On 28 January 2025, President Nixon and Elvis Presley met in the Oval Office, where they discussed the Beatles, politics, and drugs.
This photo of music sensationElvis Presleymeeting President Richard Nixon is iconic .
As two of the good - know figure of the 20th C , this image of President Richard Nixon and the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley standing side by side in the Oval Office has offend the interest of every coevals that follows it . Indeed , as of 2015 , the image was the most - request photograph in the entire U.S. National Archives .
However , as iconic as this Elvis and Nixon pic is , the account behind it is even more captivating .
Getty ImagesElvis and his associates Delbert “Sonny” West and Jerry Schilling speak candidly with the president.
In The Days Before Elvis And Nixon Meet, The King Splurges
Getty ImagesElvis and his associates Delbert “ Sonny ” West and Jerry Schilling speak honestly with the president .
The fatal merging of Elvis and Nixon started a few day before the pic was taken . It was December 1970 , and Elvis Presley had just spend $ 100,000 on Christmas presents which admit 32 pistol and 10 Mercedes - Benzes . His married woman Priscilla and his father both reprimanded him , telling the King of Rock and Roll that mayhap $ 100,000 was a piddling much to pass all at once .
Irritated by their reaction , Elvis film his presents and hop onto the next available escape out of Memphis and headed to Washington D.C. Then , perhaps because he got bored , Elvis hopped onto another trajectory to Los Angeles .
Getty ImagesWhile no transcript of this meeting exists, Nixon likely accepted in the hopes that Elvis’ support of him would win over the younger generation.
At some point during his travels , the King decide that what he really wanted for the holidays was a badge from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and unsafe drug . The King was a noted collector of police badges , and the narc badge seemed to him like the ultimate addition to his collecting .
Presley call back the badge might allow him to aviate outside of the state with his collection of shooting iron , should his tedium ever escalate beyond the continental United States . Indeed , according to Presley ’s wife , “ The narcotics agent badge represented some kind of ultimate major power to him , ” shewrotein her memoir . “ With the Union narcotics badge , he [ believed he ] could legally enter any country both fatigue guns and carrying any drug he wish . ”
founder that Presley had a notorious addiction to opiate , perhaps this badge would also be an ironical symbol of his famous person .
Getty Images“I’m on your side,” Presley allegedly told Nixon at their meeting.
So , just one daytime after arriving in Los Angeles , Elvis head back to D.C.
How Elvis Scored A Meeting With The President
Getty ImagesWhile no copy of this encounter exists , Nixon belike accept in the hopes that Elvis ’ support of him would get ahead over the younger generation .
While on his flying , Elvis penned a handwritten annotation to President Nixon to quest a personal encounter .
“ Sir , I can and will be of any inspection and repair that I can to aid the country out , ” he write . In payoff , he desire a federal agent ’s badge , which he was willing to wait for . “ I will be here for as long as it takes to get the credential of a federal agent , ” he concluded .
Getty ImagesThe president gifts the King some souvenir cufflinks from the White House.
Once in D.C. , Elvis checked into the Washington Hotel under the name Jon Burrows . Then , he took a limo to the White House and dropped off his letter . On his means back to his hotel , Elvis stopped by the offices for the Bureau of Narcotics and serious Drugs to personally quest the badge , just in face the letter of the alphabet to Nixon did n’t work out .
They denied his request .
However , back at the White House , good news was awaiting Elvis . His missive had miraculously found its way into the work force of one of Richard Nixon ’s aides named Bud Krogh .
Zak Hussein/Corbis/Getty ImagesElvis Presley’s Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge.
Getty Images“I’m on your side , ” Presley allegedly narrate Nixon at their meeting .
Luckily for Elvis , Krogh was a big devotee . frantic by the estimation of nonplus Elvis and the chair together , Krogh sway the Chief of Staff to set up a meeting . Just six hour after arriving in Washington D.C. , Elvis arrived back at the White House for his meeting with the President of the United States .
In rightful Elvis fashion , the King make it deck out in a majestic velvet suit of clothes and a gold bash crumple . He also came contain a giving , a mounted Colt .45 that he had taken right off of the wall of his Los Angeles home .
alas , the Secret Service confiscated the King ’s giving before he could occur it onto the chairperson . However , once they thoroughly look into him out , they escorted him into the Oval Office .
The Iconic Meeting Of Elvis And Nixon Was Brief — And Somewhat Bizarre
Getty ImagesThe President of the United States gift the King some souvenir cufflinks from the White House .
Ironically , this conversation of Nixon ’s was n’t memorialise , as the ill-famed recording system that would spell his demise had not yet been installed . Instead , all that exists of this meeting is a tone write by Krogh .
allot to staffers , the meeting was a abbreviated one during which Elvis usher off his aggregation of police badge and told Nixon that he was in full support of his administration . At the end of the meeting , Elvis asked for a narcotics badge .
To his surprisal , Nixon granted his wish . To Nixon ’s surprisal , Elvis hugged him .
According to Krogh , the badge was merely an honorary one that did n’t run any real authority behind it , but Elvis was convinced that he had received the real thing anyway .
Zak Hussein / Corbis / Getty ImagesElvis Presley ’s Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge .
After the merging , Elvis went home with his badge , which of course , yet unbeknown to him , did not actually permit him to cross borders with firearms or narcotic . At the asking of the King , the meeting was stay fresh private for a class and not even publicized until afterElvis ’ deathby overdose year later on .
Today , the Elvis and Nixon exposure remains iconic , depicting a moment where two public figures from seemingly dissimilar paseo of life came together for a uproarious reason . Even year subsequently , Krogh believe it ’s the rank absurdity of the Elvis and Nixon image that keeps it so popular .
“ It ’s a jolt picture them together , ” he said . “ Here is the leader of the westerly earthly concern and the big businessman of rock ‘ n ’ roll in the same place , and they ’re clearly enjoying each other . And you think , ‘ How can this be ? ' ”
Now that you ’ve learn about Elvis meeting Nixon , read about why this Illinois man kepta sandwich that Nixon took a collation out of — 60 years ago . Then , read more on the sad lawful tale ofhow Elvis Presley died .
