Original subtitles

[Mac] Previously on Commander in Chief:

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

[Rod] You have a country of people who believe in you.

Templeton is not choosing my vice president.

- She picked somebody. - It's Warren Keaton.

If you want a man who's worth a damn in this job,

you gotta make this job worth a damn.

He won't be confirmed. Not with what I know.

Do yourself a favor, Rod. Stay in your lane.

- If I've got an idea... - You have her ear at bedside.

We want you as the next commissioner of baseball.

No first person has ever worked outside the White House.

There's no legal reason I can't take that job.

You might be happier.

She really is all over you. How's a guy supposed to kiss you good night?

- Aren't you the president's daughter? - Get off me!

So you're just gonna take this job?

Can you make me a better offer?

[police siren in distance]

[footsteps approaching]

[Rod] You're up early.

- Yeah. Went for a run. - Mmm.

I couldn't sleep. I keep thinking about the hearings.

It's a big day, all right.

- You look great. - Thanks.

Gonna tour the Baseball Commission this morning?

They want to make a big deal out of the contract signing.

Well, there hasn't been a new baseball commissioner in a decade now.

So... how's this gonna work?

You're gonna be spending a lot of time in New York?

Well, there's gonna be, uh, long days.

Some overnights, some travel.

- I guess we should sit the kids down. - Yeah.

Amy, especially. I mean, she's used to having both of us around full-time.

- Yeah. - Madam President, Mr. Calloway,

I'm sorry to interrupt, but I got an advance copy.

- Of what? - The new Evan Hutchins book.

That wasn't supposed to come out for two days.

A friend works at the publishing house.

It's pretty rough, ma'am. The epilogue, it... [sighs]

It's rough.

They changed the title.

Oh, my God. How much of this have you read?

Only what my friend alerted me to read.

Advance copies aren't out for a couple of days,

so I think we can get ahead of this story.

Kelly, I'll see you later.

Have a great trip.

Mac, this is a big deal.

I have a vice president to confirm, my first executive order to sign

and a country to run. Those are big deals. That's a book.

- By Evan Hutchins. - Right. By Evan Hutchins.

- All right, tell me the worst of it. - Page 337, in the epilogue.

- What the press will latch on to. - So will Templeton.

[Kelly sighs]

On the day of the hearings.

- [slams book shut] - Damn it!

Obviously, there's someone close to us

who should not be close to us.

All right, let's get senior staff assembled as quickly as possible.

Thought you were going to New York.

Evan Hutchins is not going to bring down this administration.

I thought Hutchins was writing a Bridges bio, not a Mac smear job.

Focus shifted after he died.

- Into attack mode. - Yeah,

thanks to "senior White House officials."

Kelly, what's this about you getting caught

making out with George Clooney at the inauguration?

Eli, focus. We have to get on serious damage control mode here.

We can't have her painted as out of the loop.

- Disloyal? - [Rod] Morning, everyone.

- Morning, sir. - Good morning, sir.

- Everything OK, Thad? - Uh, yes, sir.

That's good. Everyone's seen the book?

Piece of garbage, sir.

Well, despite that, we have to preempt it as best we can.

We have 48 hours until it goes public.

Let's start divvying up chapters and documenting inaccuracies.

- Already on it. - Anything that can be used

to challenge Hutchins' credibility, do it.

Hard to slam Evan Hutchins. He already has two Pulitzers.

Watch me.

You'll be second to the last in the rotation of the questioners.

You'll have ten minutes, no more, so get to it quickly.

- Who else knows about this? - Keaton told me about five years ago.

It was... We were close friends.

I think I'm the only guy he ever unloaded to.

Yeah, Willy's an old compadre of the general's.

Which is why I know he can't be vice president.

Look, if you even hint at this,

Keaton's a hothead, he'll walk away.

He'll hit the lecture circuit. He'll write a book.

He'll forget about being VP.

Bloody hell, guys.

Teddy Bridges is dead.

We forgot how fragile life is.

We forgot that the vice presidency is not an irrelevancy.

[chuckles]

Thank God we got the power of the 25th Amendment,

that's all I can say.

- Ma'am. - Jim, good.

- Ready for today? - Your husband, ma'am.

