Presidential M&M's

Last updated

Packs of presidential M&M's during the Obama administration Presidential M&Ms (the parting gift from a West Wing tour) (6976145616).jpg
Packs of presidential M&M's during the Obama administration

Presidential M&M's is the name given to the commemorative packs of red, white, and blue-colored M&M's given to guests of the president of the United States on board Air Force One and in other presidential locations. They were first created in 1988 and they later replaced cigarettes as the standard gift given to guests of the president. [1] The M&M's are presented in boxes about the size of a packet of cigarettes, with the seal of the president of the United States and the signature of the sitting president on one face, and one of the M&M's characters holding the flag of the United States on the other. [2]

Contents

History

Under President John F. Kennedy, guests and members of the press who traveled on Air Force One were given packs of 20 cigarettes in a box marked with the presidential seal and the signature of the sitting president, along with a matchbook. After Kennedy's assassination, the large quantities of cigarettes distributed by the White House and Air Force One became a tradition. [1] President Ronald Reagan replaced most of the cigarettes with jars of Jelly Belly jelly beans shortly after taking office, to maintain a consistent anti-drug image. [1] [2] [3] At the 1988 Moscow Summit with Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, Mars, Incorporated supplied customized M&M's for gifts, [1] which First Lady Nancy Reagan gave to Russian children. [4] After the summit, Nancy Reagan saw an opportunity to ban all smoking on Air Force One, replacing the few remaining cigarette supplies aboard. [1] [2] Thereafter, M&M's became the official candy of the White House. [2] [5] [6]

President George H. W. Bush continued Reagan's tradition of handing out M&M's to presidential guests but extended the privilege to presidential employees. President Bill Clinton altered the packaging to include the signature of the sitting president beneath the presidential seal. [1] President Barack Obama personally handed out packs of presidential M&M's to guests. [7] Obama also gave them out to children trick or treating at the White House on Halloween, along with dried fruits from First Lady Michelle Obama. [8]

In 2014, Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy gave President Obama facsimiles of three 500-year-old historical works. In return, Obama gave Rajoy some presidential M&M's. The perceived inequality of the exchange provoked criticism from the Spanish press. [9]

On President Donald Trump's first flight aboard Air Force One, unsigned boxes of M&Ms were provided because the ones with Trump's signature were not yet available. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp David</span> Country retreat of the US president

Camp David is a 125-acre (51 ha) country retreat for the president of the United States. It is located in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg, about 62 miles (100 km) north-northwest of the national capital city of Washington, D.C. It is code named Naval Support Facility Thurmont. Technically a military installation, its staffing is primarily provided by the Seabees, Civil Engineer Corps (CEC), the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Naval construction battalions are tasked with Camp David construction and send detachments as needed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of the United States</span> Head of state and government of the United States

The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Force One</span> USAF aircraft carrying the US president

Air Force One is the official air traffic control designated call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States. The term is commonly used to denote U.S. Air Force aircraft modified and used to transport the president, and as a metonym for the primary presidential aircraft, VC-25, although it can be used to refer to any Air Force aircraft the president travels on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oval Office</span> Office of the President of the United States in the White House

The Oval Office is the formal working space of the president of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing VC-25</span> US Air Force presidential transport aircraft

The Boeing VC-25 is a military version of the Boeing 747 airliner, modified for presidential transport and commonly operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) as Air Force One, the call sign of any U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Executive One</span> Air traffic control call sign of any U.S. civil aircraft carrying the president of the U.S.

Executive One is the call sign designated for any United States civil aircraft when the president of the United States is on board. Typically, the president flies in military aircraft that are under the command of the Presidential Airlift Group, which include Air Force One, Marine One, Army One, Navy One and Coast Guard One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Historical rankings of presidents of the United States</span>

In political studies, surveys have been conducted in order to construct historical rankings of the success of the presidents of the United States. Ranking systems are usually based on surveys of academic historians and political scientists or popular opinion. The scholarly rankings focus on presidential achievements, leadership qualities, failures, and faults. Popular-opinion polls typically focus on recent or well-known presidents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidential state car (United States)</span> Car for the president of the United States

The United States presidential state car is the official state car of the president of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secret Service code name</span> Names given to persons whom the US Secret Service protects

The United States Secret Service uses code names for U.S. presidents, first ladies, and other prominent persons and locations. The use of such names was originally for security purposes and dates to a time when sensitive electronic communications were not routinely encrypted; today, the names simply serve for purposes of brevity, clarity, and tradition. The Secret Service does not choose these names, however. The White House Communications Agency maintains a list that candidates choose from, often choosing ones that resonate with them personally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White House china</span> Patterns of china for serving and eating food in the White House

