Introduction:
On December 21, 1970, the King of Rock ’n’ Roll went to the White House on a mission.
That day, Elvis Presley entered the Oval Office with a six-page handwritten letter and a strange request for President Richard Nixon: Could he become a “federal agent at large” for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs?
Presley had a well-documented fascination with law enforcement. He collected police badges from departments all over the United States and was a passionate supporter of law and order causes. But The King’s ultimate prize was a real badge from the federal government.
In his letter to the president, Presley claimed his celebrity status could help the government. He wrote that he had “done an in-depth study of drug abuse and Communist brainwashing techniques” and argued he could use his fame to “infiltrate the drug culture,” in groups like the Black Panthers and Students for a Democratic Society.
The White House recognized the golden PR opportunity and quickly arranged a private meeting for Presley with the president.
Presley arrived with a gift for Nixon: a Colt .45 pistol, which was held for security review before being delivered to the president. During their meeting, the two men bonded over their mutual dislike of the anti-war counterculture and illegal drugs. Presley became emotional, pledging his loyalty by declaring “I’m on your side” and vowing to help restore “respect for the flag.”
With little to lose, Nixon presented Presley with the coveted badge and made him an honorary federal agent for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Priscilla Presley later explained that, for her husband, this badge meant “ultimate power”—he believed it would let him legally carry firearms and drugs anywhere he wanted.
The strange visit produced one of the most requested photographs in the National Archives and even spawned two movies: Rick Peters played The King in the 1997 mockumentary Elvis Meets Nixon, while Michael Shannon took the role in 2016’s Elvis & Nixon.