He's in the Roosevelt Room running a meeting of some kind.

He stayed, huh?

He was supposed to begin his new job today.

Well, he's here, and... Look, Kelly filled me in on the book.

If you want to combat it don't you think I...?

No, Jim, I don't.

Listen, Rod is just protecting me.

That's what he does. I can't stop him.

What we need to focus on is monitoring these confirmation hearings.

We have this executive order to consider.

You know it's been impossible to set any sort of agenda

when there's constantly a fire to put out.

Ma'am, you assumed office at a tragic time.

Job one was holding the country together, and you've done that.

We can get fully into the Allen agenda once Keaton is confirmed.

Right. Well,

I'm certainly not gonna let a journalist derail our work.

OK, ma'am.

In any case, Kelly says the book is still a couple of days out.

Any inaccuracies in it can be dealt with ahead of time.

Rod will find 'em all, trust me.

- [man on radio] Velour's in the quad. - I can't believe it, another new agent.

Man, who knew Greer was so cool.

It sucks that I got her fired.

No, you didn't. Your dad just sorta...

Overreacted? He's a dad, you know.

Yeah. I know we're never gonna be alone.

Why don't you come to the residence? Secret Service doesn't go upstairs.

Yeah, your mom was real happy when she caught me there last time.

What about your house?

- Can you pull it off? - Probably not.

Well, maybe if there were other kids there, you know.

I could have a party.

Oh, your parents would have to be home.

I'm at my dad's this weekend. He's cool.

[bell rings]

Huh?

- OK. - You're a genius.

President Allen will carefully follow General Keaton's confirmation hearings

- at the House. - [reporters clamoring]

Is it true the hearings will be the first C-SPAN program

to be blocked by the V-chip for coarse language?

[chuckling]

Kelly, does the president have any comment on Evan Hutchins' book?

- I'm sorry? - Specifically the charge he makes

that, on his deathbed, President Bridges

asked Mackenzie Allen to resign

rather than assume the presidency.

[man] What was most frustrating to the Bridges team was

Mackenzie Allen putting her principles over party loyalty.

- I can't hear myself think. - At a meeting with donors who raised

- over $250,000 in... - [mutes sound]

You can't ignore this, Mac.

If the country feels you betrayed his wishes

they'll view you as illegitimate.

They'll view me as even more illegitimate

if I don't do my job as president.

I am determined to sign my first executive order,

and I want it to be the Richmond education initiative.

- Good. - Jim is pushing me

to sign Bridges' space initiative.

He thinks it will be a nice tribute to Teddy.

Mac, are you getting this? This book is symptomatic of a bigger problem.

A lot of these details only a very few people have access to.

We have a dangerous, dangerous leak.

- Jim was first to ask you to resign. - Melanie was there next to him.

The entire cabinet was aware of what Bridges was asking.

- Jim was outside that hospital door. - Look, Jim's hardheaded,

but something like this, it's completely outside of his character.

I'm not buying it.

- You need to read this, Mac. - Why?

Because there is chapter after chapter

of how Bridges wanted you out.

How he didn't trust your instincts.

You need to know what Bridges really thought of you.

Once you do that, you can break the chain to him.

[knock on door]

Jim.

- Madam President, the Keatons are here. - Oh. Thank you.

Abigail. Hey, Hunter.

- Madam President. - Warren.

- General. Good to see you. - Hello, Rod.

Remember Abigail and Hunter?

What do you think of the White House?

- Looks bigger in Independence Day. - [chuckling]

Jim, give the General the news out of Gallup. This is great.

- Seventy-thirty, fave-unfave. - In other words,

I'll soon give you the scoop on the vice presidential mansion.

- In all your spare time. - [knock on door]

General, we need to leave.

Go ahead. I'll catch up.

They're giving me a microphone today.

I can say whatever you need.

Tell 'em to go to hell in a flatbed truck if they believe that book...

- General... - I'll behave, Jim.

Unless you don't want me to.

Go kick some tail.

Just like you did in the Senate, Warren.

Ma'am, I've scheduled some time for a presentation by NASA

on the Mars initiative. I think it could be a hell of a first EO.

OK. Well, I certainly will listen to what they have to say.

Any thoughts on that book, Jim?

