Photo: President Obama Flashes Vulcan Salute With Nichelle Nichols

Once again President Barack Obama has revealed his inner Trekkie. A few weeks ago Star Trek’s original Uhura Nichelle Nichols visited the White House, and now she has shared a photo of the event featuring herself and the president, with both flashing Vulcan salutes. Check it out below.

 

Uhura meets Obama

On February 29th Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols was in Washington DC to speak at a NASA event and while there she had a chance to visit the White House and meet President Obama in the Oval office. And tonight Nichelle posted the official White House photo of the event on (Facebook and Twitter), which features Nichelle and the president flashing Vulcan salutes.


Nichelle Nichols & President Obama in the Oval Office on February 29, 2012

Back on February 29th, Nichelle tweeted about meeting the president saying:

I was honored to get a chance to meet with Pres Barack Obama today in the White House. He was as charming and handsome as I had expected.

Months ago Pres Obama was quoted as saying that he’d had a crush on me when he was younger. I asked about that & he proudly confirmed it!

President Obama also confirmed for me that he was definitely a Trekker! How wonderful is that?!

For more in Nichelle’s visit to NASA Godard (including video), go to nasa.gov.

Not Obama’s first Vulcan salute

This is not the first time that the president has shown his inner Trekkie. In 2009 at the White House Correspondents Dinner Obama threw up the salute (twice) while comedian John Hodgeman described him as America’s "first nerd president." And Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy has stated that when he met candidate Obama back in 2008 he was greeted with a Vulcan salute. Obama has also referenced Star Trek in his speeches on a couple of occasions, including once noting how he "grew up on Star Trek."


President Obama flashes Vulcan salute during White House Correspondents Dinner – June 19, 2009

 

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Ha ha, class. Big happy head on him as well :)

This is an awesome photo, and to think all those years ago she was going to leave the show!! I wonder what Martin Luther King Jnr would think of all this!! FANTASTIC!!

Live Long and Prosper to them both.

I’m not a registered Republican or Democrat (registered Independent…but I’ve only voted for the Democratic candidate since I was able to in ’96) but if the individual becomes president and they do good or bad…they’re MY president. I didn’t agree with Bush’s policy (i.e. the Iraq War) but I’d still treat him with respect as my president. (stuff I learned from watching “Star Trek”) I was a Hillary supporter in ’08 during the primaries/caucuses. Seeing this picture reminds me why he, President Obama, was the best choice in the general election of ’08 and why he’ll be in the best (and more than likely reelected) in ’12…he’s a Trekker. (HE is a Vulcan!!!) I’d love to hear about the entire visit by Nichelle Nichols…from both their perspectives (I guess she tweeted her experience).
live long and prosper…U-S-A!-U-S-A!-U-S-A!
:)

Oh, dear Lord, it’s election year. Treckers vote Obama!

First Fanboy.
I’m extremely fortunate to have had a photo taken with Nichelle Nichols as well. I know it’s a great feeling.

can you all knock it off its a nice picture nothing more nothing less, it has nothing to do with the economy or the space program just leave it be. I hate Obama and the democrats personally but this is not worth getting into flame wars about.

I wonder if Obama agreed to her putting this out on the internets?

doh ofc he did we need a delete button!

Interesting that they are using the Vulcan salute in the photo. Lets keep in mind that we are humans after all, with all the good and bad associated with that life form. At times, politicians seem to be another breed of life altogether. I don’t give ANY politician and/or political party slack, I just try to keep my distance for fear of contamination. So, keeping in the theme of TOS, lets not forget the theme of Plato’s Stepchildren. I don’t think this is so much an excuse but a reality.

#20 Why even mention “hate” if you want people to “knock it off”?? Sheesh.

I think it’s a nice picture and I’m glad that someone in such a major and visible leadership position embraces his inner-geek. Who knows who that might help when they see that Obama isn’t “too cool” to throw up a Vulcan hand sign. It’s nice to have a President who shows that being smart and having “geeky” interests isn’t a thing to be ashamed to share with the world.

This would make a great campaign poster! :)

Your gaining points with me #1.

Isn’t this the second time he has given the Vulcan Salute?

Glad we have a Trekker in the White House, now he just needs to get back the original continuity to star trek.

I didn’t know Tuvok had an office.

If I had a Vulcan son he would look like Tuvok…

Tee hee hee; you Americans are so funny to observe. You guys are just obsessed with politics – Here’s a few quotations to set you straight. Which president is the worst one? The next one. Democracy is the worst form of government except for the other kinds. The reality is that each one that gives it a go is destined to fail; no one is perfect. In politics, this holds true: Same crap, different pile.

Can’t stand his politics, but I must admit, he does one good Vulcan salute. Even better than Uhura! :)

33. You beat me to it. (Great photo!)

Excellent.

