- Seth Wright: Good evening. Thank you all for, uh, staying so late tonight. I know we've called you in a few times today. Uh, just a reminder, my name is Seth Wright. Uh, earlier tonight, I was named White House press secretary. You were very tough on my predecessor, so I know you're gonna take it easy on me.
- [the press corps laughs]
- Seth Wright: Uh, to be honest, I didn't want this job. But we live in a time in which we're called upon to serve in ways we didn't anticipate. None of us is perfect. But we do our best because this house is worthy of our best. We trust our instincts as we fight our daily fights. Some we'll win. Some we won't. And some we'll only know in time. But we leave each night hopeful that today's sacrifices have been worth it, that our instincts have not led us astray, and that our best has been good enough.
- Harris Cochrane: Mr. President. I wasn't expecting you, sir.
- Tom Kirkman: That's pretty obvious, general. Is it true that you gave the order to take the Algerian air defenses offline?
- Harris Cochrane: Yes, sir. I ordered Cyb-Command at Fort Meade to set a glide path through Algerian airspace.
- Tom Kirkman: Without clearing it through me or Algeria, which happens to be one of our allies. Correct me if I'm wrong, general, but is that not an act of war?
- Harris Cochrane: It was necessary preparation.
- Tom Kirkman: For an attack I have not authorized yet.
- Harris Cochrane: You tried diplomacy. It failed. And now you're risking the entire country to protect one person? I did what needed to be done.
- Tom Kirkman: Well, general, one day if you become president, you can make that call. But as long as I am and one of our own is unaccounted for, we do nothing that will jeopardize their safety any further. I agreed to twelve hours.
- Harris Cochrane: These terrorists came to our home. They killed our people. Any sacrifices we make to eradicate them from the face of the Earth are sacrifices worth making. When a snake's in your kitchen, you don't invite it to dinner, you cut off its head.
- Tom Kirkman: You make a good point, general. And seeing that this is my kitchen... I am relieving you of your command, effective immediately.
- Harris Cochrane: What?
- Tom Kirkman: General, you are fired.
- Seth Wright: Mr. President, you're here late.
- Tom Kirkman: Well, technically, I live here, so... it appears you're the one who's here late.
- Tom Kirkman: Aaron told me that you turned down the job of press secretary.
- Seth Wright: I did, sir.
- Tom Kirkman: It's a shame. I was the one who offered it.
- Seth Wright: Sir, with all due respect, I felt there were other people far more qualified than I was. Rosemary Jones, for example, has three years experience on Senator Ford's staff...
- Tom Kirkman: Carter had a pretty good resume, too, and look how that turned out. Aaron's motivations were political, but mine were simple. I was just looking for the right person for the job. Today's crisis was racially motivated. Tomorrow's could be gun control, a women's issue. I just wanted to have someone on the podium that I respected. Come on, Seth. Don't make me beg. Can I count on you?
- Seth Wright: It would be my honor, Mr. President.
- Tom Kirkman: Good. 'Cause if you thought today was intense, I'm gonna need you tomorrow.
- Seth Wright: Why? What's going on tomorrow?
- Tom Kirkman: I can't tell you, 'cause it's classified. But I'll let you know when it happens.
- Jason Atwood: This is what you want to show me? MacLeish's empty seat at the State of the Union?
- Hannah Wells: Jason, he lied to me. He told me he was in his seat when the Capitol blew up.
- Jason Atwood: The man spent his entire adult life in service to his country. You were supposed to get a statement, not turn him into a suspect.
- Emily Rhodes: Mr. Essaway, my name is Emily Rhodes. I'm special advisor to the president. I just wanted to let you know I'm on my way to Dearborn to monitor your protest today.
- Isaac Essaway: Ms. Rhodes, I can't tell you how much we appreciate that. Governor Royce can't get away with criminalizing innocent people.
- Emily Rhodes: And the president has no intention of letting him. I'll see you soon.
- Seth Wright: Hey. Public Engagement said you're headed to Michigan?
- Emily Rhodes: Yeah.
- Seth Wright: Kick Royce's ass for me.
- Emily Rhodes: I'll do my best.
- Aaron Shore: [watching a press briefing] So, how's it going here?
- Seth Wright: That depends. Does Kirkman want a second term?
- Emily Rhodes: You federalized the National Guard?
- Tom Kirkman: Royce doesn't know yet. He may have won the battle, but we'll win the war.
- Aaron Shore: [watching the flustered press secretary] Well, you're gonna have to handle this.
- Seth Wright: Why me?
- Aaron Shore: Because you're in communications, and you can form complete sentences. You're standing next to me, so go fix it.
- Seth Wright: What's the magic word?
- Aaron Shore: Now!
- Seth Wright: Not even close.
- Alex Kirkman: Really? Federalize the Guard? I thought we'd decided that that was a nuclear option.
- Tom Kirkman: It was. Governor Royce went there first.
- Aaron Shore: Now, is he within his legal rights?
