Original subtitles

[Mac] Previously on Commander in Chief:

[man] Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States!

[Rod] A country full of people who believe in you.

I want you to be my chief of staff.

- Rod, stay in your lane. - If I've got an idea...

You're the one that has her ear at bedside.

Are you guys allowed to have guests over, to the White House?

I can do whatever I want.

Well, I'm... free tonight.

Man, if I was your age I'd be crawling out of my skin.

I love this stuff. Guess it's 'cause I'm pretty mature.

I have to be able to do my job.

Part of it is knowing when to keep her from the press.

I'm gonna run for president. I have to.

I want you to resign. I want you to be my vice president.

We can save this country. We can save it from her.

What a town. You can't even trust the backstabbers.

[Rod] Put it on, Amy.

No.

We had a deal, Princess Orion.

You want to wear that costume, you gotta throw the coat over it.

But I'm not cold.

- It's October. - But I'm hot.

Come on. We're gonna be late.

There you go.

- I'm already hot. - I know. I know.

Yeah. She's a bird, she's a plane,

she's off to Pierce Elementary,

- All right, have fun at school, kids. - Bye, Dad.

- Bye, Daddy. - Bye-bye! See ya!

Ah!

Missed it.

Everything OK?

- Yeah, fine. - You?

Yeah. I'm about to introduce our new national security advisor.

Mm.

I was wondering if you would like to sit in. I think Anthony would...

Oh, you remember? I'm gonna go see, uh, Ken. In Baltimore.

- The World Series. - Should be a good game.

- Wanna go? - Yeah. I'll just blow this off.

You realize this will be my first night here without you?

Mm, just do what you normally do.

- Fall dead asleep? - Mm-hm.

Maybe we could work on that when you get back.

Sounds like a plan. So...

- ...see you tomorrow, kiddo. - Mm.

Have fun.

[Melanie] I hate the new guy.

You've known him two minutes.

That is long enough to know that he is an unqualified kiss-ass.

You're right. Deputy director for Latin America at State,

ambassador to Venezuela, led the DOD Policy Board.

What was she thinking? They go way back to school.

They're bosom buddies, and I have to answer to him? I'm not the only one...

Justice and Homeland only answer to Prado on domestic terrorism.

The president wants one point person on security issues. Give her a break.

Hey, Kelly.

Hey. Anything special I should know?

No, just the announcement. You know the press agenda.

First Latino in the job, fluent in six languages, worked with the president.

Great. See you in there.

[Mac] Please join me in welcoming our new national security advisor,

Anthony Prado.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President, for your kind words.

I promise to serve you honorably and always provide my most honest judgment.

I know. And that's what worries me.

Madam President,

isn't it true Mr. Prado recommended you for your first job out of law school?

[Mac] More like, uh, sold me into indentured servitude.

That firm worked me 100 hours a week.

Now, it's... payback time.

Mr. Prado, do you think you'll approach your job differently

because of your Latino background?

[Prado] That's hard to say,

as I've never approached a job from a white background.

- [laughter] - Touché. Let me rephrase the question.

Sorry. No more questions. The president has a meeting now.

Thank you for coming, everyone.

[man] Thank you, ma'am.

[cameras clicking]

[chatter over TV]

What's going on?

U.S. Border Patrol picked up a guy trying to cross the Canadian border

early this morning. He had explosives.

He's being transferred to FBI now. We need to prepare for a real threat.

The subject, real name is Tariq Azam,

was picked up three hours ago crossing the border at Windsor, Ontario,

using a false U.S. Passport, alias, Douglas Salib.

His real nationality, Saudi Arabia.

Somehow Azam evaded our watch lists...

Melanie, let Prado lead.

Sorry. Not used to the new system.

What we know so far is that Azam is an al-Muharib operative.

Trained at the Shahid camp in Lebanon.

Al-Muharib always plans simultaneous attacks and always thematically linked.

How many targets have we identified exactly?

