Designated Survivor (2016–2019): Season 1, Episode 13 - Backfire - full transcript

Previously on "Designated Survivor"...

Sir, you don't really think
Aaron's a traitor, do you?

No, I don't.

But until I can prove that definitively,

I have to keep my
guard up and so do you.

What happened last night?

We had the shooter contained,

but MacLeish gave the order anyway.

What order?

Shoot to kill. And
that's for your ears only.

- We need your help.
- You want to help me?



Find my son!

- It's Joyner. He wants to see you.
- Why?

The FBI came to see him again today.

The guy just needs some reassurance.

- I can give it to him.
- But if it doesn't work,

the problem has to be eliminated.

Someone's gonna find out. Yes, you lied.

- I lied to Congress.
- That's it. Go.

FBI! Freeze! Put your
hands on your head.

I'm the Vice President
of the United States.

No!

From ABC7 News,

this is a breaking news alert.

Good morning from ABC7.



We have breaking news from
Arlington National Cemetery.

The U.S. Army and FBI are investigating

a deadly shooting that
occurred last night.

The Washington Post is
reporting that two victims

- are involved...
- Emily Rhodes.

Aaron Shore.

Someone's gonna have to explain to me

how the Vice President of
the United States of America

was murdered in front of
a team of federal agents!

We didn't pick the meeting place, sir.

MacLeish did.

We had to take cover where we could.

And MacLeish's security
detail was instructed

to give him plenty of
buffer so he'd feel secure.

We would've taken him down if
it weren't for Beth MacLeish.

I'm sorry. I missed it.

Beth MacLeish was the joker in the deck.

I didn't think she could be involved.

Do we know how she got away
from her Secret Service detail?

She said she was going
to read to her children,

and that was her routine.

By the time they figured
out she was missing,

- it was too late.
- Mr. President,

there are only a few
scenarios at play here,

but only one rings true...
Beth MacLeish was involved.

She knew we were there
to arrest her husband,

and she murdered him before
we could interrogate him.

What kind of fanatics
are we dealing with here?

Sir, it's only a matter of time
before the press pieces together

their own version of
what happened tonight.

I-It's imperative

we keep as many details
out of the public realm

to protect the integrity
of our investigation.

I understand.

So what do we tell the American people?

- Hey.
- Hey.

Damn it, no cufflinks. Use paper clips.

- What?
- I'm serious.

Any idea who got shot?

Not a clue.

I know.

It's shocking, but we
need to move past this.

Does anyone need to take a moment?

Okay, good.

Because we're in a
race against the clock.

The country is gonna wake up to the news

that their Vice President
was murdered by his wife,

who then killed herself.

Do we know why she did it?

No, not really.

Right now, the working theory is

problems in the marriage.

A domestic dispute? I don't believe it.

Well, unfortunately,
it's the only explanation

investigators are willing
to give until they know more.

I will make the announcement.

Sir, facing the press with
only preliminary theories

is like dropping blood in the water.

And the timing alone is
gonna raise questions.

Somebody just tried to kill you,

and now the Vice President
gets murdered by his wife?

Yeah, the press will be all
over you for more details.

Let me make a statement.

No, this news...

the country needs to
hear from their president.

Sir, I have to point out
that Speaker Hookstraten's now

next in line to the presidency.

Right.

I'll talk to Kimble at
the appropriate time.

For now, bring her up to
speed with what we know.

These next few days
are going to be crucial.

I need you to hold yourselves together,

project strength.

The American people
deserve nothing less.

Let's get to work.

Yes, sir.

This is surreal...

MacLeish, Beth.

W-What about their kids?

I mean, what about those poor girls?

I know. I feel awful about the children.

You know what happened, don't you?

But you can't tell me, can you?

No.

Not yet. Hopefully soon.

- Dad!
- Little pea!

Hey, w-watch out. Mind your dad.

You okay?

Yeah. I'm all right.
What do you got there?

I can't draw a horse. Will you help me?

Of course. But I've got some work to do.

I'll help you in a minute.

Promise?

Pinky swear.

Come on. Let's get you some breakfast.

Hey!