I haven't read it yet.

Not sure if I'm going to.

It's 'cause he knows what's in it.

Hey, Vince.

How many did you get?

What are you talking about?

Entries in the index.

Did you come here to give me a hard time?

Your lucky number came up. Random drug screening today.

Sign here.

[sighs] Lucky me.

[man] Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats.

The hearings are about to begin.

I am proud to chair this hearing

that celebrates the 25th Amendment.

This is only the third time that such a hearing has taken place.

- General, we welcome you. - Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Will you please stand for the administration of the oath?

Do you solemnly swear that the testimony

that you will give before this confirmation committee

will be the truth, the whole truth

and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

I do so affirm.

Well, this should be painless. Sit, please.

Some of you were less interested in analyzing Mr. Sinclair's book

than in regurgitating its contents.

I've read The Jungle, guys.

- I know what happens. - [school bell rings]

[cell phone beeps]

Horace.

About your essay...

Yeah, I guess I kinda waited till the last minute.

It's not like it's the first time.

Look, you're gonna have to get that one signed by a parent.

- Seriously? - And I need a rewrite by Monday.

OK.

I noticed you signed up to meet with the Annapolis reps on college night.

Yeah.

Any private college would love to have the president's kid.

Annapolis, on top of being the toughest school in the nation to get into,

- is funded by the government. - I'm sorry?

You picked the only school you can't just skate into based on who you are.

Or rather, who your mother is.

General, how vital is it for a vice president

to be loyal to the president?

Well, there are many definitions of loyalty, Mr. Chairman.

But personally, I always took it as a mark of loyalty

when the officers under my command gave me their honest opinion.

But you never expected them to disagree with you in public

- or in the line of duty? - That would be safe to say, sir.

I bet.

You'd expect them to obey an order,

- once given, to the letter. Yes? - Without fail.

So, what is your opinion of then-Vice President Mackenzie Allen's

alleged refusal to obey a direct order

from her president to resign?

Well, without firsthand information

I'm hardly qualified to comment, am I?

Still, um, it's hard not to think if... if she had stepped down,

let's see, uh,

the next in line would've been, uh...

- [crowd laughing] - The name escapes me.

[applause]

How about this comment from the vice presidential debates?

You said, and I quote,

"Mackenzie Allen was chosen

because Teddy Bridges needed help with soccer moms."

Do you stand by that comment?

I do, sir.

And I'm extremely grateful to all those soccer moms that elected her.

For someone who is hardly qualified to comment,

you comment a lot, don't you, general?

Come on, Kelly. Did he ask her to resign?

You know the rules. We don't comment on...

[man] Anonymous sources. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- We off the record? - Depends on what you're selling.

Misquotes and inaccuracies about the president.

Report on that for a change.

We're not shills for Mackenzie Allen, Kelly. I gotta get inside.

So, uh, what's the "what" with you and Clooney?

Oh, come on. A lady never tells.

- Hey, Dad. - Hey.

What's up, honey?

Um, I have a question for you, but, you know, it's probably bad timing.

- You're gonna say no anyway. - What am I gonna say no to?

There's a party tomorrow night. There's gonna be lots of other kids there.

- Whose party? - Mike's.

You're right. No.

Listen, Dad, I know I messed up last week, and I'm... I'm really sorry but...

Dad, I just need to be with other kids my age

where I'm not being watched every second.

- I don't know, Rebecca. - Dad, I'm a 4.0 student.

I don't drink, I don't do drugs.

I mean, haven't I earned your trust?

Are there going to be adults there?

Mike's dad and about 30 Secret Service agents.

- OK. - Really? Because, Dad...

Just take yes for an answer, Becca.

- OK. - OK.

General, when I look at your financial statements,

I have to admit, I am a little envious.

- Well, Bill Gates sure isn't. - [chuckling]

You sit on seven corporate boards.

Two of those companies do billions of dollars of business with the Pentagon,

where a former officer of yours is head of procurement and...

Congressman, if you'll check page 36 of these documents,

I think you'll see that any fees I've received

as director of these corporations

have been donated to charity.

Hey, Vince. You have something to go to the NSC?

Yeah.

- It's here. Thanks. - Thank you.

Did you know all this was happening between Mac and Bridges?