[Prado] Unfortunately, only one. Azam's.

His attack was scheduled for tomorrow, Halloween,

- at 1:00. - Where?

The Alexander Hamilton Elementary School in Springfield, Missouri.

TATP explosives were hidden in the passenger seat.

Two timing devices concealed in a spare tire

along with blueprints of the Hamilton School.

- How many students there? - Three hundred and sixty,

ages five to 12.

If we're assuming a multiple point attack,

projected casualties could be anywhere from 600 to 1,000 dead.

Our biggest priority right now is to track down the rest of this cell.

We have no intercepts on Azam from Intelligence.

Also, an active al-Muharib cell

always halts all communications at least ten days before an attack.

[Melanie] If we don't locate Azam's co-conspirators before 11am tomorrow

others bombs will go off as no doubt planned.

More schools.

If children are the targets, it could be parks, malls.

I recommend we raise the terror alert.

We do that, we tip off Azam's co-conspirators that he's in custody.

That's our only advantage. I don't want anything leaked to the press

about this threat until the rest of the cell is in custody.

[Jim] The last thing we need is for them to speed up or alter their targets.

Who knows about the threat?

Templeton and Remarque are briefing the Intelligence Committee shortly.

We also had to inform the local police and the mayor of Springfield.

- All advised not to talk to the press. - I'll fill Kelly in.

Ma'am, it is fairly clear that the only way we are gonna

find Azam's co-conspirators before tomorrow morning is if he talks.

- What are the chances? - Everybody talks eventually.

The question is will it be soon enough.

[Jimmy Kimmel on laptop] The president had to delay her vacation to Camp David

when husband Rod, and this is sad,

pricked his finger trimming the White House rose garden.

Wait. What'd he say? Make it louder.

[applause on TV]

What's up? Series highlights?

I saw in the news today that President Allen

may give her husband, Rod, a new Cabinet post.

He will be secretary of making her breakfast.

- I hope your parents don't watch this. - They've stopped.

- Really? And why is that? - Because it's not funny.

They made your daddy the secretary of making breakfast.

Hey, whoa, man. I thought you had a sense of humor.

- You gonna take this? - It's just stupid jokes.

- But they're about your dad. - [boy] Is that why you acting weird?

Because your dad's a big wuss?

All right. Come on, let it go.

Being a wuss runs in the family.

- [woman] Hey! Hey! Hey! Knock it off! - [man] Cut it out!

- Knock it! - Break it up!

[man] You've probably got some idea why we invited ourselves over.

Well, it's not totally out of left field.

We didn't expect Congressman Reinhold to retire.

We'd thought he'd stick around another term.

- I know Reinhold did too. - Yeah.

Mm. Would you like something to eat? Please.

- Yeah. - Sure.

That's an amazing wife you got there.

She spends her days putting murderers away,

and then she comes home and whips up a mean cheese spread.

[laughing] Yeah.

Of course she's following the brilliant example set by our attorney general.

Mm-hm, I learned everything I know from him,

as a prosecutor and a chef.

[laughter]

You said that you came about Reinhold?

Right. If Mike Zamore wins Reinhold's seat, that would be a disaster.

He's got the state party's backing.

More reason to think outside the box.

Excuse me one minute.

Where you going?

I have to put the twins to bed.

- You're the one we came to see. - We want you to run for Congress.

I am a student. I was studying engineering.

[man] That how you learned to make bombs?

[Azam] I don't know what you're talking about.

You don't have a sister in Green Bay.

Do you have any other family in the United States?

No. No, I don't.

I've done over 200 interrogations. This guy's not breaking any time soon.

The Shahid camp in Bekáa Valley, Azam trained there.

Maybe there's a paper trail.

We've got our best interrogators on their way. Should land in half an hour.

- What's the status of the camp? - In a CIA overwatch.

They've been monitoring it since 2002. Yields a lot of intel.

- Ma'am, if I may... - Let's raid the camp.