Aren't you forgetting something?

I love you. I love you, too.

No. No, that's not actually what I said.

I would just refer you back
to my original statement, okay?

Ladies and gentlemen, the
President of the United States.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Plea... Please, take your seats.

I wish I were here to simply talk to you

about my returning to the White House

and expressing my gratitude
to the medical staff

at the George Washington
University Hospital

and to the American people
for their incredible support.

But unfortunately, I have a more
somber and serious obligation.

There has been a great
deal of speculation

surrounding the police activity
at Arlington National Cemetery

from last night until this morning.

I am here to tell you that
tragically, at 10:38 p.m.,

Vice President Peter MacLeish

was shot and killed by
his wife, Beth MacLeish.

She then turned the gun upon herself

and committed suicide.

The Vice President was visiting
the gravesite of a soldier

who was under his
command in Afghanistan.

Why he was there last
night specifically,

how often he visited the cemetery,

and what led to this fatal outcome

is still unknown.

I would like to say, I
know the American people

will join me in sending
their hopes and prayers

to the MacLeish family
during this time of sorrow.

Thank you very much.

All right, folks, that's
all we have for now, okay?

The President's obviously
not taking any questions.

Look, I'm gonna be
updating you every hour

as we have new developments.

Yvette...

I'm so sorry.

Thank you.

One second.

I don't know what to say.

Thank you for coming.

He was such an amazing boy, Jason.

And they took him from us.

Hey.

What's the press saying
about the shooting?

What aren't they saying?

Speculation's everywhere,
but Seth has it handled.

How's the staff holding up?

They're shocked, but pulling through.

One thing that helps is
seeing you on your feet again.

- Welcome back, Mr. President.
- Thank you, Hayden.

See?

We should discuss the
rest of your day's agenda.

I thought we canceled everything.

We can't have a bunker mentality.

The world's still spinning.

You're absolutely
right. What do you got?

Well, CEOs are arriving as we speak

to discuss reducing carbon
dioxide emissions later today.

You're also set to meet
with Senators Choi and Ganesh

regarding criminal justice reform.

Okay. What else?

Jacklyn Ramsey just turned
us down for Interior,

said she's happy at the NRDC.

How many people do we have to approach

to get someone to even take a meeting?

Well, we saw this during the elections.

People just don't want to
be in Washington right now.

Any good news?

Actually, Gary Dwyer's
still set to come in tomorrow

to meet with Aaron
about resuming his post

as Secretary of State.

- Wow.
- Mm-hmm.

Dwyer.

That'll go a long way
to shoring up confidence.

Yes, it would. But
about their meeting, sir.

I was wondering, in
light of recent events,

if you thought I should
sit down with Dwyer

instead of Aaron.

Emily, I understand your concern,

but until I find a
reason to make a change,

it's business as usual.

Understood.

The MacLeishes leave behind
two daughters, Lexi and Blake,

who will be staying with
their maternal grandparents.

We ask that you would
respect their privacy

in their time of grieving.

The President will
address the nation further

when he has more
information available, okay?

That's all I have for now,

unless you have
questions about something.

Mr. Press Secretary!

Mr. Press Secretary!!

Mr. Leonard.

A pleasure to have you
back at the White House.

I hope that's the first
lie you told this morning.

May I ask who you're with?

Teen Mode.

Come on, Abe.

I need to know who your
credentials are with.

Teen Mode.

They actually do real
stories on real issues,

unlike these lemmings.

All right, Abe.

You have a question?

Yeah, it's about Nestor Lozano -

President Kirkman's would-be assassin.

Sure, the FBI released a
statement on Lozano last night.

Which told us virtually nothing.

Now, I have it on good authority
that Vice President MacLeish

personally took over
the manhunt for Lozano

and issued a shoot-to-kill order.

Care to comment?

I would refer you back
to the FBI comm shop.

I'm not aware of any such order.

Really? Well, my sources say
MacLeish overrode the FBI,

deliberately preventing them
from taking Lozano alive.

Why would the Vice President do that?

I mean, why would he go out of his way

to silence the one man

who attempted to murder the president?