- Alex Kirkman: U.S. code 12406; the president can federalize the National Guard whenever there is a rebellion or threat of a rebellion against the U.S. government. I think this qualifies.
- Aaron Shore: I thought you were an immigration attorney.
- Tom Kirkman: She aced constitutional law, too.
- Emily Rhodes: Mr. President, you lied to me. You said you'd trust me to fix this, and I did. He was ready to talk to you.
- Tom Kirkman: The governor was using a national tragedy to further his own agenda. He broke the law. He's going to jail.
- Emily Rhodes: I told him that he could count on you to be reasonable and just.
- Tom Kirkman: Did you know that during the Civil War, President Lincoln suspended habeas corpus and arrested a legislator for trying to block Union troops from going south? I did what I thought was best.
- Emily Rhodes: For yourself.
- Tom Kirkman: No. For the country. And I sent a message to every other governor who thinks that they can question the legitimacy of this presidency. And anyone who thinks that they can usurp that needs to know that they will face the consequences. You did a great job, and I'm proud of you. And I am starting to realize more than I ever wanted to that doing the right thing doesn't always make you feel good.
- Director Carrera: Sammy Serafian is an American operative who has been in Algeria six years working under non-official cover. Sixteen months ago, he infiltrated Al-Sakar. This morning, we received a message from him confirming a direct link between Al-Sakar and the attack.
- Tom Kirkman: It says here that he found an unexploded ordnance with the same unique signature as the bomb from the Capitol site?
- Harris Cochrane: Yes, sir, confirming without a doubt that Al-Sakar was behind the attack.
- Tom Kirkman: Do we have a location?
- Director Carrera: Serafian was able to pinpoint Nassar's position; a compound in the tri-border region between Mali and Niger. Satellite surveillance confirms multiple vehicles and a heavy perimeter.
- Tom Kirkman: And we think that's Nassar's security.
- Harris Cochrane: Yes, Mr. President. On your order, F-18s can be deployed from the USS Eisenhower. We'll disable their air defense and reduce them to a stain in the sand within a matter of seconds.
- Tom Kirkman: Where's agent Serafian now?
- Director Carrera: We've lost contact with him, sir.
- Admiral Chernow: We gave him twenty-four hours to evacuate. That was six hours ago.
- Harris Cochrane: Sir, if we wait for him to surface, we may lose our window to take out the enemy.
- Tom Kirkman: And what's the probability that he's in the compound with him now?
- Director Carrera: It's high, sir.
- Tom Kirkman: So in all likelihood, if we bomb the compound, we'd be killing an American agent.
- Harris Cochrane: He knew the risks, sir.
- Tom Kirkman: I have to believe, general, that he's in Algeria trying to help his country, not get killed by it.
- Harris Cochrane: We have the enemy in our sights, the man who destroyed all three branches of our government, a thousand Americans. Are we gonna let one man stand in the way of retribution?
- Emily Rhodes: Governor Royce, this is quite the welcome committee. Emily Rhodes, special advisor to President Kirkman. I am here to observe the IAC's protest.
- Governor John Royce: Yeah, I know why you're here, and I suggest you and your staff get back on that plane and return to Washington.
- Emily Rhodes: Um, we're here to help, sir.
- Governor John Royce: Yeah, well, as President Reagan said, the nine scariest words in the English language are "I'm with the government and I'm here to help". I got enough to worry about without you people interfering.
- Emily Rhodes: Well, I'm sorry, sir, but that's not really a decision for you to make. I'm here by orders of the president.
- Governor John Royce: Let me explain this again in a way that you'll understand. The state of Michigan is off limits to Tom Kirkman, his staff, his plane, and most of all, his presidency. Understood?
- Governor John Royce: [giving a press conference] Not only is Michigan under attack from radicals, but our very democracy is being threatened by a man who has no right to call himself president. Does the man have no shame?
- Tom Kirkman: [watching on TV] Well, he's got some nerve, I'll give him that.
- Tom Kirkman: I'm watching Royce now. What did he say to you?
- Emily Rhodes: For starters, he's refusing to let me leave the airport to observe the protest.
- Tom Kirkman: Son of a bitch.
- Emily Rhodes: And he's making sure the cameras capture every moment. I think it might be best if I come back to D.C. Every minute this plays out on national TV weakens your position.
- Tom Kirkman: No. How weak will our position be if I don't even put up a fight?
- Emily Rhodes: Well, if I come back now, we can rethink our approach and...
- Tom Kirkman: No, no, wait. Hold on. Wyatt!
- Wyatt: [offscreen] Coming, sir.
- Tom Kirkman: [to Emily] I got an idea. Just sit tight. I'll get back to you.
- Alex Kirkman: Tom, forcing a sitting governor to cede power to the feds creates a monumental precedent.
- Tom Kirkman: I know. But this is a tipping point. If I let Governor Royce set up a police state, how can I stop the other forty-nine governors from doing the same thing?
