The Difference Between How Trump Celebrates Thanksgiving Vs. Obama Is Unmistakable

There's no denying that Barack Obama and Donald Trump are two very different presidents. Their priorities, policy initiatives, and even their rhetoric are vastly different. But how do the two compare when it comes to more relaxed events, like the holidays? How Obama and Trump celebrate Thanksgiving show their different priorities in more ways than one.

To celebrate Thanksgiving this year, former President Obama opted to give back by volunteering at a Chicago food bank. On Tuesday, the former president joined other food bank volunteers in assembling Thanksgiving food boxes for those in need. In a video posted to Twitter by the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Obama can be seen donning a pair of latex gloves before bagging potatoes alongside other volunteers. According to CNN, the former president also donated a slew of food to the food bank.

"Thanks to the Chicago @FoodDepository team for all you do and to the volunteers who are doing great work and let me crash today," Obama tweeted late Tuesday. "Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!"

But this isn't the first Thanksgiving holiday that Obama has spent volunteering in a local community. In fact, you might say that the Obamas have made volunteering something of a Thanksgiving tradition.

In 2009 and 2010, Obama volunteered at Martha's Table with his family the day before Thanksgiving. In 2011 and 2013, Obama was joined by then-first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha when he volunteered at the Capitol Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C. in the run up to Thanksgiving. In 2014, the family spent the day before Thanksgiving volunteering at Bread For The City. In 2015, they served meals to the homeless at Friendship Place Homeless Center in Washington, D.C.

Across the aisle, President Trump kicked off his Thanksgiving Day with a "Happy Thanksgiving to all" tweet that was quickly followed by a Twitter attack on Chief Justice John Roberts. The president, who is spending Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago resort, was also scheduled to speak with military members around the world later in the day via teleconference and visit with Coast Guard members.

On Twitter, Trump said he planned to thank the Coast Guard "for the great job they have been doing, especially with the hurricanes."

However, Trump's Thanksgiving festivities began earlier in the week when he participated in the traditional presidential pardoning of the White House Thanksgiving turkeys. This year, Trump moved to bring a little bit of partisan humor into the ceremony by taking jabs at Democrats. While pardoning the two turkeys, Trump joked the winning turkey had won "a fair election" but that his opponent "refused to concede and demanded a recount."

"I have warned them that House Democrats are likely to issue them both subpoenas," NBC News reported Trump went on to say of the birds. "Unfortunately, I can't guarantee that your pardon won't be enjoined by the 9th Circuit," he added in an apparent dig against the court which recently blocked his attempt to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Trump has spent every Thanksgiving since he was elected with family at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

It seems that Obama and Trump have vastly different approaches to not only politics and policy but holidays, too.