I mean, it doesn't make sense,

unless MacLeish... wanted him silenced.

I'll have to get back to you on that.

I'd appreciate that.

How did Abe Leonard get the
information in the first place?

- Wait, it's true? MacLeish gave the order?
- Yes.

I advised against it, but
he didn't listen to me.

Or the FBI.

What was he thinking?

He said he didn't want
to put our men at risk.

Okay. Uh, well...

Leonard said MacLeish
was hiding something.

- Was he?
- I don't know,

But now I have a room full
of White House correspondents

- looking into it.
- Look, we need to contain this now,

before paranoia takes over.

And I want to know who's
leaking classified information.

Emily, Aaron, you were
both in Command Ops

when MacLeish gave the
order... Find the leak.

I want them in my office by nightfall.

Yes, sir.

Seth, can I borrow you for a second?

I want to address the nation.

Sir, I'm not sure that's the best idea.

I mean, you just announced

that the vice president
was murdered by his wife.

I don't think the country's
ready to hear this after that.

The country deserves to
know what's happening.

Sir, no matter what your intent,

I think that anything
that you say at this point

could contribute to a sense of chaos.

Why don't you let me buy you some time?

Wait for this news cycle to die down.

That way, when you do say something,

it's proactive instead of just reacting

to some flame-throwing reporter.

Okay, you're right.
You're right. Get it done.

Thank you.

So what couldn't wait?

Abe Leonard...

I know you two go way back.

You told him about MacLeish
taking out the shooter

in Command Ops... Don't deny it.

Okay, I won't.

- I told you that in confidence.
- That was your mistake.

I thought you were working
with the President on this.

I am.

He asked me to look into MacLeish,

and that's exactly what I'm doing...

- Trying to do my job as best I can.
- All right.

You can dress this up however
you like, Madam Speaker,

but you just jeopardized
national security.

Actually, Aaron...

you did.

Those are NASAMS, ma'am.

Surface-to-air missiles.

They were there before.
We're just installing more.

And there's more snipers.

It's all part of the
increased security plan.

It's just for the moment.

Just for the moment.

Yes, ma'am.

Anything else?

No. Thanks, Mike.

You're the leak?

Indirectly, sir.

I told Speaker Hookstraten.

She fed the story to Abe Leonard.

I realize, sir, this
couldn't come at a...

at a worse possible time.

It was a lapse in
judgment, and I apologize.

It won't happen again.

- Now, I could put out a statement.
- No, no, no.

That'll only add fuel to the fire.

With all the rumors that are
floating around right now,

the last thing we need
is the press to find out

that my Chief of Staff
leaked classified information.

No, of course not.

Aaron?

When is the last time you slept?

I-I slept last night, sir.

More than three hours?

You said yourself you
made a lapse in judgment.

Exhaustion affects our
ability to make decisions.

Maybe you need some personal time.

Sir, are you asking me to step aside?

Absolutely not. I'm asking
you to get some rest.

Take maybe a week.

Come back recharged.

Look, sir, I appreciate you
looking after me like that,

but with everything
that's going on right now,

I really don't think
a break is called for.

Aaron, it's because of
everything that's going on

that I need you at your best.

I'm not trying to punish you.
I'm trying to protect you.

You're gonna have to trust me.

Take the week.

- Yes, sir.
- Thank you.

Aaron told me himself.

He shared the information
with Speaker Hookstraten...

She leaked it to Abe Leonard.

Wow.

Do you think this has anything to do

with him suppressing the
threat assessment memo?

No. No, I don't.

But he's gonna take some time off.

You suspended him?

No, I asked him to get
some rest and refocus,

give us a chance to figure
out what the hell is going on.

In the meantime...

I would like you to be
my acting Chief of Staff.

I'm throwing you in the deep end here.

I won't let you down.

I know.

Thank you, Emily. Ava
will bring you up to speed.

I guess that's all I need
for the next briefing.

Thank you, guys.

Uh, hey, Seth.

My mother called me earlier.
She asked me two questions.

One... am I dating anyone?

Two... was the Vice President involved

with the attempt on Kirkman's life?