We've got a team on the ground in Jordan. Black ops.

Overnight. Bust down the doors and pull out whatever we can find.

Justice already has this threat covered.

A covert operation like this is expensive,

risky, and it could cost lives.

[Prado] The president's plan makes sense.

Its likely Azam met his conspirators in training.

- What's the one thing we know? - They keep the best records.

So we're just giving up on Azam?

We have 25 hours until bombs start going off, and we have no idea where.

Keep up the interrogation,

but I am not trusting the safety of our children to what happens in that room.

[Templeton] I'm at a loss, Melanie.

What's she doing? Has MI-5 gotten into the mix?

As far as they were concerned, he's an engineering student and a devout Muslim.

The bomb-making materials they found,

is that enough for... What's his name?

Azam.

To classify him as an enemy combatant?

- Not this president, I promise that. - Bloody hell.

Don't forget you're scheduled to be on Gordon Blake's talk show tomorrow.

And we're in a crisis.

The public's gonna expect you to be swaddled in the American flag.

Swaddled, no.

I'm gonna very humbly say that the president is doing everything she can

to avert this terror threat.

Now you tell me, Melanie...

...will I be I be lying if I say that?

I'll talk to her.

Good girl. Go do it.

It would be unseemly.

I cannot be seen to be critical of the president

when all of this is unfolding.

But you be ready to book a couple of shows next week

because if one bomb goes off tomorrow,

I am gonna put this all on her shoulders.

The Bekáa Valley is technically part of Lebanon.

- If they find out that our guys... - We have to make sure they don't.

Ma'am.

Kids at Hamilton Elementary won't be going to school tomorrow.

The mayor of Springfield got scared.

He notified the principal who notified the parents.

Let's contain it.

Too late. AP picked the story up and got a quote

from the mayor confirming that it's terrorist-related.

He tipped off Azam's cohorts.

He wasn't told why we were keeping this covert.

It should be enough the FBI told him to keep his mouth shut.

Look, I have a dozen reporters hounding me for details.

Keep it under wraps that we have Azam.

Don't mention al-Muharib. Don't bring up other cell members, additional targets.

We handle this correctly, we can convince the collaborators

we don't know they're out there and avoid a panic.

All right. Thanks.

OK. Jim, call Prado and see if we can move up the launch from Jordan.

I wanna know what the risks are if we go in before nightfall.

Our 25-hour window may slam shut any second.

There's a possible threat of loss of life.

Why weren't we informed about the threat?

The government doesn't share every aspect of homeland security measures.

Could the government tell us how they learned of the threat?

Was it routine intelligence? An individual in custody?

For security reasons, I can't answer...

Come on, Kelly, you gotta be kidding.

The most important thing is that now we know

we've taken every possible measure to avert the existing threat.

What about the New York Stock Exchange, Lambeau Field?

There is only one known target.

Can the White House confirm the safety of these locations?

That's a loaded question.

Does that mean that the threat has been resolved?

At this point we don't know

if it's an isolated target or part of a larger plot.

[woman] Terrorists groups have never before tried to attack a red state.

What does this means? Moving away from only targeting blue states.

It mean we should stop thinking of ourselves as red states and blue states

and start thinking of ourselves as the United States.

[Ken] One guess why I asked you to make the trip up.

Uh... not for the pleasure of my company? [laughs]

Uh, you want Mac to toss out the first ball the next opening day.

Not even close. Frank Hanford's contract is up in December.

We've got a short list of ten. You're at the top of it.

We want you to be the next commissioner of baseball.

Your legal background, leadership experience...

Washington connections.

Sure. Those entered the discussion.

But the truth is the league needs you, Rod.

We're about legitimacy and integrity.

Here's your chance to make it to the bigs.

To make an impact on the game that you love.

You can't tell me you don't want to.

- I have obligations. - Of course.

To the president, to my kids.

No first person has ever worked outside the White House.

Did Mary Todd Lincoln ever have this good an offer?

