The President and the King

Summary

HISTORY This Week: "The President and the King"

Episode Overview

In the December 16, 2024 episode of HISTORY This Week titled "The President and the King," host Alana Casanova Burgess delves into the extraordinary and lesser-known meeting between two iconic American figures: President Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley. This episode explores the circumstances that led the legendary "King of Rock and Roll" to seek an audience with the President, the dynamics of their interaction, and the lasting impact of this historic encounter.

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1. Elvis Presley's Turbulent Life in 1970

At the heart of the episode is a vivid portrayal of Elvis Presley during a tumultuous period in his life. By 1970, Elvis had already achieved monumental fame as a musician, actor, and global superstar. Despite his continued success, particularly with his sold-out residency at the International Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, Elvis was grappling with personal challenges.

Key Points:

• Superstardom and Residency: Elvis was performing nightly in Las Vegas, maintaining his status as a top entertainer. However, critic John Lowey notes, "He's more of a pop singer. I think he's still a phenomenal performer, but I don't think it was the creativity that you saw in the early years." (09:09)

• Health and Substance Abuse: Elvis was suffering from health issues, including an eye infection, and was dependent on prescribed medications—amphetamine-like stimulants and methaqualone (Quaaludes). This reliance led to visible side effects, such as a swollen face due to an allergic reaction from chocolate consumption interacting with his medication (09:33).

• Financial Extravagance: In December 1970, Elvis embarked on an impulsive spending spree, purchasing expensive items like guns, houses, luxury cars, and customized sunglasses. His excessive spending raised concerns among his close associates, including his wife Priscilla and manager Colonel Tom Parker, who confronted him about his financial recklessness (10:44).

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2. The Decision to Contact President Nixon

Driven by declining creativity, personal struggles, and perhaps a desire for control, Elvis made the unconventional decision to reach out to President Nixon.

Key Points:

• The Letter: Elvis penned a handwritten letter to President Nixon, expressing admiration and a desire to aid the country. He wrote, "I would love to meet you just to say hello, if you're not too busy." (05:25)

• Motivations: While the exact reasons remain speculative, theories suggest Elvis sought official recognition or authority, possibly to legitimize his own status and navigate his personal challenges. John Lowey posits, "Maybe it was sort of the magic past where he could go anywhere he wanted with pockets filled with drugs." (15:57)

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3. The Journey to Washington D.C.

Elvis's quest to meet Nixon was fraught with spontaneity and urgency, showcasing his erratic state.

Key Points:

• Solo Travel: For the first time, Elvis traveled alone without his entourage or bodyguards, illustrating his increasing paranoia and independence (12:37).

• Flight to Washington: After leaving Graceland abruptly, Elvis flew to Washington D.C., making stops along the way, including a notable interaction where he gave a $500 tip to a returning soldier from Vietnam (14:17).

• Preparation for the Meeting: On the flight, Elvis crafted a second letter, detailing his concerns about societal issues like drug abuse, communism, and the anti-war movement, and reiterated his offer to assist as a federal agent (14:36).

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4. The Historic Meeting at the White House

Elvis's arrival at the White House marked a surreal encounter between entertainment royalty and political leadership.

Key Points:

• Initial Reception: Dressed in his flamboyant Las Vegas attire and accompanied by his signature items, Elvis presented an unusual sight to the White House guards, who were initially skeptical of his identity (17:44).

• Security Measures: The presence of a concealed Colt .45 revolver raised concerns, leading to its temporary confiscation. However, recognizing Elvis's fame, officials allowed the meeting to proceed (20:52).

• Interaction with Nixon: The meeting began with the two figures posing for photographs, after which Elvis displayed his extensive badge collection and discussed his Las Vegas performances. Despite the conversational awkwardness, both parties found common ground in their concerns about societal issues (22:04).

• Granting the Badge: In response to Elvis's request, President Nixon agreed to designate him as a "federal agent at large," a titular position that lacked formal authority. Elvis left the meeting visibly elated, likening his acquisition of the badge to receiving Christmas presents (22:49).