The White House china refers to the various patterns of china (porcelain) used for serving and eating food in the White House, home of the president of the United States. Different china services have been ordered and used by different presidential administrations. The White House collection of china is housed in the White House China Room. Not every administration created its own service, but portions of all china services created for the White House are now in the China Room collection. Some of the older china services are used for small private dinners in the President's Dining Room on the Second Floor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portraits of presidents of the United States</span> List of each official painting or photograph for all United States presidents

Beginning with painter Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington, it has been tradition for the president of the United States to have an official portrait taken during their time in office, most commonly an oil painting. This tradition has continued to modern times, although since the adoption of photography as a widely used and reliable technology, the official portrait may also be a photograph.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White House Medical Unit</span> Unit of the White House Military Office

The White House Medical Unit (WHMU) is a unit of the White House Military Office and is responsible for the medical needs of White House staff and visitors. The unit also provides medical care to the president, the vice president, their families, and international dignitaries visiting the White House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Souza</span> American photographer (born 1954)

Peter Joseph Souza is an American photojournalist, the former chief official White House photographer for Presidents of the United States Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama and the former director of the White House Photography Office. He was a photographer with The Chicago Tribune, stationed at the Washington, D.C., bureau from 1998 to 2007; during this period, he also followed the rise of then-Senator Obama to the presidency.

The following is a timeline of the presidency of Barack Obama, from January 1, 2016 to January 20, 2017. For his time as president-elect, see the presidential transition of Barack Obama; for a detailed account of his first months in office, see first 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency; for a complete itinerary of his travels, see list of presidential trips made by Barack Obama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inauguration of Donald Trump</span> 58th United States presidential inauguration

The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States marked the commencement of Trump's term as president and Mike Pence's term as vice president. An estimated 300,000 to 600,000 people attended the public ceremony held on Friday, January 20, 2017, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The event was the 58th presidential inauguration. Held in Washington, D.C., from January 17 to 21, 2017, inaugural events included concerts, the swearing-in ceremony, a congressional luncheon, parade, inaugural balls, and the interfaith inaugural prayer service. The inauguration was protested worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chief Official White House Photographer</span> Senior position appointed by the president of the United States

The official White House photographer is a senior position appointed by the president of the United States to cover the president's official day-to-day duties. There have been twelve official White House photographers. Since the beginning of the presidency of Joe Biden, the position has been occupied by Adam Schultz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidential call button</span> White House call button used by presidents of the United States

Some presidents of the United States have had a red call button in the Oval Office of the White House that could call aides. The earliest incarnation dates to 1881 or before, and the modern call button has been in a wooden box on the Resolute desk since at least the George W. Bush presidency (2001–2009).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Leah Prinzivalli (January 20, 2017). "History of US Presidents' Strange Obsession With White House M&M's". Thrillist. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Jon Sopel (April 22, 2016). "The presidential M&Ms on board Air Force One". BBC News. Archived from the original on March 18, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  3. ↑ Bedard, Paul (May 13, 2017). "Trump M&M's debut, started by Reagan". Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  4. ↑ Barnes, Fred (September 2, 1991). "All The President's Perks". The New Republic . Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  5. ↑ Harrison, Olivia (January 20, 2017). "White House MMs". Refinery29. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  6. ↑ Johnson, Julie (October 18, 1988). "A Sweet Deal". The New York Times . Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Obamas Distribute Food, Boxes Of Presidential M&Ms To Poor At Food Bank". Washington, D.C.: CBS DC. November 28, 2013. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  8. ↑ Miller, Zeke J. (October 31, 2014). "On Halloween, Obama Dashes Hopes of Presidential Candy in Rhode Island". Time . Retrieved January 24, 2017. 'A good thing about being president is we never run out of presidential M&Ms,' Obama said, referencing the customized candy boxes handed out at the White House and aboard Air Force One bearing the president's signature. 'And so we're going to be giving those out.' [Replying to an audience request for some candy] Obama was forced to dash her hopes. 'You want some, is that what you said?' Obama asked as the crowd roared. 'Only to kids.'
  9. ↑ "Rajoy regala a Obama tres facsímiles de obras de hace 500 años… y Obama obsequia a Rajoy con una caja de M&M's". abc.es (in Spanish). January 14, 2014. Archived from the original on June 12, 2021.
  10. ↑ Nakamura, David (January 26, 2017). "President Trump impressed with first trip on Air Force One: 'Beautiful. Great plane.'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.