Think about it.

If you could keep me updated on any new intelligence that comes...

- [yelling] Princess Orion! - Excuse me.

Amy. Mommy is on the phone.

What did we say about that?

I... forgot.

I'm sorry. Again, we are keeping this internal for now.

- Sorry, Mommy. - It's OK.

Vince. [groans]

Yes, ma'am?

Would you escort Princess Orion back to her galaxy?

Of course I will.

Ready, Amy? One, two, three!

Operation Orion begins in 45 minutes.

- When should we have news? - A couple hours.

Homeland Security recommends that we raise the terror alert.

At least until after Halloween.

When the story hit the wires, schools began shutting.

If we don't do anything, we risk looking unresponsive.

How many schools have shut down?

About 40 percent of elementary, 30 percent of middle, upper.

We don't have a number on how many parents are keeping their kids home.

Teachers calling in sick.

- Azam talking? - Still stonewalling.

Why should he talk when he's being wined and dined by the anti-torture statutes?

Those statutes were written for a reason.

May we have a moment in private please, ma'am?

[door shuts]

There are other steps that we could be taking.

If we classify Azam as an enemy combatant...

- You're advocating torture. - Your word.

It's not been proven to work.

- More times than not, they'll lie. - You're tying my hands.

- I didn't write the Constitution. - It's not a suicide pact.

We have a living, breathing person in custody who has answers.

Have Homeland raise the terror alert.

Yes, ma'am.

[man] Charlie, there's nothing to talk about.

- I remember it. - [Charlie laughing] Nothing. No.

You remember nothing. Off with their heads?

You don't remember that.

Come on, man.

- Hey, Kelly. - Hi, Charlie.

Alex, can I borrow you for a second?

Yeah.

Later.

- [door shuts] - Alex.

Alex.

Look, Alex, what happened today, it can't happen again.

Whoa, slow down. What're...?

What're you talking about?

The president tells me what to say and what not to say.

- If you're not in those meetings... - I ought to be.

- You are. A lot of the times. - No.

I ought to be in, and you ought to be out.

That's right.

I'm not... I'm not the only one who thinks so.

Why don't you ask our friends in the press corps?

[exhales] You're still upset that the president gave me the job.

Upset? Upset? That I, a Harvard graduate, was passed over by someone

who a month ago thought a lid was something you put on lattes.

Look, I know it's hard...

No, you don't. You don't know anything.

And I'm sick and tired of taking orders from some UC Santa Barbara Pi Beta Phi

who majored in rushing and minored in getting on her knees.

Or... I'm sorry, do I have that backwards?

Did... did you... minor in rushing?

Don't come in tomorrow.

All right. Look, I'm sorry.

Look, I'm sorry, Kelly.

OK? I just... I'm just... I'm just... I'm just, you know, drunk.

Yeah. You're just, you know, fired.

And next time, check your sources.

I was born in Santa Barbara. I graduated from Princeton.

Phi Beta Kappa.

What? You're too good to go trick or treating?

No, not too good. Just... too old.

Nah, never too old.

Well, besides, if I go, it'll be a huge production.

I mean... Secret Service and whatnot.

And probably press.

You sure? 'Cause I make a pretty convincing Dracula.

Oh, yes, I'm sure.

[as Dracula] I want to suck your blood.

Ahh!

[both laughing]

God, you're beautiful.

[knock on door]

Are you leaving on your own, or should I call Rebecca's agents?

Madam President, it's honor to meet you.

It'd be more of an honor if you weren't in my daughter's bedroom at 11pm.

- Sam? - Um... Mom, this is Mike Flemming.

We were just studying.

- Ma'am. - Please show this young man out.

Yeah. Thank you.

Thanks.

Mom, Mike's a good guy.

You're 16. More relevant, he's 16.

- Seventeen. - Well, OK then.

But he's a total gentleman

and a good guy and a good friend. Mom, you should have seen him.

I've seen enough. Thanks.