I didn't know a thing. I think it's a bunch of bull.

- She's cool. - She is.

Hey, Andrew, how long does it usually take to get a drug test back?

What do you care? You wouldn't recognize a bong in a Cheech and Chong film.

- Hey, Vince. - Hello, Horace.

- What's that? - It's called an autopen.

Saves your mom many hours of work a day. Came in during JFK.

Cool. Is she around?

Uh, she's in a meeting.

She should be wrapping up soon. You can wait if you want.

Ah, thanks.

Want to get this book off the front page? You have to create news.

This education initiative of yours is solid, but it's not sexy.

This space initiative was Teddy's dream.

You sign it, you eliminate the charges that you were disloyal to him.

What's the temperature with our friends in the press?

So far, the press isn't biting on the inaccuracies,

since we haven't denied the allegations he asked you to resign.

Tomorrow's papers are gonna be full of attacking editorials.

Polling about whether or not you should remain in office.

- Good thing I don't govern by polls. - [knock on door]

- Ma'am, your son is here to see you. - Thank you, Vince.

- Let's keep talking about this. - Yes, ma'am.

[male announcer] This is The War Room…

Hey, baby.

- Thought I'd give you a lift home. - Oh, thank you.

- [Jim] I'll be in my office. - Hey, uh, Jim?

Why don't you call it a night? This'll all still be here in the morning.

Right, ma'am.

Hey, so you came all the way downstairs just to walk me upstairs?

That's very sweet. I do have to stay here a little bit longer.

Well, there's this... there's this one thing. I got this...

Kelly, Vince, go home.

A good employee never leaves before his boss, ma'am.

I'm gonna get a jump on tomorrow's briefing. Good night.

- Good night, Kelly. - What were you saying?

Uh, nothing, really. I mean, I...

You know, I'm sorry. Just give me one second here. Sorry.

[man on TV] One of them is dead, and the other is not exactly talking to you.

She doesn't have to. I can cite Ms. Allen's words.

[Hutchins] "Tonight, from his hospital bed,

our beloved president has asked me to honor his wishes

and resign the office of the vice president."

This is handwritten. It was delivered anonymously to me this morning.

That was supposed to be the resignation speech

that Mackenzie Allen was gonna deliver...

Mom?

- Everything's gonna be OK, right? - Oh, yeah. It'll just go away.

Um, I am gonna have to stick around for a little bit.

- Yeah. - Was there something you needed?

- Nah. I'll see you later. - Sure. OK. 'Night, baby.

[clock ticking]

- [knock on door] - [Bridges] Yeah. Come on.

I'm gonna lose 20 bucks to Hendrickson.

Miami's not gonna cover.

Watch this. OK, he's open. Hit 'em. Hit 'em.

- Wow. - Oh, well.

Miami never covers on AstroTurf when it's below freezing.

The receivers aren't used to the kind of cleats they have to wear.

- You're happily married, right? - To my job.

Yeah. So did you see the schedule for the summit?

Sure.

- Took a pencil to it, re-routed things. - Mm-hm.

I thought we'd find a more appropriate use for you

than meeting with their defense minister about the West Bank Wall.

OK. Well, you know, I'm pretty well ensconced in that region. Wall…

Oh, yeah, I know you are. But Francis is all up in arms about it.

He thought it should be

more of a defense minister to defense minister kind of thing. Oh, baby!

So how can I be of service, if it's not meeting with the defense minister?

Uh, Jim wants you to hook up with the culture minister.

- Jim does? OK. - Yeah.

The Israelis think you might be able to help out with a cultural exchange.

It's a whole PR thing. It's great.

OK, then, I better get with Jim.

Get briefed.

- Mac. - Yeah.

It's important, you know. It's culture and all.

Then thank you for the vote of confidence.

You're welcome.

- [Rod] Mac? - [clock chiming]

Hey.

We've found several dozen mistakes.

You should stop, you know. Trying to discredit him.

He got most of it right.

It began with Israel.

That's when they decided to get rid of me.

That's when it started.

I didn't see it before, but it's clear now.

Those are some anonymous sources Hutchins had.

Oh, anonymous my ass. It was Jim.

You should just outright ask him.