- Funny.
- I'm serious.

When's the President gonna address this?

He's right, Seth.

The longer we stay silent,

the more it seems like
we are hiding something.

Okay. Well, look.

The President is still
being briefed by the FBI,

and he should have all
the information he needs

before he can address the nation, right?

Thanks for that question.

Yeah.

Laura?

We, um...

We need to shut down Abe Leonard

before his conspiracy
rumors get out of hand.

Abe Leonard's a Pulitzer Prizewinner.

Well, he's a disgraced
Pulitzer Prize-winner, right?

You know, when firefighters are
trying to put out a forest fire,

sometimes they'll...

set a backfire to snuff
out the original blaze.

That's what we need to do.

So... you want us to smear him?

No, the President doesn't
want that, and neither do I.

What I do want is for
the American people

to realize that, uh...

Abe Leonard strikes out
more than he hits home runs.

Make our friends in the media
remember every correction,

retraction he's ever had to publish,

every libel lawsuit and
defamation settlement.

I mean, this guy's like
a broken watch, right?

He's only right twice a day.

Sweet.

We finally get to spin something.

Hey, he-here's a list

of pending correspondence
and calls to return.

These will catch you up on NSA,

and these are the files for
the Dwyer meeting tomorrow.

I'm sorry, Aaron.

Oh, well, there's
nothing to be sorry about.

The President's just looking out for me.

And I'm sure you'll be back in no time.

Curtis is the go-to guy
for all matters Senate,

and Jamie for the House.

Denise handles military and cabinet.

Aaron...

Good luck.

You sure you don't want
me in there with you?

No. Joyner knows me.

Yeah, he knows you're the
one who took down MacLeish,

the only guy in the world he trusted.

Look, he's damaged
goods. I can reach him.

The story of this conspiracy
starts in Afghanistan.

Until we understand that,
we don't understand anything.

"And you will know the truth,

and the truth will set you free."

John 8:32...

That's what you quoted to MacLeish

right before he was shot.

So what is the truth, Corporal Joyner?

Tell me about the mission to Kunar...

November 14, 2005.

I ain't talking to you.

The CIA added this to your mission file.

This is total crap.

It didn't happen like this.

This makes us sound like baby killers.

But you did kill civilians, didn't you?

Women? Children?

You weren't there!

You can't understand.

Make me understand.

Listen to your conscience, Alvin.

I can't.

You want to tell someone. I know you do.

No!

- Cap said...
- Captain MacLeish is dead.

And he's going down as a war criminal.

No!

H-He's a hero!

He saved all of us that day.

How? What did he do?

Hey.

Hey.

Everything all right?

Yeah.

T-Tom, I'm worried about the kids.

I think we should send them
away from the White House.

What?

My mom can help take care
of them. I spoke with her.

- With all due respect to your mom...
- N-N-No. J-Just hear me out, okay?

The people who are behind this,
they took down the government,

th-they... th-they killed
that FBI agent's little boy,

and they almost killed you.

Slow down. Slow down.

You said yourself that you thought

the White House was
the safest place to be.

Well, I was wrong.

Because wherever you
are, you are a target.

Well, where do you want to go?

I spoke with Mike about Camp David.

- He says it's more secure.
- Of course it is.

It's a compound in
the middle of nowhere.

They wouldn't have any friends.

They'd have to be tutored.
What kind of a life is that?

What kind of life is this?

You haven't been to their school, you...

Well, we'll boost their security.

- We'll get them tracking bands.
- No, no, no, no.

Putting more bars on the
prison is not the answer.

I want our kids to have a normal life.

And I don't want to be away from them.

Or you, Al...

Alex...

This family, our family,

is the only thing holding me together.

I know. I know that.

And I don't want to be
away from you, either.

But... we have to think
about what's best for them.

And separating them from
their father is the answer?

I'm sorry, sir.

I'll get back as soon as I can.

I'm gonna head home to shower
and get a change of clothes.

Please do.

Don't miss me too much.

Don't make a sound!

Okay. Uh... you want my wallet?

No. I want your suit.

Is that a Welsh & Jeffries?