No, I... I mean today, at school, with Horace. He completely defended him.

Why did Horace need defending?

Um...

...because kids at school were making fun of Dad.

Hey.

All quiet on the home front?

Can I have the CIA shift their overwatch to Rebecca's room?

Two Chinooks, four helos total

will be entering Lebanese airspace within the next 15 minutes.

Shall I update you each step?

- I won't be sleeping. - Yes, ma'am.

Mr. Waverly.

Were you able to reach the first gentleman?

Not yet.

Will the children be going to school tomorrow?

I think they should stay home.

Very good, ma'am.

If I can ask...

...should I tell my daughter to keep my grandchildren back?

That, I can't answer.

Seems like most people plan to.

Attention!

Everyone. What do you have for me, Mr. Secretary?

The Orion team is back on the ground in Jordan, debriefing and sorting.

- Casualties? - There were two wounded, one seriously.

Thank you. Please sit.

The, uh, preliminary assessment is very promising.

They got over 300 data CDs, ten hard drives, a stack of paper files.

We're fairly confident that they'll be able to decode and identify

all of Azam's co-conspirators.

But when? Next week?

Azam's attack was scheduled for 1pm.

It's already 4am. That gives us ten hours.

Ma'am, Azam still remains our most valuable asset.

It is my recommendation that he spend time with the Kilo Charlie team.

- They just got back from... - Afghanistan. I know.

It's a matter of expertise.

FBI agents spend maybe ten weeks

learning to fight terrorism within very strict parameters.

Obviously, you agree with this since just yesterday

you decided that Justice should answer to NSC on domestic terrorism issues.

I think we wait for news from Amman.

But it could be days. Or weeks.

Yeah.

Hand him over.

But, Melanie,

I don't want to hear that he was tortured.

- Do you understand me? - Perfectly.

Thank you.

[man] Ma'am.

I bet you don't know who that is.

Her name is Amy too. She used to live here.

A long time ago, when her daddy was the president.

You know what Amy used to do for Halloween?

Uh-uh.

She'd have a party. I was thinking maybe we should do the same thing.

- Have a party and go trick or treating? - Mm...

I was thinking just the party.

But I'm going with Abigail. And Luke's coming...

I wish people could celebrate the way they want.

But there's bad guys that are trying to ruin Halloween,

and it's my job, as a mommy, to make sure that you're safe.

Are you gonna catch all the bad guys?

- Oh, I hope so. - Before tonight?

I'm gonna do my best. I promise.

I bet Princess Orion could catch them right away though.

I'm gonna go take this off.

So we know it's al-Muharib.

That means more than one target, right?

At least. But we have no idea where.

- Who's your source? - Rod...

Do you have anyone in custody?

If I'm not a part of this, what am I doing?

Do you have any idea why I was calling you? Why I couldn't sleep?

It's not just ‘cause of the threat.

Amy is distraught because I destroyed Halloween.

Rebecca is entertaining boys in her room.

Horace got into a fight.

OK, look, I didn't mean the kids.

I just... What's "entertaining," exactly?

I handled Rebecca.

But you should talk to Horace.

- A fight, huh? - Greer called it an incident.

Will you talk to Horace please?

Sure.

What did you want to talk about? What happened in Baltimore?

Oh, it's nothing you need to worry about.

- Hey. - Hey. Whatcha doing?

I was trying to find a horror movie for tonight.

Best I'm gonna do for Halloween, considering...

I heard you got in a fight.

I want to know what happened.

Hey. Did he insult you?

Your sister?

Your mom?

Me?

Pretty easy target these days.

Horace, I know it's an adjustment, but I am proud of what I'm doing here.

- And you don't need to defend me. - Someone's gotta.

You're a national joke, Dad.

No one's noticed Mom is the first female president

because they laugh at her wuss husband.

- What did you just say to me? - You heard me.

Don't you walk away from me.

- Just forget it. - Wait a minute.

