The Peaceful Transition of Deez Nuts

A memory from my time in the Obama Administration

Jan 20, 2025

There is no greater hallmark of a functioning democracy than the peaceful transition of power. As such, towards at the end of President Obama’s second term, my fellow political appointees and I were asked to submit our official letters of resignation, effective at noon on January 20, 2017. I thought it would be funny to sign my letter in blood.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” the White House Liaison demanded to know when I handed him my sanguine-soaked signature. “If I give this to the Secretary, she’ll think we’re both clowns.”

“And what’s the problem with that?” I asked, unintentionally summing up my approach not just to politics but life in general.

And that was the last in a series of bizarre, sometimes funny, often offensive antics I pulled during my 10 years working in politics, a journey that began my senior year of high school as an intern for Obama’s longshot bid to win the Iowa caucuses.

Said antics have included: dildos, Osama Bin Laden, a misinterpreted tweet about the Latin honors “cum laude,” obscene would-you-rathers in senior staff meetings, and a Halloween costume that I’m frankly surprised didn’t earn me a lifetime ban from all government buildings.

It’s tough to look back on my time in the Obama administration and not feel overcome with seemingly every emotion at once: hope, fear, disappointment, optimism, despair, confusion. I’ve been debating what life lessons I could share from my own experience that may be helpful to the next crop of political staffers searching for their place in the world as we transition to the next presidential administration. Anyway, here’s the Halloween costume story:

In October 2015, the government agency I worked for was gearing up for it’s annual office Halloween party. I’ve always opted for topical costumes when possible, and the national story that I was completely transfixed by that week was the presidential candidacy of, one, Deez Nuts.

Over 500 candidates had filed to run for president with the FEC, and amidst the names Clinton, Trump, and Bush was Deez Nuts. What made this particular name stand out from the pack was Public Policy Polling’s decision to actually conduct a poll asking voters if they would consider supporting Deez Nuts as a candidate (Mr. Nuts? Dr. Nuts? The Honorable Nuts?). Against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Deez Nuts was polling 9%.

There was just one obstacle that stood between me and my dream costume: The Hatch Act, a law that made it illegal for government employees to do anything that could be seen as promoting a political candidate. But did this law refer to fictional candidates? After all, the FEC paperwork for Deez Nuts was filed by 15-year old Brady Olson, who couldn’t even legally run for office. Olson hailed from Wallingford, Iowa, population 200. Of course he did. Three certainties exist in life: 1) Death 2) Taxes 3) There is always an Iowa connection.

I took a trip to the office of the Solicitor - our agency’s legal department - to find out if my costume would fly. I was greeted by a smiling white woman in her 60’s named Janice. This was going to be an awkward conversation.

I explained everything to Janice, starting with the origins of the phrase “Deez Nuts,” which can be traced back to a track on Dr. Dre’s debut album The Chronic (Janice’s lack of familiarity with The Chronic led me only to the conclusion that her allegiances laid not with Dre, Snoop, Warren G, and Death Row Records, but with the East Coast side of the hip hop rivalry).

Janice listened as politely as she possibly could have, albeit with an expression that made it clear that my inquiry had caused her to question how her decision to enter public service decades earlier had somehow led her to this moment.

Ultimately, she couldn’t say whether or not the costume was fair game. Janice promised to “run it up the flagpole.” I was to return to my office and await further guidance.

When I hadn’t heard anything the following day, I sent an email checking in. Here’s what I got back:

Well, we are actually having a tough time with it, believe it or not. Technically, Deez Nuts is a candidate for President and the Hatch Act would prohibit you from taking any action for or against a candidate in a partisan election while on duty or in a Federal building. Even though Deez Nuts is not a viable candidate, we are still struggling with the fact that there is a candidacy filed with the FEC. The Hatch Act regulations define candidacy as "an individual who seeks nomination or election to any elective office whether or not the person is elected. An individual is deemed to be a candidate if the individual has received political contributions or made expenditures or has consented to another person receiving contributions or making expenditures with a view to bringing about the individual's nomination or election."
So I went to the FEC's website to see if Deez Nuts has received any contributions, and he has not. But to be sure, we are asking the Office of Special Counsel, that administers the Hatch Act, to opine on this. I am sure they have dealt with fictional candidates before and we want to know how they have opined. I'll be in touch with you as soon as I hear. We just don't want to 1) put you in a position of unintentionally violating the Hatch Act; or 2) send a message to employees that you can dress as a candidate (even a fictitious one) if it's prohibited.

Less than an hour later, I got one more email from Janice:

OK I just talked to the Office of Special Counsel and they said that since Brady Olson/Deez Nuts is not a viable candidate, that you dressing as Candidate Nuts will not violate the Hatch Act. Have fun! Take a picture of your costume and send it to me!

I showed up to work the following day dressed as Deez Nuts. The costume was complete with a campaign brochure promising voters that Deez Nuts would never “swing too far left or right, but remain in the center.” It was a hit.

It’s been eight years to the day since my time in government came to an end. Just four days after my resignation letter went into effect (the second one I submitted. I keep the rejected one as a badge of honor), I left DC and moved to LA to become a comedy writer. In that time, I’ve been proud to use comedy to promote the progressive ideals that got me into politics in the first place.

I sometimes question if I was ever cut out for the political world in the first place. But then I think back to the letter I received from Janice some time after both she and I had left our positions:

Romen, I remember your "Deez Nuts" costume! That was one of the most fun things I got to research while I was in the Ethics Office!

Whether within the political process or outside of it, we all have our work cut out for us over the next four years. I hope we can remember to find fun and sometimes over the top ways to keep from burning out during what may to be a dark time.

And if we can all get through this together, I’ll see you in Iowa for Deez Nuts 2028.