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5. Aftermath and Legacy

The meeting between Elvis and Nixon remained a secret for over a year, gaining fame much later through the release of photographs and public interest.

Key Points:

• Public Revelation: In 1988, photos from the meeting were released by the National Archives, garnering immense public fascination. Images of Elvis and Nixon shook hands became iconic, surpassing even historically significant moments like the moon landing in demand (25:57).

• Continued Relationship: Despite the meeting, Elvis never officially served the White House. However, there were instances of mutual goodwill, such as Elvis reaching out during Nixon's hospitalization and vice versa (26:20).

• Symbolic Significance: John Lowey reflects on the enduring image of Elvis and Nixon, stating, "It's almost like an ancient myth or something, an image that you can just draw a lot of meaning to." The meeting symbolizes the intersection of American pop culture and political power, embodying various facets of American society (25:57).

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Insights from Guest John Lowey

Throughout the episode, John Lowey, founder and president of Global Action on Gun Violence and author of "Elvis and Nixon," provides expert analysis and context.

Notable Quotes:

• On Elvis's changing persona: "He has more fame than virtually anyone's ever experienced. You know, he's viewed as sort of this God." (08:29)

• On the badge's significance: "I think he knows that the most authority it could possibly give him in his fantasies would be to let him get on airplanes with drugs and guns." (24:40)

• Reflecting on the mythos of the meeting: "They both came from nothing achieved tremendously amount became controversial. It's almost like an ancient myth or something." (25:57)

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Conclusion

"The President and the King" offers a compelling narrative that intertwines the personal struggles of a cultural icon with the political landscape of America in 1970. Through meticulous storytelling and expert insights from John Lowey, the episode sheds light on a unique moment where fame, personal turmoil, and political aspirations collided, leaving an indelible mark on American history.

Listeners gain a nuanced understanding of Elvis Presley's complexities beyond his onstage persona and the surprising depths of his interaction with President Nixon. This meeting not only highlights the vulnerabilities of a superstar but also serves as a fascinating intersection of entertainment and governance in the tapestry of American culture.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "He's more of a pop singer. I think he's still a phenomenal performer, but I don't think it was the creativity that you saw in the early years." — John Lowey (09:09)

• "I would love to meet you just to say hello, if you're not too busy." — Elvis Presley (05:25)

• "He has more fame than virtually anyone's ever experienced. You know, he's viewed as sort of this God." — John Lowey (08:29)

• "Maybe it was sort of the magic past where he could go anywhere he wanted with pockets filled with drugs." — John Lowey (15:57)

• "It's almost like an ancient myth or something, an image that you can just draw a lot of meaning to." — John Lowey (25:57)

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Credits

Special thanks to John Lowey, author of "Elvis and Nixon," for providing invaluable insights. Production and sound design by Ben Dixon, production by David Weisbord, and story editing by Alana Casanova Burgess for Back Pocket Studios. Executive producers Ben Dickstein, David Weisbord, Eli Lair, and Liv Fiddler contributed to bringing this episode to life.

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Stay updated with all episodes of HISTORY This Week by visiting historythisweekpodcast.com and follow us on your preferred podcast platform. For inquiries or feedback, reach out via email at [e-mail].

Transcript

[Sally]

Hello, History this Week listeners. It is Sally here. We cover stories from all around the world on this show and today's episode is sponsored by the language Learning program Rosetta Stone. Our producer Ben is here to tell you all about them.

[Ben]

Thank you, Sally. So we're in the holiday season and here at History this Week we try to give you the gift of knowledge, ideas that can help you better understand the world. Well, another way to better understand the world, literally is to learn a new language. So think about giving someone the gift of Rosetta Stone this holiday season. Rosetta Stone immerses you so that speaking, listening and thinking in that new language all becomes natural. Their True accent feature gives you real time feedback on your pronunciations so you'll blend right in. And you can bring Rosetta Stone wherever you go on your computer or by using the mobile app. Don't put off learning that language. There's no better time than right now to get started. Today, History this Week listeners can get Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. Visit rosettastone.com history that's 50% off. Unlimited access to 25 language courses for the rest of your Life. Redeem your 50% off at rosettastone.com history today for yourself or as a gift that keeps on on giving.