You think I can forget what you said to me?

- Dad, I didn't mean it. - Get out of here!

- Hey, Gordon. - There he is.

- This me? - Right there.

- You look good. - Thanks.

You look really good.

I think I've lost a few pounds.

You're taking that little blue pill.

- [laughing] Oh, come on now. - You're blushing.

We'll toss a few things around. I'm sure you want to get into the vouchers bill.

Whatever you like. It's your show.

I'm sorry if I'm a little... I just... Off the record?

Thank you. Thanks.

I just came out of the intel meeting

on this Missouri business, it's always scary.

We're on in ten.

These sessions, our president...

- We should get into that. - Oh, golly, no. Please.

Don't put me on the spot. You know me and my mouth.

- You're on. - Hello. I'm Gordon Blake.

And this is Speaker of the House Nathan Templeton. This is The War Room.

Speaker, tell me,

is the president of the United States soft on terrorism?

You're dealing from the bottom of the deck, Gordon.

There's a terror alert.

It would be very remiss of me to, in any way,

criticize the president at a time like this.

Well, can you look into that camera, our audience, and tell America,

"Worry not. Your children will be safe this Halloween"?

[laughing] You're incorrigible.

Now you're asking me to speak for the president and her NSC team.

Because that's where the security of the country lies.

It lies with her.

I'm not gonna tell the president what to do,

not on national television, anyway.

What I can say,

and I am confident that the president would agree with me saying it,

is that this is not a time for politics.

This is the time for the president to do everything within her power...

...to keep Americans alive.

Do you have any other family in the United States?

No. No, I don't.

- [man] In Canada? - [Azam] No.

[man] We know you're a Saudi citizen.

I'm new, but I'm sure you're not supposed to be doing this.

- I'm sorry. - Be thankful I caught you and not Jim.

I was wondering and curious at how it was going with the prisoner.

We're sending him for a more aggressive interrogation.

- Good. - Pardon me?

If it means stopping him and nabbing other terrorists, do whatever it takes.

I'm surprised to hear that. You're strong on Palestinian rights.

Yes, I am. I'm just not very big on terrorists having rights.

There's a difference. Thanks to them, people don't see it.

I say boil the bastard alive.

- Hey. - Hey. Weren't you in Baltimore?

Mm-hm.

Business or pleasure?

It started out as pleasure.

Wanna swap lives?

I don't, uh...

I don't think you'd make a good baseball commissioner.

Hmm?

I got offered the job.

Wow. Can you believe that?

What? When did that happen? That's fantastic.

- Mm-hm. - What are you gonna do?

It's, uh... it's complicated.

Yeah. A little.

The truth is, there's no legal reason I can't take that job.

You might be happier.

Plus, Horace must be jazzed. That's every boy's dream.

Yeah.

[exhales] I gotta go.

Aren't those for Amy?

- Didn't I ask you to get Anthony? - Yes, ma'am.

Then why isn't he here?

Because you would ask him why he doesn't have any updates,

and I thought I would spare him the seventh trip down the hall.

Why doesn't he have any updates?

- You see The War Room this morning? - No. Why?

Gordon Blake had Templeton on. He implied that if anything happened...

I don't want to get into political games with Templeton. Don't take the bait.

If we're lucky, my second day might be better than the first.

We've got names of co-conspirators and specific school targets.

The question is, can we round them up in time.

We have the entire cell in custody.

As a precaution we're keeping heightened security at the other target schools

in... uh... Bloomington, Hillsboro and Fort Worth.

I want to visit all four schools on Monday.

I'll set it up.

So... that's it.

I don't know about you, but I could not pull another all-nighter.

[laughter]

I don't bounce back like in college.

- Ask Anthony. - I think you did just fine.

Operation Orion was an inspired move. Not to mention aptly named.

But at what cost?

Two black ops in the hospital, millions of dollars

and the loss of Shahid training camp as a future source of intel.

And the foreign minister of Lebanon

will be canceling his visit to the White House.