You were a prosecutor.

Look him in the eyes when he answers you.

You'll know if he's lying.

- You coming up? - I want to finish the book.

I want to see how it ends with Kelly and George Clooney.

[woman] As many as 300 protesters

gathered in front of the White House today

in reaction to allegations made in Evan Hutchins tell-all book.

- Hey, Amy. - Two arrests were made...

You know, you shouldn't be watching this.

Why do all those people hate Mommy?

It's just the way people are sometimes.

But they don't even know her.

I know. It's just…

That's what's hard about being president

is people think they do.

Do you hate Mommy too?

Why would you say that?

'Cause you didn't want her being president either.

You said she should step aside.

Can I tell you a secret?

But you can't tell anyone. Promise?

I think Mommy is a great woman. [laughs]

But hey, you need to get ready for school.

So who was there that night? At the Observatory.

- Now, who had access to the letter? - Full house from what I remember.

Lots of staffers. Melanie Blackston,

Speaker Templeton...

Gardner.

Look at that anger.

- Hi, Agent Powers. - Hi. Where's Rebecca?

- Uh… - Sorry. I just had to get my stuff.

- Becca, can I have a minute? - Um, sure.

Uh, I understand that you want to go to a party tonight

at 1327 Claremont Street?

Yeah.

We've done a background check on the family that lives there.

We'll secure the location, set up a perimeter,

place agents in the residence and be on alert for any illegal underage activity.

- What? - Just messing with you.

We are putting a detail outside the house,

- and you'll have a panic button. - Um, sure.

[man] Kelly, we'd like a statement.

I'd like a week in Maui, but we both have to wait.

Shouldn't the president resign this time?

- I won't comment. - There's national outrage...

And no comment means no comment.

Kelly, I'm not asking about the resignation speech, OK?

- What then? - No politics.

You and Clooney. A human interest piece.

I'll tell you what.

You write a piece on the president's first 50 days in office

and all she's accomplished in it, and in return... Clooney.

- Ma'am? You asked to see me? - Yes. I did.

Listen, I know you feel strongly about Teddy's executive order,

but I have decided to stick with my own.

Ma'am, as I've said before, right now, it is important to show...

My agenda. Do you know how many more people would go to college

if they had interest-free student loans,

in exchange for teaching three years at our public schools?

I know Teddy was in love with a manned mission to Mars,

and I am too,

but not as much as I am with fixing what needs to be done here, on Earth.

- I'll make sure that it gets drafted. - It already has been.

I had it done when I was vice president.

The president put it in a drawer.

- Have you seen the protestors on TV? - I did.

Teddy never should have asked me to resign

or put me in the position of having the citizens question my presidency.

- Ma'am, with all due respect... - But perhaps not with all due loyalty.

Jim, I need to know.

Are you the source of the leaks?

Did you tell Evan Hutchins that Teddy asked me to step down?

No.

But if you believe I did, then we've got a problem.

You'll have my resignation on your desk by the end of the business day.

[muttering]

[footsteps approaching]

- Wanna play chess? I'm pretty good. - Not right now.

Yesterday at school,

we spelled all the words we could think of starting with a D.

[sighs] Can you leave me alone, Ames?

- Like dinosaurs, dolphins, dummy... - Amy!

I can't think. Go.

You're mean.

[dance music playing]

- [Rebecca gasps] - Whoa, watch it.

Sorry.

- Do you have a towel or something? - Yeah, uh, upstairs.

You wanna go up to my room? It's getting kinda crowded in here.

Um, well, where's your dad?

Ah, watching football somewhere.

Don't worry. The door's got a lock.

- Oh, great. - [cell phone beeps]

- [boy] Where is everyone? - Hello?

Leave me alone, Ricky. Becca, where are you?

Hey, I'm over here by the stairs.

- Where are you? - Oh, OK. I see you.

- Oh, hey. - [Ricky] But you rode with me.

- Is Horace here yet? - He's home working on a school paper.

- Seriously? - I'm sorry.

[Ricky] Jen!

Bec, come on. Let's go.

Don't you dare leave me alone with him. I'm serious.

- Please stay. - I'll see you later.

[phone rings]

[click, machine humming]

What's going on, Horace?

