On Monday, President Donald Trump took a tour of Elvis Presley‘s Graceland museum. During the visit, he suggested bringing back gold Social Security cards after being shown a novelty version once owned by Presley.
On Monday, the president visited the Memphis landmark during a trip to Tennessee, which included a meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and others at an Air National Guard hangar.
The mansion, which is one of the most popular private homes in America, opened to the public in 1982, five years after the death of the Rock & Roll star. During a tour through the Jungle Room, Trump spotted the distinctive gold-colored Social Security card that was once owned by the singer.
📍GRACELAND 🎸 KING OF ROCK AND ROLL pic.twitter.com/NmsmVX8M9O
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 25, 2026
The guide said, “So, this, this is Elvis’ Social Security card.” However, it was not an official government document, but rather sold as a durable alternative to paper cards. “Good idea. Maybe we should do that again,” said Trump.
For those unfamiliar, in the 20th century, the gold Social Security cards were sold as novelty or vanity items. The cards were made from brass or gold-plated aluminium and were considered sturdier than the regular ones. Owners were also allowed to engrave their details onto them. However, while their appearance was different, the cards had no official legal status.
According to the Social Security Administration, the first card was issued “sometime in mid-November 1936.” The cards issued by the agency now feature a blue and gray design and a unique nine-digit unique number for each user. The cards are official identification for employment, taxation, and benefits.
While Donald Trump suggested that the gold cards should return, he did not propose a formal change to the current cards issued by the Social Security Administration. Apart from the novelty item, Trump, a fan of Elvis, also viewed other items in the museum.
President Trump visits Graceland: “We love Elvis. Who doesn’t love Elvis. Everybody loves Elvis, right?” pic.twitter.com/cwpo6bAkDg
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 23, 2026
Among them were a posthumous Medal of Freedom and a U.S. Army helmet from the time the singer served between March 1958 and March 1960. He also signed a guitar during the visit, which belonged to Presley.
Previously, the POTUS has played the rock n roll star’s songs at several of his campaign rallies. During the visit, he said, “I met Sinatra. I knew all of them. I never met Elvis. Sometimes I feel I should tell little fibs that I knew him…I love Elvis, but I never met him.”
The President noted that Elvis was “a good person with a complicated life.”