Oh, you guys are sons of
bitches, you know that?

And what about me?

You gave birth to these two.

Oh, man. What are you guys doing here?

Well, you haven't answered
a single text message

in the past week.

Yeah, well, that's what happens
when the President gets shot

and the Vice President
gets murdered by his wife.

That's why we're here.

- Call it an intervention.
- With alcohol.

I wish I could, guys.

I got to shower and head back to work.

Oh, would you listen to this guy?

You sound like a
freshman all over again.

Callie flew in from New
York just to see you.

- You did?
- If it makes it any easier,

drinks are on you.

All right. I can do one drink.

All right.

I can't believe Callie braved the flight

from New York all the way down to D.C.

Mr. President, what
I'm about to tell you

came straight from
Corporal Joyner himself.

One the morning of
11/14, orders came down

for MacLeish's unit
to escort an Army major

to a covert meet with an Afghan warlord.

That major's name...

Nestor Lozano, a.k.a. Catalan.

The man who tried to kill me.

Right.

He was meant to deliver a
few duffel bags full of cash.

The meet went south...
Warlord took the money

and ordered his men to open fire.

It was a bloodbath.

My God.

MacLeish managed to
keep his unit together,

and they fought their
way out of the compound,

but the warlord pursued.

And they started picking off the unit,

one by one.

MacLeish's men went blood-simple.

They shot up everything in their path...

Hostiles, friendlies,
women, and children.

To MacLeish's men,

the rules of engagement
no longer applied.

It was a frenzy...

Kill or be killed.

Eventually, Joyner sees Lozano,

shoves a gun in his face,
demands to know what happened.

Lozano admits he's a CIA officer

and that the bags were filled
with $5 million in cash...

A payoff to fight against the Taliban.

But MacLeish's men decided
that Lozano was going

to have to pay for
the buddies they lost,

MacLeish jumps in, stops it,

says that he was just following orders.

So, MacLeish saved his life.

If it weren't for MacLeish,

Lozano would've never made it home.

We're worried about you, pal.

Come on. Worried about
what? Everything's fine.

Seth, come on. You're
working for an amateur.

A nice guy, maybe,

but someone clearly
incapable of doing the job.

The nation's not seen this much
turmoil since the Civil War.

You're the face of a
drowning administration.

The handsome face of a
drowning administration,

- I might add.
- Thank you.

People think they're not
getting the whole story.

They're wondering if
there's a connection

between MacLeish and the shooter.

Okay, let me just guess where
you're getting that information.

- Teen Mode.
- Teen Mode.

Seth, if there is any truth

to this Abe Leonard story at all...

You really want to handcuff
yourself to a failed presidency?

Guys, enough.

I don't work at a hedge fund,

I don't work for a white-shoe law firm,

I don't make superhero movies.

I work for the President
of the United States.

When your ship's taking
on water, you don't jump.

You grab a bucket.

I appreciate the concern.

I love you guys. You know that.

But I have to get back
to the White House.

All right? Thanks for flying down.

The mission only explains
how Lozano met MacLeish.

And why he owed him.

Right.

My opinion?

This is exactly how
MacLeish was radicalized.

The bond with his unit went
deeper than even family.

To have his men sent in to slaughter,

on a covert mission with a war criminal,

and then to come back and
have their sacrifice...

ignored and erased by
a callous government.

The mission that made MacLeish a hero...

turned him into a traitor.

I want a perimeter around the school

before we get there.

We'll be traveling in alone.

Phoenix will not be exiting the vehicle.

Copy that.

Thank you, Mike.

I've seen enough.

Let's go back to the White House.

With all that's happened
in the past few weeks,

the President is thrilled to
have a man of your experience

stepping back into the
role of Secretary of State.

Thank you, Ms. Rhodes,

But let me stop you right there.

After discussing it with my advisors,

I'm gonna respectfully take
my name out of consideration.

I'm sorry. I don't understand.

Why come in if you had no intention

of taking the position?

Out of respect for the President.

I wanted to deliver the news in person.

Well, that won't stop him
from being disappointed.

I'm very sorry.

But I did want to offer a suggestion.