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[Sally]

Or dsw.com hey everyone, it's Sally here. As we head into the holidays, we just wanted to let you know that History this Week is not going anywhere. Episodes will keep coming every Monday, so when you meet up with friends and family, you will be stocked with plenty of fun stories to share from the past. If you don't already. Follow History this Week wherever you listen to your podcasts and when you are showing off everything you learned from the show, make sure to tell them you heard it from us.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

The History Channel Original Podcast history this week December 21st, 1970 I'm Alana Casanova Burgess. It's early in Washington D.C. 6:30am to be exact. Nobody is showing up for work at the White House for another hour and yet a limousine pulls up to the front gate and out steps Elvis Presley. When you Picture Elvis, especially 1970s Elvis, that's exactly how he looks here. He's wearing a white unbuttoned shirt with an extremely oversized collar, a quote, karate style two piece purple suit with a black cape draped over his shoulders, accessorized with black sunglasses, a gold medallion necklace, a huge gold belt buckle, and a gold handled walking stick. His face is also pretty swollen. Elvis has been eating a lot of chocolate recently, which is interacting with medication he's taking for an eye infection and causing an allergic reaction. When you take all of this together. His friend who was with him later said he walked up to the White House gate looking like Dracula. So when the guards on duty first see this guy getting out of the car, they're basically like, get lost. But as he walks up closer, they realize this is actually Elvis. Elvis explains that he's there to drop off a letter, a letter that he had handwritten just for President Richard Nixon. Did Elvis have any relationship with Nixon? No. Had he even met the President before? No. Did he come up with this plan less than 24 hours ago? Absolutely. In this letter, Elvis writes, quote, I would love to meet you just to say hello, if you're not too busy. He's also brought a gift for the President, which White House security won't be thrilled with. But his ultimate goal, the real reason he asks for this meeting. Elvis wants President Richard Nixon to deputize him as a federal agent. Today, a legendary meeting between two American icons from completely different worlds, the President and the King. What's going on in Elvis Presley's chaotic life that leads him to seek this meeting with Richard Nixon? And when they come face to face, what did they talk about?

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[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Elvis Presley has lived many lives. He was a young boy in Mississippi and then in Tennessee, exposed to a world of gospel and blues music that he incorporated into his signature musical style. Then he bursts onto the scene as the hottest act in America, the first true rock star. Then he's in the military, stationed in Germany. Then he comes back to America, becomes a movie star in Hollywood. Then in the mid-60s, his career starts to decline. But then he records his comeback special in 1968, and within a year he's the biggest act in Las Vegas.

[John Lowey]

He has more fame than virtually anyone's ever experienced. You know, he's viewed as sort of this God.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

John Lowey wrote a book on the Elvis Nixon meeting.

[John Lowey]

But his rock and roll phase is over. His movie phase is over. He's into, you know, what you think of as sort of his Vegas years.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Elvis takes up residency at the International Hotel on the Vegas Strip. Every single show he plays is sold out. And yet, Loey says, this is not the same Elvis he was at his peak.

[John Lowey]

He's more of a pop singer. I think he's still a phenomenal performer, but I don't think it was the creativity that you saw in the early years.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Yes, he is delivering for his audiences night after night, but he's doing that while dealing with a very serious problem behind the scenes.

[John Lowey]

There are times where he takes the stage and he's clearly on drugs.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Elvis had been taking what would casually be called uppers and downers for years. They were likely amphetamines and methaqualone or Quaaludes. They were technically prescribed by a doctor, but Elvis was almost certainly abusing them. The Vegas residency, however, exacerbates this problem. Doing as many shows as he's doing, he's relying on the uppers to perform and the downers to get enough sleep.

