys, received a pardon on the 78th anniversary of the national Thanksgiving turkey presentation.

Turkeys were among several pardons this month: Trump also pardoned Joseph Schwartz, a nursing home magnate convicted of fraud, after the man paid nearly $1 million to lobbyists who appealed to the Trump administration on his behalf, The Washington Post reported this weekend.

On Tuesday, Trump couldn’t resist making more bizarre jokes and lined up to consider extrajudicially sending the turkeys to CECOT, a megaprison in El Salvador known for its brutal treatment of detainees.

Trump also criticized his predecessor, President Joe Biden, whom he accuses of using an automatic pen to sign pardons, which Trump said makes them null and void. (It’s a strange argument: Trump has also used an automatic pencil.)

“[Biden] I used an autopen last year for the turkey pardons,” Trump said. “I have determined that last year’s turkey pardons are totally invalid, as are the pardons of almost everyone else.”

The president then looked at Attorney General Pam Bondi in the crowd and asked, “What are you going to do about it, Pam?”