I've spoken to Cornelius Moss,

and he's willing to make recommendations

on all of your cabinet posts.

President Moss wants to
get back into politics?

He just wants to share the
benefit of his experience.

Nothing more.

Would President Kirkman be open to that?

So, we'll try it for a
month, see how it goes.

Thank you.

What... What changed your mind?

I went to Penny's school today.

Mike arranged it so
that we could move out

of the motorcade a block away

so she wouldn't know we were there.

You know, one of my
favorite things to do

before all this happened...

pick her up from school.

I would get there early
just to watch her play

with her friends.

She doesn't have any anymore.

Other kids aren't allowed near her.

I'm robbing her of her childhood,

and I don't know how to fix that yet,

but anything's got to
be better than this.

I agree.

Thank you.

So, where are we at?

Just parsing through the haystack.

Did any ID come back on the
guy you took out at Langdon's?

No, I ran it through
every database we have...

Facial recognition, dental
records, fingerprints.

No matches.

Just like the woman
who took Luke Atwood.

I mean, to have every
shred of your existence

scrubbed from the public record...

these guys are good.

We've got eyes out
everywhere for Langdon.

But so far, nothing.

He's out there...

somewhere.

You know, it's like Jason used to say,

we only have to be lucky once.

They have to be lucky all the time.

Hello?

Jason?

Jason, I came to check on you guys.

I hope that's okay.

Where's Yvette?

She's at her sister's in Buffalo.

She said everything about this place

reminds her of Luke.

You know they canned me, right?

They took my badge and my gun.

I'm so sorry, Jason.

I'm an embarrassment
to the entire Bureau.

That is not true. Don't even go there.

20-plus years on the job,

and all it took was for her
to show me that she had my son.

And all of my training
just goes out the window.

Let's make them pay, Jason.

Tell me everything you
know about that woman.

We'll find her, and we'll make her pay.

Are you working me?

What are you talking about?

You're working the case.

Jason, no. Come on. Don't. Don't.

No, I want justice for Luke.

Justice?

Justice is not gonna bring my son back.

This is my justice.

I went against everything that I am,

and my son is dead because of it.

You did everything you could.
You sacrificed everything.

They did this.

Please leave.

Jason, I want to help.

Get out.

I've had several conversations
with Cornelius Moss

since I took office.

He never indicated any desire
to get back into politics.

Not even close. I know.

After his wife died,

he said he was retiring
from public life.

That's why he never
ran for a second term.

Great public servant.

And a consummate politician.

I'm just saying, I wouldn't want him

to pull focus from what
you're trying to achieve.

No, I appreciate what you're saying.

But he's a president.

Inviting him into the White House

could lift the nation,
project a sense of solidarity.

I'll set it up.

Thank you.

Mr. Wright.

Mr. Leonard.

Did you know "Wright"
comes from the Old English?

- It means "shaper of wood."
- Huh.

And here I was thinking
it meant "adulterer."

Well, it intrigues me
you never knew the meaning

of your last name,
considering you picked it.

Is there something I can
help you with, Mr. Leonard?

Yeah, I'm curious how
the Tribune and the Post

both did stories on my
"return" to journalism

on the exact same day.

You're a Pulitzer winner making
a comeback with Teen Mode.

Don't you think that's newsworthy?

And the fact that I lost my
credentials from the Herald

due to rogue tactics that
border more on extortion

than journalism.

It's public record.

You know that I can't, uh...
control what the press pushes out.

No. Of course you can't.

You just read announcements
handed to you by the President.

Well, I must say, I am
actually flattered, so...

To feel somewhat relevant again?

When I was on the debate
team at Northwestern,

I learned that discrediting a source

is the oldest trick in the book.

It's bush league, but it's effective

if done properly under
two circumstances.

One... It's a last resort,

and two... When you're confronted

with a truth you can't refute.

Now, I would say
"goodbye" in Old English,

but I-I honestly can't pronounce it.

But apparently, it wouldn't matter.

So... adieu, Mr. Wright.

Sir, you really think
that is a good idea?

I think the people
have every right to know

what MacLeish did with
regards to the shooter.

