The turkey names which have never been pardoned by a U.S. president are Spaghetti and Meatball, at least among the options which appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
The choices given in the show were:
- Peanut Butter and Jelly
- Tater and Tot
- Mac and Cheese
- Spaghetti and Meatball
The correct answer was Spaghetti and Meatball. Other three options were based on real turkey names connected with previous White House Thanksgiving pardon ceremonies.
Why Is This Question Trending?
This question started trending after actor Ben Affleck and Jeopardy! champion Jamie Ding faced it as the final $1 million question on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
The episode aired on July 29, 2026, and the question asked which pair of names had never been given to turkeys pardoned by a U.S. president.
Affleck and Ding were not fully sure about the answer. They used the Ask-the-Host lifeline and requested Jimmy Kimmel to help them.
Kimmel felt that Spaghetti and Meatball was probably the answer because he was not remembering those names from any previous presidential turkey ceremony. But he was also not fully confident about it.
The contestants later used their Phone-A-Friend lifeline, but their friend also could not give one clear answer.
Finally, Ben Affleck decided to trust Jimmy Kimmel’s guess. Jamie Ding selected Spaghetti and Meatball, and it turned out to be correct.
The pair won $1 million for Affleck’s nonprofit organization, the Eastern Congo Initiative. Because it was the final question and the answer sounded little funny, many viewers started searching it after watching the episode.
Were Peanut Butter and Jelly Really Pardoned?
Yes, Peanut Butter and Jelly were real White House turkeys.
President Joe Biden pardoned the two birds in 2021 as part of the annual Thanksgiving tradition.
The names were matching food items, which is very common for presidential turkey pairs. Both birds were protected from becoming Thanksgiving dinner and were sent to live safely after the ceremony.
Were Tater and Tot Pardoned?
Yes, these names were also connected with real pardoned turkeys.
Their official names were Tot and Tater, but the game-show option changed the order and showed it as Tater and Tot.
President Barack Obama pardoned Tot and Tater in 2016. They were the final Thanksgiving turkeys pardoned during Obama’s time as president.
So even though the order was reversed in the question, it was still referring to the actual turkey pair.
What About Mac and Cheese?
Mac and Cheese was also based on real turkey names, but their official order was Cheese and Mac.
President Barack Obama pardoned Cheese and Mac in 2014.
Cheese was the main turkey appearing during the White House ceremony, while Mac was kept as the alternate bird. Both turkeys were allowed to live and were not used for Thanksgiving dinner.
The show used Mac and Cheese because that food combination sounds more familiar. Still, it was referring to the same two birds pardoned by Obama.
Were Spaghetti and Meatball Ever Pardoned?
There is no official record showing that a presidential turkey pair was named Spaghetti and Meatball.
That is why it became the correct answer in the million-dollar question.
This does not mean that no turkey in America was ever called Spaghetti or Meatball. Someone may have given those names to their own birds.
It only means that Spaghetti and Meatball were never officially selected as the names of the National Thanksgiving Turkeys pardoned by a U.S. president.
Why Did Spaghetti and Meatball Sound Like a Real Answer?
The difficult part of the question was that Spaghetti and Meatball sounded very believable.
The White House normally gives funny matching names to the two turkeys, and many of those names are related with food.
Some previous turkey pairs include:
- Chocolate and Chip
- Corn and Cob
- Butter and Bread
- Peas and Carrots
- Apple and Cider
- Pecan and Pumpkin
- Popcorn and Caramel
- Drumstick and Wishbone
- Liberty and Bell
- Peach and Blossom
Because so many pairs are named after foods which go together, Spaghetti and Meatball also sounds like a name the White House could have used.
This is what made the question little tricky. All four choices looked possible, but only Spaghetti and Meatball was never used.
How Does the Presidential Turkey Pardon Work?
Every year before Thanksgiving, the National Turkey Federation provides turkeys for the White House ceremony.
One bird is normally selected as the main National Thanksgiving Turkey, while another is kept as the alternate. In recent years, both birds are generally protected and sent to live somewhere safe.
The White House selects their names, and the names are usually funny, friendly and connected with food, American culture or the state where the birds came from.
During the ceremony, the president officially announces that the turkey will not become Thanksgiving dinner.
The tradition is mostly symbolic, but it has become a popular and light-hearted event which takes place every year before Thanksgiving.
So, among Peanut Butter and Jelly, Tater and Tot, Mac and Cheese, and Spaghetti and Meatball, the names which were never used for pardoned presidential turkeys are Spaghetti and Meatball.
