Richard Nixon eating poi, 1960
(Photo credit: Richard Nixon Foundation)
Added: Aug. 2, 2026 | Last updated: Aug. 2, 2026
The day was August 4, 1960 in Hilo, Hawaii. Richard and Pat Nixon had touched down on the island eariler that day. It was election season in the country, and as the Republican nominee, then-Vice President Nixon made a lofty promise to the American people that he would campaign in all fifty states, including the two newest states added to the Union.
Joining the Nixons in Hawaii were Senator Hiram Fong and his wife Ellyn Lo Fong, who both had illustrious careers in public service. But on this day, they would go to the local Police Academy to accept a banquet highlighting Hawaii's long and colorful culinary history. At the academy, placed above a banner reading "ALOHA PAT & DICK" was a table carrying some of the state's various food and drink, including a bottle from Hilo's Excelsior Soda Works and a paper cup of poi.
Poi is a staple of Polynesian cuisine, made by taking the root vegetable taro, steaming it, pounding it, and then adding water to form a paste. An interesting thing about poi is its viscosity. To eat it, one typically scoops it up with a few fingers, and the thickness of the poi determines how many fingers are needed for a proper scoop. Most poi is informally called "two-finger" poi, but it can also be a one- or three-finger dish, if one so desires. To visit Hawaii and not have poi would be a sorely missed opportunity. It is a food in which Hawaiians rightfully and deservedly take a great deal of pride. I am getting hungry just writing about it. Naturally, poi was included in Vice President Nixon's luncheon. And so when he arrived, Nixon eagerly partook in the meal graciously provided by his local hosts. And how lucky we are that this moment was captured on film for us all to see.
Now, when conducting research for this project, I stumbled upon dozens and dozens of our many commanders in chief eating and drinking. From pizza to ice cream to sandwiches, these men have had their fair share of people photographing these candid moments. And as of writing this post, I can safely and genuinely say without a hint of sarcasm, irony, or malice, that this photo of Richard Nixon is my absolute favorite photograph of a president eating. It is wonderful.
I am sure many will look at this photograph and think I am being sarcastic, that I am just poking fun at this quote-unquote "unflattering" photo of the vice president. And to those confused cynics I would ask, "Has anyone ever photographed you eating?" I mean this sincerely. Ask a friend to take a picture or two of you eating a meal. I am willing to bet that you will not be pleased with what you see. And that is precisely my point. None of us look good while we are eating; humans were not designed to be photogenic during a meal, including leaders of the free world. Despite all the time these politicians spend as figures in the public's judging eyes, they will more often than not be no better than the rest of us. And I say that is perfectly fine. These men are not deities living among us mere mortals, they are just human.
This is precisely what I appreciate about this photo. It is human. It is not this perfectly crafted painting or sculpture, meant to showcase the ideal perception of some supreme being. It is raw, it is candid, and sure, it may be unflattering. But it is honest. And in that aesthetic honesty, there is poignancy, and there is power. And it is important that we are able to reflect upon that honesty and speak about it without fear of consequence, for the freedom of speech that is our right as Americans allows us to do so. How grateful I am, how grateful we all must be, that we live in a country where we can look at our leaders and openly acknowledge that they are human like the rest of us. Just as the humble taro is rooted in the soils of Hawaii, so to is our freedom of speech rooted in our Constitution, the very same Constitution that the man in this photograph would solemnly swear to preserve, protect, and defend nine years after departing Hilo.
May the freedom that this photograph represents encourage us all to eat, drink, and be merry for the rest of our days. And may that freedom never escape the grasp of our proud, poi-covered fingers.
If you know of any more photographs of presidents eating food, feel free to send them at commnfeast@proton.me. I may end up writing another post about them here.