Besides...

I'm not comfortable sitting
on the truth anymore.

- Okay, I'll inform the networks.
- Thank you.

Do you mind if I take
a pass at your remarks?

I was hoping you would.

- Thank you.
- Thanks, Seth.

I didn't ask for another one.

Well, it's from the gentleman
with the insatiable appetite

for loose women and anything alcoholic.

Hello, Abe.

What do you say, Kimble?

Still drinking that turpentine.

Yeah, read all about it.

I have been.

Rookie move by a dittohead neophyte.

Hey!

I wouldn't underestimate Seth Wright.

We're dealing with children, Kimble.

Coddled millennials who
wouldn't know a real story

if it bit them in the ass.

Same old Abe.

Well, you must have hit a nerve,

or the White House wouldn't
be going to all this trouble

to remind people what
a train wreck you are.

I've gotten mocked and ridiculed
by better hatchet men than them.

If they think a smear
campaign is gonna stop me...

...they got another thing coming.

Still, Kirkman's smart, and
he's learning on the job.

I've seen bare-knuckle campaigners

barely make it through a
single term as president.

You can't learn on the job. Come on.

It's taken everything in my empty soul

to get back in this game,
and there's zero chance

I'm gonna let some amateurs in diapers

push me out again.

There's a connection between
MacLeish and the shooter,

and I'm gonna find it.

If anything happens, if
Penny gets a splinter,

I want to know as soon as possible.

I know. I know.

Listen, we're only an hour away, okay?

I'm gonna get back as often as I can.

Okay.

Leo, you all right with this?

I'll be fine. It's a good call.

Come here.

I love you.

I love you, too.

And you.

I need you to look after
your mom and your brother.

What's this?

The drawing I was working on.

Sweetheart, I was supposed
to help you finish it.

I'm so sorry.

It's okay.

Come here.

I love you so much.

I love you, too.

Okay. Time to get in.

Call me as soon as you get there.

Please.

I love you with all my heart.

Could you take care of yourself, please?

I promise I will.

Bye, guys.

Bye, Daddy.

My fellow Americans...

Due to recent events,

we live in a time of uncertainty,

leaving us with more
questions than answers.

Tonight, I hope to
put us back on the path

to confidence and strength.

I do not believe that we
can survive as a nation

without transparency.

Without truth, there can be no trust.

As your President, I assure you

that I and my administration

will be honest and open on all matters,

regardless of how the
truth reflects upon me.

This afternoon, a question
was raised by Abe Leonard,

a respected member of our press pool,

which I believe the American people

deserve an answer to.

During the search for the man
who tried to assassinate me,

Vice President MacLeish

unilaterally issued
a shoot-to-kill order

over the strong objections of the FBI

and my Chief of Staff, Aaron Shore.

Because I was in surgery,

I was forced to invoke
the 25th Amendment,

giving the Vice President the authority

to make such a call.

It's not a call I
believe I would have made.

Nonetheless, I respected
Peter MacLeish's

experience as a soldier.

He made a split-second
decision that he felt protected

not only the federal
agents at the scene,

but the general public, as well.

I know this answer will
not satisfy everyone.

But this is what happened,
and it's how it happened.

In times of crisis,

we must not succumb to
cynicism and mistrust.

Instead, we must maintain faith

while embracing reason and truth,

not speculation and rumor.

Again, we can only attain
this through transparency.

Believe me,

I know what the American
people have been feeling.

I know that there is confusion and fear.

I know that some do not even
feel safe leaving their homes.

President Lincoln
prophetically cautioned,

"A house divided against
itself cannot stand."

We are at a similar crossroads.

But Lincoln did not
expect his house to fall,

and neither do I.

The American people must now
make the most important decision

they've had to make in generations.

Will we be united in the
pursuit of truth and reason?

Or break apart because of
conjecture and suspicion?

I trust this nation... My nation...

To make the right choice.

Thank you, good night,

and God bless America.

And we're clear, Mr. President.

Thank you.

Aaron.

Langdon.

Not here.

Aaron Shore's made contact with someone.

That's Charles Langdon.