Joe Biden pardons turkeys Chocolate and Chip, gives thanks for 'no ballot stuffing' and 'no fowl play'

• President Joe Biden cracked a few jokes about the GOP while pardoning turkeys on Monday.
• Biden quipped that there had been "no ballot stuffing" and "no fowl play" during the midterms.

President Joe Biden made fun of the Republican Party while pardoning two turkeys on Monday.

"The votes are in, they've been counted and verified, there's no ballot stuffing, there's no fowl play," Biden said on the White House South Lawn, according to a transcript of the speech.

"The only red wave this season is gonna be if German Shepherd, Commander, knocks over the cranberry sauce on our table."

Biden's quips came after a widely-touted "red wave" for the Republican Party failed to materialize during the midterms. The GOP seized control of the House but failed to take the Senate.

Biden on Tuesday pardoned two turkeys, Chocolate and Chip. This was part of the annual pre-Thanksgiving turkey pardon at the White House.

The National Turkey Federation says both birds were hatched this July in Monroe, North Carolina. According to the Associated Press, the birds weigh around 50 pounds each. They were driven up from North Carolina and had a short stay at the Willard Hotel — a stone's throw from the White House — before being pardoned by Biden.

This is Biden's second Turkey pardon. Last year, he gave the presidential reprieve to Peanut Butter and Jelly, where he cracked jokes about the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Instead of getting basted, these two turkeys are getting boosted," Biden said last November.