Though the president of the United States has never worn a military uniform, Richard Nixon briefly gave the Secret Service elaborate—and widely-derided—dress uniforms.

Last week, a screenshot of a fake news story from Politico circulated on social media, purporting to show that President Donald Trump was considering wearing a “Custom Military Uniform” to support his “Command-in-Chief Role.” An image showed the sitting president wearing an elaborate uniform—one that some critical observers noted wouldn’t seem out of place in a Latin American, Middle Eastern, or African dictatorship.

“White House insiders report that Trump’s proposed outfit would include gold braiding, elaborate epaulets, and a selection of medals,” a caption for the fabricated news article suggested.

This wasn’t the first time that the fake story has trended on social media. Still, it was noteworthy that it went viral only days before the US military carried out a mission that saw the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro, who was captured in a daring raid on Saturday morning and subsequently imprisoned in New York.

During a noon address to the American people at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Sunday, President Trump repeatedly suggested the United States would “run Venezuela.” It is unclear what this would entail—but it likely will not include Trump donning a uniform.

Can the President Wear a Military Uniform?

Although history is filled with monarchs, dictators, and despots wearing custom military uniforms, no sitting president has ever worn such attire. The United States has long enshrined civilian control over the military as a core part of its civic tradition, and even though the president is the “commander-in-chief” of the armed forces, the title is not a military rank. Indeed, George Washington, the nation’s first president, intentionally chose to wear a plain brown suit rather than his general’s uniform to his first inauguration. That set a crucial precedent that continues to this day, as it signaled the republic’s commitment to civil governance.

Several presidents technically could have been allowed to wear a uniform in office, as they served as high-ranking military officers—including Washington, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, to name just a few. However, out of respect for civic tradition, they declined to do so.

As for Trump, the 47th president attended military school as a teenager, but did not serve in the United States military. He would therefore be barred from wearing a military uniform, including a custom one. US Code Title 10 USC. §771 states that “no person except a member of the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force may wear” service uniforms. The law allows specific exceptions, detailed in other sections, notably § 772 (e.g., for veterans on certain occasions and at public events) and § 771a (uniforms upon discharge).

America Briefly Had Uniformed Guards at the White House

President Richard Nixon was one of the former US heads of state who served in the military. During World War II, Nixon was a lieutenant commander in the US Navy, managing air transport logistics for the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command (SCAT). In keeping with tradition, Nixon never wore a military uniform while serving as president—but he did infamously oversee the adoption of rather odd military-inspired uniforms for the Secret Service Uniformed Division.

According to the Nixon Presidential Library, the 37th president was inspired by the uniformed guards seen at presidential and royal palaces in Europe and Asia, and decided to “revamp the Uniformed Division’s dress for formal state occasions.”

Today, the Secret Service is noted primarily for its black suits and sunglasses, which allow them to stand out in a crowd while still blending in. By contrast, the Secret Service Uniformed Division has long worn police-style uniforms to ensure they’re immediately recognizable as law enforcement.

For Nixon, the men (there were no women in the division during his time in the White House) looked too much like ordinary policemen. It should be noted that Nixon wasn’t the first to feel that way; a half-century before, Theodore Roosevelt attempted to introduce a distinctive uniform for staff. However, Nixon took Roosevelt’s idea a bit further—with less-than-stellar results.

“Designed by Washington, DC tailor Jimmie Muscatello with input from the Secret Service, the division was outfitted in ‘double-breasted white tunics trimmed with gold braid and gold buttons and stiff plastic shakos decorated with the White House crest,'” the Nixon Library explained.

A total of 32 uniforms were produced at a cost of $16,000, or $500 per unit. The unusual attire made its debut on January 28, 1970, for the state visit by Prime Minister Harold Wilson of the United Kingdom.

The press quickly mocked the uniforms, calling them “something an ‘usher in an ‘old-time movie palace’ might wear,” and likening them to the uniforms of a “Banana Republic.” Even Nixon’s friend, Chicago Tribune columnist Walter Trohan, described the uniforms as “more comical than splendid.”

It was only after the members of the Uniformed Division spoke up, complaining that the hats were uncomfortable to wear for long periods, that the uniforms were retired.

The uniforms’ eventual fate was far more interesting than their service life. After spending more than a decade in storage, the White House uniforms were eventually sold as government surplus.

“Some of the jackets and the black caps had a second life as band uniforms for the Meriden-Cleghorn High School Band after being purchased for $10 each from the United States General Services Administration in 1980,” the Nixon Library added.

The thought that a marching band would reuse uniforms designed for the White House is bad enough, but it could have been worse. Tom Roller of the Iowa Federal Surplus Division, who purchased the uniforms for the Meriden-Cleghorn High School Band, narrowly beat out famed rocker Alice Cooper, who was also interested. Cooper was reportedly barred from buying the uniforms due to federal regulations—but had the situation gone differently, his road crew would have worn the uniforms that Nixon introduced at the White House on a world tour! 

According to the Nixon Library, “[Cooper] lost gracefully and hosted two Meriden-Cleghorn graduates (dressed in full regalia) at his concert in Los Angeles, California, on June 17, 1980.”

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image: Shutterstock / Philip Yabut.

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