[John Lowey]

Even though he's fairly young at the time, I'd say very young. He's about 35. I think he's peaked and is certainly on the decline.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

This decline, it may be best understood at this time by Elvis increasing paranoia. People close to him notice that he's becoming obsessed with guns. He's sometimes armed when he's taking the stage at the International Hotel, and when he's not on stage, he's firing off shots in fits of anger. It's a bad situation. On December 3, 1970, Elvis starts a shopping spree. He'd always been a bit of a spender.

[John Lowey]

From the time he's 21, you know, he has more money than he knows what to do with.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

But this time is different. He starts by buying $20,000 worth of guns, adding to his growing collection. He buys a house for a friend in Los Angeles. He buys four Mercedes, one for him, one for a friend, one for an actress he's seeing, and one for his dad. He buys 12 new pairs of customized prescription aviator sunglasses with his signature lightning bolt and TCB initials engraved on the side. TCB being taking care of business. And then there's his usual holiday shopping at a Beverly Hills jewelry store, where he likely spends upwards of $20,000. On December 19th, after he's arrived back home at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis is confronted.

[John Lowey]

That's when his wife Priscilla, and his father Vernon talk to him and sort of say the spending is out of control.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Priscilla and Vernon tell Elvis, you're spiraling, you're going to run out of money. And the Colonel agrees with us. That's referring to Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis longtime manager. Elvis doesn't like being ganged up on, especially when the Colonel is involved.

[John Lowey]

And that apparently is what really pushed the last button for Elvis, and he stormed out of Graceland, gets in a car and drives off. But you really gotta Step back and think about the way Elvis lived his life to realize how strange that is. He didn't go out and do things by himself.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

According to Priscilla, it's the first time she can remember him traveling anywhere alone without his entourage or even a single bodyguard. She says he doesn't have any money on him. He doesn't even know his own phone number. But somehow Elvis ends up flying to Washington dc, then to Los Angeles. On the way to la, he calls his friend Jerry Schilling, tells him to meet him at the airport but not to tell anyone else.

[John Lowey]

It's pretty bizarre and it's a sort of frenetic pace that you would think would be someone who was on some sort of uppers.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

It's 2:17 in the morning on December 20th when Elvis gets off the plane. The first thing Jerry Schilling notices is Elvis's face. It's puffy. Elvis says he knows it's from eating chocolate, which he's well aware causes an allergic reaction with the medication he's taking for an eye infection. Once they're back at Elvis's LA home, Schilling calls in a doctor who says, stop eating chocolate. By the afternoon of the 20th, Elvis has a plan. He won't tell Schilling what it is. He only says, I have to go back to Washington D.C. but first, before.

[John Lowey]

They leave, Elvis goes into one of the rooms and takes a Colt.45 revolver, which is in a frame with him.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Soon enough, Elvis is on an American Airlines flight heading back to Washington with Jerry Schilling. On the flight, Elvis meets a soldier coming home from Vietnam. He gives him $500, all the cash he has on him. Maybe it's his Christmas spirit. Then he makes a request.

[John Lowey]

Elvis gets some American Airlines stationery from what were then called stewardesses and handwrites this letter to President Nixon.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

It begins, first, I would like to introduce myself. I am Elvis Presley and admire you and have great respect for your office. He then outlines what he sees as the problem with America.

[John Lowey]

He has concerns about drug culture, hippies, Black Panthers, anti establishment, anti war.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

He says, while these forces are a concern, they, quote, do not consider me as their enemy.

[John Lowey]

He wants to help the country. He's patriotic, American, and he says he wants this badge as a federal agent at large.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

A federal agent at large. That position doesn't really exist, but Elvis wants that badge for a few reasons. One, he likes badges a lot. He collects them, travels with them. Jerry Schilling thought he wanted this federal badge so that he could legally travel with his guns. John Lowey has another theory in Elvis's mind.

