The White House Acid Plot: How Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick Nearly Dosed Nixon
- Apr 19
- 4 min read
In the turbulent spring of 1970, America was deep in the throes of the Vietnam War, campus protests, and a generational clash between the establishment and the counterculture. Richard Nixon was in the White House, preaching law and order while expanding the conflict abroad. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Jefferson Airplane—pioneers of psychedelic rock—were riding high on hits like "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love," with lead singer Grace Slick as their fearless, no-holds-barred frontwoman.
What happened next sounds like something out of a rock 'n' roll fever dream: Slick, invited to a genteel tea at the White House, showed up armed with 600 micrograms of LSD and a plan to slip it into the President's drink. She didn't succeed—but the story has become one of the most legendary "what if" tales of the era.
From Finch College Alumna to Rock Rebel
Grace Slick (born Grace Barnett Wing) wasn't always the acid-tongued rock icon. She briefly attended Finch College, a prestigious women's school in New York City, in the late 1950s under her maiden name. One of her classmates? Tricia Nixon, daughter of the future president.
Years later, after transforming into the powerful voice of Jefferson Airplane and embracing the San Francisco psychedelic scene, Slick received an unexpected invitation in the mail. Addressed to "Grace Wing," it was for a Finch College alumni tea hosted by Tricia Nixon at the White House on April 24, 1970.Slick later recalled her reaction: "I got an invitation in the mail. ‘Grace Wing, we cordially invite you to a tea…Tricia Nixon at the White House.’ And I thought, ‘Oh yeah, I think Tricky Dick needs a little acid.’"
It was the perfect ironic opportunity. The Nixon administration had no clue that the polite alumna they were inviting was now a counterculture superstar known for her anti-establishment anthems and open drug use.
The Plot: 600 Micrograms and a Yippie Date
Slick didn't go alone. She recruited Abbie Hoffman, the flamboyant co-founder of the Youth International Party (Yippies), anti-war activist, and all-around provocateur, as her escort. Hoffman was on the CIA's radar and instantly recognizable as a radical troublemaker.The plan was audacious but simple in theory. Slick pocketed about 600 micrograms of
powdered LSD—enough for a powerful trip, and tasteless when dissolved. Her idea: hide it under her long fingernail, casually gesture over Nixon's teacup during conversation, and drop it in. "The stuff is tasteless," she later explained, "and send him to the moon."
It wasn't about harming the president, Slick has insisted in interviews. She wanted to "send him on a trip" and perhaps loosen up the straight-laced commander-in-chief during a time of intense national division. As bandmate Paul Kantner later quipped, it "could have changed the history of the United States had Richard walked in and had some tea."
They even dressed the part—Slick in appropriate attire, Hoffman attempting to blend in with slicked-back hair and a suit. But the disguise didn't hold.
Turned Away at the Gates
On April 24, 1970, the duo arrived at the White House. They never made it past security.
White House guards immediately recognized Hoffman. When he claimed to be Slick's "bodyguard and escort," it didn't fly—the event was billed as an all-ladies affair anyway. Slick was informed she was considered a "security risk." The pair (and the LSD) were politely but firmly turned away before they even entered the building.
Nixon himself wasn't even attending the tea; it was strictly for Tricia's Finch alumnae. But the security team's instincts were spot-on. Slick's rock-star persona and Hoffman's notoriety had caught up with her, despite the invitation using her maiden name.
After the incident, the FBI reportedly looked into Slick's background, including her private school days. But she faced no charges for the LSD—she never got the chance to use it.
The Aftermath and Legacy
Grace Slick has retold the story with characteristic wit over the decades. In one interview, she reflected, "What I didn’t know is that he was nuts anyway." She later joked about what she might slip modern figures to "mellow them out," still landing on acid.
The tale perfectly encapsulates the late 1960s/early 1970s counterculture: a mix of idealism, absurdity, rebellion, and drugs as a perceived tool for enlightenment or protest. Jefferson Airplane's music often railed against the war and authority ("Volunteers," "Mexico"), and this stunt was like a real-life extension of their vibe.
Hoffman later included his version in his autobiography, framing it as another Yippie-style prank against the system. For Slick, it became one more colorful chapter in a life filled with wild stories—from her friendship with Janis Joplin to her own struggles with substance use and eventual sobriety.
Today, the story lives on in rock lore, podcasts, and articles as a "almost happened" moment that highlights how close the psychedelic era came to literally tripping up the highest levels of power.
Why This Story Still Resonates
In an age of tightly controlled politics and celebrity, it's hard to imagine a major rock star casually plotting to dose the president. The Grace Slick-Nixon incident reminds us of a time when the lines between music, activism, and chaos were gloriously blurred.
Would it have "changed history"? Probably not in any meaningful policy way—LSD trips don't rewrite foreign policy. But the image of a trippin' Nixon is too surreal not to ponder.
Grace Slick retired from music in the 1990s and turned to painting, but her rebellious spirit endures. As she once put it, the plan was foiled, but the legend wasn't.
Tricky Dick almost sent on a trip by Grace Slick. What if indeed 😂