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Introduction
The December 21, 1970, meeting between President Richard Nixon and rock and roll icon Elvis Presley is indeed legendary for its sheer bizarreness and unexpected nature, often referred to as the “Crazy” Meeting.
Why the Meeting Happened:
Elvis Presley initiated the meeting. Driven by a desire to contribute to the “war on drugs” and to gain a federal agent’s badge for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD), he arrived unannounced at the White House gates with a handwritten, six-page letter for President Nixon. In the letter, Elvis expressed his deep respect for the President and his office, his concerns about the drug culture and various “anti-American” groups (including the Beatles, whom he believed promoted an “anti-American spirit”), and his belief that he could be a valuable asset as a federal agent due to his ability to communicate with people of all ages, even “hippies.”
White House aide Egil “Bud” Krogh, a fan of Elvis, was instrumental in persuading Nixon’s staff to arrange the meeting, seeing it as an opportunity for the President to connect with youth, especially during the Vietnam War era.
The Meeting Itself:
The encounter was as unique as the circumstances leading to it. Elvis arrived in a flamboyant purple velvet suit with a huge gold belt buckle and amber sunglasses. He brought with him a gift for the President: a Colt .45 pistol in a display case, which the Secret Service confiscated before he entered the Oval Office.
During the meeting, the conversation covered various topics, including drug abuse, communist brainwashing techniques, and Presley’s collection of police badges. Elvis reiterated his desire for a federal narcotics badge. According to Krogh’s notes, Elvis also expressed his belief that the Beatles were a force for anti-American sentiment. In a surprising, spontaneous gesture, Elvis even hugged President Nixon.
Gifts Exchanged:
- Elvis’s gifts to Nixon: A commemorative World War II Colt .45 pistol in a handsome wooden chest (confiscated by Secret Service but accepted on Nixon’s behalf) and signed family photos.
- Nixon’s gift to Elvis: Most notably, a federal narcotics badge from the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Nixon also gave White House cufflinks to Elvis’s associates, Jerry Schilling and Sonny West, and White House brooches for their wives.
The Aftermath:
The meeting was initially kept secret but was later leaked. The iconic photograph of Nixon and Elvis shaking hands in the Oval Office became, and remains, one of the most requested photographs from the U.S. National Archives, a testament to the enduring fascination with this improbable encounter between the King of Rock and Roll and the President of the United States. While Elvis received the badge he coveted, Nixon never offered him an official position in his administration’s war on drugs
Video