Presley became concerned with the state of the country in 1970 as anti-war protests and what he viewed as a lack of respect for the country became the norm. He wrote a letter to then President Richard Nixon in which he stated that he had spoken to former vice-president Spiro Agnew and "expressed my concern for our country.... Sir I can and will be of any service that I can to help the country out." Presley asked to be made a federal agent by the president and said that he had made "an in depth study of Drug Abuse and Communist brainwashing techniques.... I would love to meet you just to say hello if you're not too busy." Nixon's staff decided that a meeting between the president and Presley could only help Nixon's standing with younger Americans, so the same morning that he delivered the letter, Presley received a call from White House staff suggesting a meeting later day. When they met, Presley asked Nixon for a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs special agent badge. Nixon agreed, then looked at Presley. "You dress kind of strange, don't you?" (The singer had arrived in a velvet purple tunic and pants with a large gold belt and jacket with big buttons.) "You have your show and I have mine," Presley replied.
