Certain Hollywood Celebrities Were Identified as Enemies by Richard Nixon and Put on a List

It turns out that President Richard Nixon was a tad paranoid, but also very strategic with his political power. He recognized that there were likely people out there who would like to see his downfall, so he did his best to research into the issue and identify who might target him. The former president compiled this information into a list, along with the help of government intelligence.

Shockingly, it wasn't just political elites who made the list of enemies. Nixon tapped quite a few celebrities as potential threats, earning them a spot on the list. According to The New York Times, the purpose was to "use the available Federal machinery to screw [their] political enemies." Here's some of the big names that kept Nixon on edge.

In 1968, Bill Cosby gave an interview where he discussed Nixon directly. Plus, he told WGBH he was concerned about Black history in schools, advocating for more representation in the curriculum. A CIA document confirmed Bill's spot on the list as a copy of a memo said: "Celebrities like Gregory Peck and Bill Cosby, who have criticized President Nixon, used to be called critics not enemies. Now, the White House lists them as 'enemies' to be harassed through government investigations."

“I was on Nixon’s enemies list because I supported [Eugene] McCarthy in 1968 and raised funds for Daniel Ellsberg in the Pentagon Papers trial. Then I did a concert for George McGovern…” Barbra Streisand told the Los Angeles Times. She was rather proud about securing a spot on the list, too.

Jane Fonda was very active in the anti-war movement, according to Pritzker Military Museum & Library. The New York Times reported Jane calling Nixon a "traitor" in 1972. She branded him as “someone who is committing the most heinous crimes I think have ever been committed.”

Carol Channing's Playbill credits are unique, as it includes something far beyond just her acting legacy. After listing some of her accolades, Playbill wrote “and an appearance on Nixon’s ‘hate list,’ which she numbers among her highest honors.” Basically, she dissed Republicans at the time when they tried to capitalized off of the song "Hello Dolly!"

They twisted it into a version to support Senator Barry Goldwater, something that Carol made it clear she didn't want to be associated with. So, she threw her support behind Lyndon B. Johnson by singing, “Hello Lyndon! Well, hello, Lyndon! / It’s just great to have you there where you belong!”

Steve McQueen was so hated by Richard Nixon that a 2018 film, Finding Steve McQueen, took inspiration over the rival. The film is about a gang that wanted to steal money from President Nixon who had funds held in a slush fund. In the film, Harry James Barber was a massive fan of Steve McQueen during 1972, which gave him a little bit of inspiration for his next moves of putting together a scheme to take Nixon down... or at least steal his money.

His list also reportedly included Gene Hackman, Eartha Kitt, Gregory Peck, Joe Namath, and more.