At a recent rally in Concord, North Carolina, Trump had private plainclothes security men present, while he asked the crowd to take a personal loyalty pledge to vote for Donald J. Trump. A few days ago, a real U.S. Secret Service agent was inveigled to body-slam a Time photographer who had left the cordoned off “Press Pen” at another Trump rally. The imperial imperative is starting to unfold its dragon wings.
Politico: Concord NC Trump Rally
We know that Donald Trump has a very serious thing for luxury and gold.
The entry door to his penthouse apartment in New York’s 68-story skyscraper Trump Tower is gold and diamond encrusted. The seatbelts on his private 757 jet are gold plated.
One of his books is titled “Midas Touch.”
He sells gold-foil wrapped chocolate bars in the store at Trump Hotel in New York (as of June 2015). There is a full video review by Trump fans on YouTube. I kid you not. The reviewers say the chocolate tastes good and rich, but with a waxy feel. Not very sweet like most American made chocolate (Trump’s chocolate is made in Indiana, even if his clothing lines are not).
All of this blindingly golden luxury could make your eyes water (in pain or envy).
As I turned my head away, it got me thinking. What if Trump should win the Republican nomination, and then the contested general election after a hard-fought battle?
Imagine what he might do to the White House surroundings. They look a little shabby by Trumpian style standards.
Actually, we have at least one historical scenario in the not too distant past to provide an early look at what might happen.
In 1970 President Richard Nixon was in full-throated exercise of his presidency, at the peak of his power and influence.
As Megan McArdle recounts for BloombergView (2013):
“So let’s go back in time to January 1970, when President Richard Nixon was preparing for a visit from Prime Minister Harold Wilson . Nixon, who thought his White House uniform guards looked “slovenly,” had them outfitted in new uniforms, based on the honor guards he had seen, and been impressed by, in Europe.”
It did not go well.
“Here’s how Richard Reeves describes it in President Nixon, Alone in the White House:
A couple of days after the State of the Union address, Democrats and the press finally got a chance to mock Nixon. The occasion was a state visit by Prime Minister Harold Wilson of Great Britain — and the official unveiling of new White House police uniforms, inspired by the honor guards Nixon had seen in Europe. The cops were wearing double-breasted white tunics with starred epaulets, gold piping, draped braid, and high black plastic hats decorated with a large White House crest. “They look like old-time movie ushers,” said the Buffalo News. “The Student Prince” said the Chicago Daily News. In the Chicago Tribune, a Nixon friend, columnist Walter Trohan, was more serious, saying the uniforms belonged onstage, calling them “frank borrowing from decadent European monarchies, which is abhorrent to this country’s democratic tradition.”
Richard Reeves, President Nixon Alone in the White House
The public, critics, and comedians alike jumped all over this royal style puffery for our White House. Introduction of the uniforms were roundly trashed.
The hats lasted about two weeks by report. The uniforms were used sparingly.
In 1980, the U.S. General Services Administration offered the essentially brand-new uniforms (80 of the original 150 made) on long-term loan to the marching band of Southern Utah State College. An article published in the Lakeland Ledger (August 9, 1980) says they cost the College a $90 shipping fee, and cleaning and pressing charges.. The College received tunics, parade caps, and aiguillettes (braided shoulder pieces). Each uniform was valued at $112.75. Rock Star Alice Cooper wanted five of the tunics for his band, but was refused.
Lakeside Ledger (8/9/80); found on Google News
Where are we today in the matter of uniformed White House agents? What would a possible President Trump have to deal with?
President Barack Obama addresses United States Secret Service Uniformed Division officers before a group photo at the South Portico of the White House, April 4, 2011. (Office White House Photo by Pete Souza)
A Trump redesign of the White House Guards dress uniform to match the proper pomp and ceremony needed there would certainly class up the place. After all, Trump already has a Signature collection of Men’s Wear, neckties, fragrances, accessories, and of course his iconic campaign hats. We can only hope he will try and get the new uniforms made in America, and so provide good jobs for real Americans.
All in all, a Trump White House uniform redesign would be sure to make the clumsy 1970 Nixon effort look like mere Salvation Army cast offs playing at quality. And you can be damn sure that when it was time to retire Trump’s inspired uniforms, they would be far too grand to wind up gracing the football field of a small university with 7,500 students, worthy though they happen to be.*
For the record, Southern Utah University is a member of the NCAA Division 1 FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) for 4-year independent schools. The Southern Utah University Thunderbirds football team ranked 18th in the Top 25 in this Subdivision for 2015. They won out over Fordham, the University of Pennsylvania (including the Wharton School), as well as Harvard and the rest of the Ivy League schools. There are 125 members of the FCS.
2015 NCAA FCS Football Rankings
* Southern Utah State College became Southern Utah University in 1991.