I assure you that on Monday morning, when I'm saying the Pledge

with the children of Alexander Hamilton Elementary,

I will not be regretting any of my actions.

Absolutely, ma'am. My point is,

simply, we have limited resources, and there are limitless threats.

I got the same list of co-conspirators from Azam's interrogation.

Plus, coordinates of safe houses they may use in the future.

What's done is done.

The important thing is you just averted the first major threat

of your administration, Madam President. Congratulations.

[all] Congratulations.

- Congratulations. - Thank you.

Hi. You look so cute.

Is it too late to have the party?

Oh, baby. This is what you wanted to do.

It's gonna be really, really fun.

What's the matter, hon? You still scared?

Maybe it's OK to be a little scared on Halloween.

You caught all the bad guys, right?

We wouldn't let you go if it wasn't safe. You know that.

Are you sure you can't come?

Yeah. Pete and Eddie aren't gonna let me come.

But Daddy's gonna come with you.

Mommy's gonna have a huge jar of candy corn

- to share with us when we get back. - Half a jar, maybe.

We better go.

Come on.

[engine starting]

Happy Halloween.

- That Amy's stash? - Yeah.

- Do you want some? - No, thanks.

Hey.

About earlier...

I'm sorry I said what I said, but...

But what?

You're the son of the president, Horace.

People have opinions. You can't go after every jerk who has a remark.

I didn't have a choice!

And I say you do.

[sighs] Yeah.

Straight ahead, sir.

Madam President.

- Nathan. - [sighs]

Well, bloody hell. It's been really something.

Uh... yeah. It has.

A defining moment for you. For us. For all of us.

At times like these we're all Independents.

Hmm.

Anyway, I just wanted to say to you, you did good.

Well, thank you.

That uh... that means a great deal to me.

Thank you very much.

When I think of how close we came...

Hmm.

Anyway, what's his name, Azam, talked and...

...that's what's important.

Intelligence oversight.

I see the same secret papers you do.

I'm subject to the same code of silence you are. And...

...I will not speak a word.

That is after all, unspeakable.

But this is the business we've chosen,

this business of leading,

paying the price for the greater good.

Mr. Speaker, what the hell are you talking about?

Nathan?

Madam President.

Just you and me.

No one else here.

I'm trying to tell you...

...that I am proud of you.

You understand the burdens of the necessary evil.

I didn't think that was part of your makeup. I was wrong.

I was trying to congratulate you.

[exhales]

Well...

...good night, Nathan.

Good night.

Congratulations.

Sleep well.

[sighs]

Ma'am?

What happened with Azam?

- He talked. - Why did he talk?

I told you, Kilo Charlie was better equipped to...

Better equipped with what? Electrodes?

I said there was to be no torture.

You said no such thing. You said you didn't want to hear about torture.

Presidents don't speak in metaphors.

"I don't want to hear" means "I don't want to hear."

- Is he alive? - Barely. I don't care or give a damn.

I do.

If I thought there were another way...

We found another way.

There's always another way.

I am not prepared to ever accept torture.

Then perhaps you're not prepared to be president.

Do you really think that what you did was right?

I am not gonna have any trouble sleeping tonight.

Could you have done it yourself?

Why send him to a special military unit?

Why not do it right here, in the Oval Office?

Strap him down to my desk. That's what you did...

He wanted to kill our children.

And you would have had to see the corpses of our children.

When you saw them you would have said to yourself one thing:

"I would have given anything to have prevented this."

Well, you did.

Principles mean little when we're the only ones playing by the rules.

Those bastards don't deserve our protection.

The rules are not there to protect them.

They are to protect us.

Other nations follow us.

If we torture, there is nothing to prevent other countries

from doing the same to our citizens.

Understood.

You are relieved of your duties.

And I'm not talking in metaphors.

[thunder]

Madam President?

I spoke with Melanie.

If you need me, I'll be in my office.

Thank you.