[John Lowey]

Maybe it was sort of the magic past where he could go anywhere he wanted with pockets filled with drugs.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

But Elvis pitch to Nixon doesn't mention guns or drugs. He says this title will help him with all of these concerning elements in society. The hippies, the anti war movement, the drug culture, even communists.

[John Lowey]

Elvis writes, I've done an in depth study of drug abuse and communist brainwashing techniques and I'm right in the middle of the whole thing where I can and will do the most good.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Okay, so it's fair to say that this letter is pretty bizarre. We don't know if Elvis was quote unquote on drugs when he wrote it, but we do know that he is abusing drugs around this time. Which raises the question, isn't it a little hypocritical using drugs and going after drug culture at the same time?

[John Lowey]

I think that Elvis would view his drug use as something very different from other drug use because his drug use, I think he would view it as legal because he got a prescription, which is true. He wasn't buying, you know, quote unquote illegal drugs on the street. He really was viewing what he would view as the drug culture as pot smoking, acid dropping as a very different world.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Elvis finishes writing this letter and the plane lands early on the morning of December 21st in Washington D.C. they head to the White House straight from the airport. He pulls up to the gate in his limo, gives his letter to the guards, face puffy from chocolate, dressed in his full Vegas getup.

[John Lowey]

The people who dealt with him. I think one reaction is, oh my God, I can't believe Ellis Presley's here. And the other side of it is maybe this is a prank, maybe this is a crazy person who is dressed up like Elvis Presley.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

But it is in fact, Elvis Presley and the White House takes this letter quite seriously.

[John Lowey]

The White House bureaucracy of what happens to letters like this probably accelerated quite a bit because this letter is from Elvis Presley, one of the most famous people on the planet at the time.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

While the letter works its way up the chain of command, Elvis travels to the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, or the bndd, the predecessor of the dea.

[John Lowey]

He meets with John Finlater.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

John Finlader is deputy director of the.

[John Lowey]

Bndd and Elvis asks for this badge and Finlater turns him down.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Meanwhile, Elvis letter has reached Nixon Chief of Staff H.R. haldeman. Haldeman's assistant writes in a memo something.

[John Lowey]

Like, it would be good for the President to meet one of the bright young minds in the country.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

In the margin, Haldeman writes. You must be kidding. But it's not a joke. The meeting is approved. Elvis can come meet the President. When you feel a cold coming, shorten it with Zycam, the number one cold shortening brand. Oh no, not before the holidays. Your cold is coming. Your cold is coming. Thanks Revere. I really should keep Zycam in the house. Getting the cold is on no one's wish list.

[John Lowey]

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[Alana Casanova Burgess]

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[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Elvis Presley enters the White House around noon, but the Secret Service stops him in the West Wing lobby.

[John Lowey]

Secret Service says, we got a problem. Elvis has a gun.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

This is that cult. 45 that Elvis had brought from his home in Los Angeles. He thought it would make a great gift for the President.

[John Lowey]

The gun that he wants to give Nixon is in a frame, so I guess they're satisfied that it's safe enough.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

But the Secret Service still makes him give them the gun. At 12:45pm Elvis Presley walks into the Oval Office. The first thing they do is pose for photos. Then it's time to take care of business. They cover a lot of ground in this meeting. Elvis starts by showing off his badge collection. He brings a whole bag of them and spreads them out on Nixon's desk. The White House memo later read immediately began showing the President his law enforcement paraphernalia. Elvis then tells Nixon about his Vegas residency.

[John Lowey]

Nixon says, sort of strangely, that he knows how difficult that is. You know, how could President Nixon know how difficult it is to play in Vegas? It is sort of funny that both Nixon and Elvis are telling the other things that they think the other one wants to hear Even though they may not believe it or it may not be true.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Elvis also takes a moment to criticize his perceived rivals in the music industry. He calls out the Beatles, saying how they came to America and then went back to England and promoted anti Americanism.

