White House Rose Garden bulldozed as work starts paving it over

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

14. At some point TACO will want "his" Secret Service to dress in pagentry uniforms.

1970, President Richard Nixon, inspired by the ceremonial pageantry he’d seen during European state visits, decided to revamp the uniforms of the White House Secret Service Uniformed Division. The result? A $16,000 wardrobe of white double-breasted tunics trimmed with gold braid, black pants with white stripes, and stiff, peaked hats called shakos—topped off with gold ceremonial shoulder cords.

The press and public were not impressed. Critics compared the look to everything from toy soldiers to doormen at a fancy hotel. One official even said the guards were “greeted with gales of laughter” when they first appeared.

The backlash was swift, and Nixon eventually scrapped the uniforms. In a final twist of irony, they were sold to a local high school marching band for $10.