My teacher asked me to get Mom's autograph.

- I didn't want to bug her... - You shouldn't be using that.

- Vince should've put it away. - Uh, sorry.

So I smiled.

And then he smiled at me.

And when he walked across the room, it was like he was, um...

I don't know, gliding.

- Gliding? - Yeah.

And, uh, he didn't say a word. He just put his hand on the small of my back...

- Uh, go on. - ...and kissed my neck.

You ever start spinning from a kiss, Steve?

[chuckles] Uh, yeah, sure.

Yeah. And then he, um, he pulled me closer...

- Wow. Um, this is for real? - No.

- No? - No. No. None of it.

Check the inauguration guest list. He's not even on it.

It's just one of the 37 other mistakes

our staff has found in the Hutchins book so far.

- Which means I have nothing? - Yes, but you have it exclusively.

You post the story on President Allen's first 50 days yet?

- Runs tomorrow. - Great.

[Templeton] The gentleman from Texas has the floor.

[Ferrer] Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I know everyone's tired,

so before we adjourn, I was wondering, general,

if we could get to know you better as a man.

[Ferrer] You played football for Army.

I got knocked around a little bit. Yes, sir.

Hope you're a Redskins fan.

- Compromise is part of the job. - [crowd laughing]

- And you've been married...? - Thirty-five years.

My wife says we have a good first marriage.

[laughing]

[Ferrer] I've read you lost your daughter.

I'm very sorry.

She sounded like a remarkable woman.

She was.

Abby and I are raising our grandchild.

- Single mother, was she? - Not that it matters,

but yes, she was.

[Ferrer] A doctor who herself became a patient.

Tragic.

It was.

Excuse my ignorance here, but, um...

...I fail to understand the relevance of any of this.

Everything about a candidate is subject to consideration.

- So your daughter... - The gentleman from Texas will yield.

[Ferrer] I will, sir.

The hour is late.

I propose we resume these hearings

on Monday morning.

- Thank you, general. - Mr. Chairman.

[Templeton laughs]

You're doing great.

In the old days I would've challenged you to a duel.

You know my chief of staff, Jayne Murray.

- How do you do? - General.

Sit down. Please.

- Drink? - No.

- Boss? - No, thanks.

You know exactly where this line of questioning is headed, don't you?

I do.

I assume it was my good friend Congressman Wilcox

who put me in this situation, who betrayed me.

There's one thing I can't abide.

Private lives, personal tragedies must be respected.

What do you want, Nate?

You want me to withdraw my name?

You want to embarrass the president? Me?

Tell me what the agenda is, and we can get to it.

We'll take an up-and-down vote.

[scoffs] Ferrer is just grandstanding.

He's not fooling anybody on the Hill.

Your good buddy Wilcox? He disgusts me.

His disloyalty to you.

And your grandchild?

Don't you worry about a thing.

It's done. Buried.

Gone away with, I promise you.

So you just call a vote?

- You can do that? - I'm the boss.

[Murray] Democrats love you, most Republicans

just want the government back into one piece.

The whip says that right now, the confirmation's pretty much in the bag.

But if we let this Ferrer thing go...

...it could get dicey.

I'd have preferred it if she'd chosen somebody from my party, but she didn't.

She's a loose cannon. With you we got lucky.

You're a bona fide leader.

You're somebody who can say good night to this country,

and we'll sleep OK.

[Murray] By tomorrow you could be vice president, general.

We've put out a quorum call.

I won't forget this.

I'm counting on that.

Hey.

It's crazy, isn't it?

The politics of personal destruction, of character assassination.

It's gotten so mean up here.

- It has. - [clasping hands]

Take care.

With what we've got...

...we own him.

I think I'll have that drink.

[Ricky] The funniest part was he was like...

- [Horace] Jenny. - Hey.

I thought you had to write a paper or something.

Yeah, I took care of it.

- Great. - So where's the beer?

[knock on door]

Ma'am. A minute?

- That for me? - Yes, ma'am.

I wanted you to know that regardless of what you may think,

it's been my honor to serve you.

Thank you.

[footsteps leaving]

Ma'am, I have to say,

I found a passage in the book regarding the North Korean disarmament talks.