- Jason Atwood: You know you are a pain in my ass more often than you're not? But you are also passionate and persistent. And that's what makes you one of the best agents I have.
- Hannah Wells: I could be just as passionate... working cyber crimes or healthcare fraud. Send me to Michigan. I'll work on civil rights violations there.
- Jason Atwood: All right. If you want the transfer, I'll put in the request. But do me a favor: you sleep on this, because I know you. And you're gonna hate yourself if you quit just because it got hard.
- Aaron Shore: Per your orders, Pentagon's working around the clock to find Majid Nassar. Schools have reopened. The Dow and the NASDAQ have both resumed trading. They're both down sharply.
- Tom Kirkman: Well, I guess today's not the day to check on your IRA. Where are we at with security?
- Aaron Shore: Law enforcement's still on high alert. Ports, nuclear plants, soft targets like malls and sports arenas.
- Tom Kirkman: Here's a long shot: any good news?
- Aaron Shore: Well, you slept three hours last night, sir.
- Tom Kirkman: Ah, the little things.
- Aaron Shore: Oh, there's one more thing. Hookstraten insisted on being the first meeting of the day.
- Tom Kirkman: My god, doesn't she ever sleep?
- Tom Kirkman: General, it's barely 7:00 a.m. and I've already been ambushed by the presumptive Speaker, and I am facing a potential domestic crisis, so please choose your words wisely.
- Harris Cochrane: I don't need to, sir. We found Majid Nassar.
- Alex Kirkman: Duncan, when we spoke, you said that you could handle the heavy lifting on my cases.
- Duncan: And I am. Plus I've got Parker doing depositions for you. Veda's filing your appeals.
- Alex Kirkman: So why is Maria Serrano calling me from an ICE detention center?
- Duncan: Because Homeland Security is taking advantage of the fact that the courts have been closed.
- Alex Kirkman: So they're arresting anyone without a pending appeal. And, right, when the courts reopen, it'll be too late for us to file. Got it.
- Duncan: Our hands are tied.
- Alex Kirkman: You know what kills me about this? If she'd just filed for refugee status instead of asylum, ICE wouldn't have even looked at her twice. If... if I'd just been here, if I'd been in front of this, none of this would have happened.
- Duncan: Alex, you didn't abandon them. You had a change in circumstance, in a summer blockbuster kind of way.
- Alex Kirkman: Okay, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna give up.
- Duncan: Alex, you've spent a career fighting for victims, but you're the First Lady now.
- Alex Kirkman: So?
- [realization dawns on her]
- Alex Kirkman: And that has to count for something, right?
- Isaac Essaway: Ms. Rhodes, the police revoked our permit to protest. They're threatening to make arrests. I have a hundred people ready to march on City Hall, but they're afraid of what will happen if they do.
- Emily Rhodes: I need you to forget about City Hall. The local police aren't worth the fight.
- Isaac Essaway: Ms. Rhodes, no. No, we can't back down now.
- Emily Rhodes: I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to take the fight directly to Royce. How quickly can you get to the airport?
- Aaron Shore: So this is it? This is Emily's master plan? I mean, how long before it turns into Selma or Kent State?
- Tom Kirkman: Come on, Aaron, you of all people should acknowledge this is a brilliant move. Governor Royce can't incite violence on national television. He'll lose the moral high ground.
- Aaron Shore: Well, that's assuming that bigot cares about the moral high ground.
- Tom Kirkman: Welcome to Washington, D.C.
- Governor John Royce: Thank you. Took some doing, but I had a very nice conversation with your special advisor, and I welcome this chance for an honest and open dialogue.
- Tom Kirkman: Well, I think you'll find that I'm not going to be very flexible on this. You see, I believe that all Americans, regardless of race or religion, should be afforded and protected by the same inalienable rights.
- Governor John Royce: If I may...
- Tom Kirkman: You may not. Governor, you violated the rights of the citizens of Michigan, and today you conspired with the National Guard to defy a direct order from the president. James Royce, I am placing you under arrest for treason against the United States of America.
- [last lines]
- Tom Kirkman: Did we get a positive ID on Serafian's body yet?
- Admiral Chernow: Yes, sir, it's been confirmed.
- Tom Kirkman: That tragedy lands at my door. I'm sorry. Admiral Chernow, you are in command. I would like to proceed with the attack in Algeria as planned.
- Admiral Chernow: Sir?
- Tom Kirkman: Admiral... prepare us for war.
- Tom Kirkman: What is it?
- Emily Rhodes: It's Michigan.
- Tom Kirkman: More violence against Muslims?
- Emily Rhodes: No, but there's about to be. Governor Royce is using your Elizabeth Vargas interview as justification to start arresting Muslims again. He claims that your admission that you were asked to resign makes you an illegitimate president. He's re-imposed the curfew and banned the public gatherings.
- Tom Kirkman: I'm guessing the Bill of Rights wasn't on the governor's summer reading list.