[John Lowey]

Nixon seems basically in agreement and saying how the drug culture is part of the anti war movement that he's battling.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Elvis then continues through the talking points of his letter that he's on Nixon's side, that he's worried about communism. But then he gets to the point, the badge. He asks if Nixon can get him. One presidential aide, Bud Crow, later writes that Nixon looked a little uncertain at this request, but after some consultation, he basically says, sure, I can do that. Elvis says, thank you very much, sir. This means a lot to me.

[John Lowey]

And then Elvis does reach out and hugs President Nixon, which, you know, unusual for someone to do with any president. For Nixon, extremely unusual. Nixon, he's a very standoffish guy. You know, somewhat awkward body language is all sort of stay away from me. But it just showed Elvis just feeling he was connecting and wanted to connect with the president.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Elvis scoops up the badges he brought and heads out of the Oval Office. Bud Crow writes that he left like a kid who just received all of the Christmas presents he'd asked for. And in his 35 years, he's lived a life that a child might dream of. He got to be a musician, a soldier, a movie star, the King of Rock. And now he'd sort of become a federal agent. Soon after, John Finlater comes to the White House. He's the guy who had denied Elvis his badge earlier that day. Well, now he has one just for Elvis, even if it's mostly just for show.

[John Lowey]

I think he knows that the most authority it could possibly give him in his fantasies would be to let him get on airplanes with drugs and guns. But it does seem like he is seeing himself as this sort of a superhero. And part of that is totally fair for him to think that because he's been viewed as a superhero, he is sort of a superhero, has been a lot of his life. And so the badge is sort of tied up into that.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

This meeting, it's kept a secret. A whole year goes by before the story breaks, but nobody really pays attention to that newspaper column. The big splash comes 18 years later when the photos from the meeting get published. In 1988, in the first week that the National Archives makes them available for sale, 8,000 people request copies. The most famous of those images, the two men standing side by side, shaking hands facing the camera. Elvis in his Vegas attire, Nixon in a suit. To this day, it is one of the most requested items from the National Archives, more so than images of the moon landing or of the Constitution, its informal title. The president and the King, you know.

[John Lowey]

They both came from nothing achieved tremendously amount became controversial. It's almost like an ancient myth or something, an image that you can just draw a lot of meaning to. And I think to some people it represents two strands of America and encompasses a lot of America in that picture.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

Between these two lives, Elvis and Nixon kind of maintain a relationship.

[John Lowey]

After their meeting, apparently when Nixon was in the hospital, Elvis contacted him to wish him well. When Elvis was in the hospital, Nixon contacted him to wish him well. So they, they did at least maintain some sort of contact.

[Alana Casanova Burgess]

But Elvis never works for the White House. Officially, the BNDD does call him every six months to make sure he hasn't lost the badge. They wouldn't want someone out there posing as a federal officer. For Elvis, it doesn't give him carte blanche to take guns or drugs on airplanes like he wanted, but it clearly has deep importance. He carries this badge with him for the rest of his life. Thanks for listening to History this Week, a Back Pocket Studios production in partnership with the History Channel. To stay updated on all things History this Week, sign [e-mail] and if you have any thoughts or questions, send us an [e-mail] Special thanks to our guest, John Lowey, founder and president of Global Action on Gun Violence and author of Elvis and Nixon. This episode was produced and sound designed by Ben Dixon, produced by David Weisbord and story edited by me, Alana Casanova Burgess for Back Pocket Studios. Our executive producers are Ben Dickstein and David Weisbord. From the History Channel. Our executive producers are Eli Lair and Liv Fiddler. Don't forget to follow, rate and review History this Week, wherever you get your podcasts and we'll see you next week.

[Sally]

Hey, listeners, we just want to let you know that as we head into the holidays, History this Week is not going anywhere. You will have plenty of new stories to share with family and friends. So when you're showing off everything you learned, make sure to tell them you got it from History this Week.