When you suggested a secret bilateral negotiation,

- how Teddy berated you for it. - I remember that night well.

My ears are still ringing.

There was just the three of us, and I never spoke of it again.

I'm fairly certain you didn't either.

And yet Hutchins details it with remarkable accuracy.

Are you saying Teddy himself was Hutchins' source?

The truth is

he would use Hutchins often when he wanted to get something out there.

They were friends in that way.

Why would Teddy want to paint me so badly?

I think he saw you as someone whose presence

was becoming larger than the presidency itself.

And he was right.

The difference is that he thought that you were a threat to his legacy,

that you were overshadowing him. And I thought...

I thought you yourself were the legacy.

He couldn't have given him my resignation speech.

That's as much a mystery to me as it is to you.

Good night. And good luck.

- [Vince] Mr. Gardner. - What is it, Vince?

I need to talk to you. I could talk to the president but thought the chain...

Maybe you should go to her directly. I gotta get home.

I'm gonna come back positive.

- From the drug screening. - Pardon me?

When the tests come back, I'm gonna come up positive...

Stop. Now you need to get a lawyer.

It's not for coke or meth or anything like that.

- Vince. - It's... I'm HIV-positive.

My God, Vince.

Nobody knows. About the disease.

About the drug.

About anything.

- I just don't know what to do. - Look, Vince, I want to help you.

I really do, but you gotta trust me, I can't hear another word.

But what should I do?

They don't test for that. Only for controlled substances.

Anything else is a violation of your privacy.

I doubt if you have anything to worry about.

At least on that score.

Hey, kiddo.

I just signed it. My first executive order.

- The education initiative. - Mm-hm.

Wow. I mean, that's it?

No fanfare? Just signed it? Alone?

I'm a no-fanfare kind of president.

Jim offered me his resignation.

- Good. - He's not the leak.

He's not the one who betrayed me. I did what you said.

I asked him. I looked in his eyes when he answered.

He didn't do it.

OK.

But this whole situation has taught me something.

That no matter what happens,

there is only one person that I know has my back.

Well... Madam President.

I don't want you to go to New York.

I don't want you to be baseball commissioner. I want you to stay here,

with me.

I'd like that.

What's my title?

I haven't given it any thought.

We can talk about it, though.

Kelly's waiting for us.

[rock music playing]

- Mike. - It's OK. I got some right here.

[Rebecca] Mike, no.

- Mike. - What's wrong? It's OK.

- Mike, you know what? - It's OK, it's OK…

No, Mike. [sighs]

I don't know. I just...

I'm sorry, I just can't.

It's all right.

Really, it's fine.

- I'm sorry. Please don't be mad. - No. I'm not, OK?

I'm not.

Bec, look, I don't want you to do anything that you're not ready to do.

It's cool.

Really?

You leave first...

...so we're not seen going down together.

OK.

- Sorry. - Hey.

- [door closes] - [sighs]

[beep]

Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States.

Good evening. Please be seated.

A short time ago,

I signed my first executive order as president,

EO 23019.

It establishes a national program

of interest-free student loans.

This order will allow thousands of students

who otherwise would not have a shot at a four-year education

to be provided with one.

It will be known as the Bridges Student Loan Program.

With that, I am happy to open the floor to any questions.

[reporters clamoring]

- Luis. - Madam President,

did President Bridges call on you from his deathbed to resign?

You all want to know about this book,

about what is and isn't true?

OK.

This country deserves to hear my answers.

So I am going to stand here and give you answers,

until you have no more questions,

and then I will not speak to this subject again.

- Agreed? - [reporters murmuring]

I may be wrong, but I think I'm going to need a seat.

The answer to your question, Luis, is yes.

President Bridges was a great leader and my friend,

but he had no authority to ask that of me.

The Constitution not only empowers me,

it requires me to become president.

The people elected me to this position,

and only the people and their representatives

can ask me to step down.

I will never apologize for doing my job.

If anything, from this point on,

I only pledge to do it better.

- Next question. - [reporters clamoring]

[Murray] Jim, you should see this.

The ayes are 386,

and the nays are 46.

- Your guy's about to be confirmed. - The resolution to confirm is carried.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I present to you General Warren Fitzgerald Keaton,

vice president of the United States of America.