Whether your a Democrat or a Republican or whether you agree or disagree with any President’s policies, I think it would be an honor to meet The President!

The President is one of us. And we are one with him. I love it! Great shot!

I am ready for CHANGE!

He got the salue right. Thumb out to the side. Nice form Mr. President.

Here is a photo of the best president ever:
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/File:Federation_President,_2286.jpg

Kurtwood Smith in STVI is the best president.

Obama is da man!

@43 I was thinking the same thing. Good job, Mr. President! It always bugs me when celebs don’t put the thumb out to the side.

I like Ms. Nichols’ necklace with the delta sheild. Is that for sale?

I am surprised that there is not that much political debating so far, but then we are only 45 posts in….

Real trek fans vote Green.

Great photo!

@ 12. Schultz : “Treckers vote Obama!”

What is a Trecker?

This picture brought me my first smile of the day, and it’s currently afternoon!
:-D

31: Tony, you should know that anything that remotely has to do with politics will be argued about on the Inter-webs. But, then, all the post-deleting keeps ya busy!

BTW: I like your article on movies.com. I agree with you about the over-zealous movie-secret-keepers.

GOOD LORD! I thought Anthony wasn’t going to tolerate partisan politics on this site? Well I guess I was wrong.

He should have kept the comments section closed, or not even bothered putting up the article in the first place. Me? I enjoyed the article, but many of the comments on this thread ruined it for me, and others too, I’m sure.

Good time to highlight that both the current administrator and deputy administrator of NASA, nominated by Obama, were originally recruits of Nichelle Nichols’ 1970s-1980s NASA contract work to recruit women and minorities into the space program. Obama knows Nichols’ non-stereotypical appearance on TV when he was a child was one of the early steps in the cultural shift that made his political career possible.

I take back what I said. All of those posts were deleted when I wrote my post. Thanks Anthony!

Anyway, I wonder if the Prez likes DS9? How does he rank Captain Sisko?

I *ADORE* Nichelle Nichols! What an absolute class act! How proud she must be of herself and her achievements…. I know I certainly am proud of her!

I’m not an Obama supporter and I’m not really happy with any of the other choices either but I think it would be fun to kick back with the President and debate Trek for awhile. Maybe a “Beer Trek” summit. That would be cool.

I maybe wrong…but didn’t Nichelle want off the show and Dr King talked her out of that…something along those lines…

41 – lol that story has been told and morphed and retold countless times :)

LOVE this picture, just put it up in my office!

37: RDR: Good point. I heard from military folks that Sisko was the most realistic of all the captains. But then, I think Obama has stated he is a TOS and most especially a Spock fan. He, like Spock, was a child of two worlds and identified with the character.

Before the comments close, I’m going to get my two cents in!

I don’t care how big of a Trek fan he is, I’m still voting for Ron Paul, the REAL Spock-like candidate!

I’ll bet credits to navy beans that he asked her to say, “Hailing frequencies open, Mr. President.”

Two fantastic role models that broke new ground for African Americans and minorities everywhere. Bravo to both of them!

Pres. Obama: I’m not Spock…I am Spock :)

“Asked by Barbara Walters of ABC News what the biggest misconception of him is, Obama replied: ‘”Me being detached, or Spock-like, or very analytical.”‘

‘”People who know me know that I am a softie,” Obama added. “I mean, stuff can choke me up very easily. The challenge for me is that in this job, I think, a lot of times the press or how you come off on TV, people want you to be very demonstrative in your emotions.'”‘–Well, sadly, isn’t that the truth?

Thanks, Anthony, for being willing to post something you know carries such risks, and for trying to spare us the trolling.

I remember when some one made a comment that obama was the son of spock and uhura.

since there are infinte numbers of parallel universes, it probabaly true in one alternate universe

That photo is wonderful, and is just the best Trek photo ever. Obviously, the President is just as thrilled as she is.

Philip: “can you all knock it off its a nice picture nothing more nothing less, it has nothing to do with the economy or the space program just leave it be. I hate Obama and the democrats personally but this is not worth getting into flame wars about.”

Why does it bother you if people are discussing the photo? And why was it necessary for you to end your post by announcing that you hate half of the U.S. population? Very mature of you.

Sugar Rush: “Tee hee hee; you Americans are so funny to observe. You guys are just obsessed with politics – Here’s a few quotations to set you straight. Which president is the worst one? The next one. Democracy is the worst form of government except for the other kinds. The reality is that each one that gives it a go is destined to fail; no one is perfect. In politics, this holds true: Same crap, different pile.”

Over-generalize much? Saying “you Americans” is a very bigoted and ignorant thing to say. No matter what statement you might make, it definitely would not be true of all Americans, any more than it would be true of any other group. Don’t be such a bigot.