Designated Survivor (2016–2019): Season 2, Episode 4 - Equilibrium - full transcript
Tensions rise between America and Mexico when a Mexican citizen is shot during a border dispute regarding Mexican trade imports; and Kirkman and his staff must work quickly to resolve the situation and create a new trade deal.
Previously on
"Designated Survivor"...
The FBI conducted a drone strike.
I can now confirm that Patrick Lloyd
has been neutralized.
Lloyd's on the run for six
months, and the last thing he does
is trash the First Lady's mother's house?
He wasn't looking for something.
He was leaving us something.
Is this really necessary?
We have to vet everything
that Patrick Lloyd touched.
It's the insurance form
for my dad's heart transplant.
Let's head around back.
I cut a hole in the fence.
Hannah!
Do you guys want to tell me what you're
doing on private property after hours?
That supposed to impress me, Agent Wells?
No, it's just to show you that we're
working a federal investigation
and that I don't have to answer
any of your questions.
The First Lady's mother gives inside info
to a government contractor
in order to win a bid.
So the First Lady's father
could move up the transplant list?
- A bribe? And which employee signed this?
- Eric Little.
Eric Little.
So, this is
your complete statement?
Yes.
You noticed the door had been pushed in.
You entered the premises because
you suspected a crime was ongoing.
You found a dead body. You called it in.
That's right.
- And you didn't know Eric Little?
- No.
- You'd never been to his house before?
- Nope.
You mind telling me what you were doing
in his neighborhood?
I'm not at liberty to discuss that.
A warehouse burns down, you're there.
A dead body turns up, you're there.
Now, why are you at the epicenter
of every crime in Reston?
Look, Detective. You're just trying
to do your job. I understand that.
If I were you, I would be frustrated, too,
but some things are just...
above your pay grade.
You get to play that card once, not twice.
It's not a card. It's a reality check.
Well, let me give you one:
whatever you're mixed up in,
your hands better be clean, or even
this place can't protect you.
You and I go way back, John.
I didn't know who else to turn to.
So no one in the White House knows?
Well, no one in a position of power.
I didn't want to set off any alarm bells
unless I had to.
- You already have.
- By keeping a lid on it?
By stonewalling a police investigation
into the murder of a contractor
who allegedly bribed
the First Lady's mother?
Allegedly, John. This is Lloyd.
This is his last desperate act
to bring down the presidency.
Yeah, it doesn't mean
that there's nothing here.
So what now?
If it's cancer,
you have to tell the patient.
But what if it's not?
I need time to... to dig into this.
I need time to disprove this,
and if I can do that,
then I don't have to bring
the President into the loop.
Okay, but if you can't disprove it,
you've impeded an investigation.
I don't think I have
a better option right now.
Look, there may be a way
to give yourself some cover
so the whole weight of this
doesn't fall on you if things go south.
I'm listening.
You want to protect the President,
bring the White House Counsel
into the loop.
Kendra Daynes has got
the President's back, right?
Yes.
Yes, but will she have mine?
Hell no, Mexico!
Your lousy junk has got to go!...
Tensions continue to rise
on both sides of the border
as American truckers enter
the sixth day of their blockade.
The truckers are
protesting trade negotiations,
which have dragged on for two months now
without signs of a breakthrough.
Jake from Laredo,
you're on the air.
I'm sick and tired of Mexico
stealing ourjobs and taking our money.
Give 'em hell, truckers!
This blockade is totally illegal!
It's a racist move against all Mexicans!
Apparently, the White House
believes doing nothing
will make the problem go away.
They couldn't be more wrong.
Make no mistake about it:
this situation is a powder keg
just waiting to explode.
Move!
Gracias.
The slain trucker has
been identified as José Menez,
a Mexican national.
An autopsy has been ordered.
More than $2 billion a day; that's what
the blockade's costing our economy.
$10 billion so far, and the meter keeps
ticking until we get this trade deal done.
Aaron, what'd the Mexican ambassador
have to say?
Not a lot I'd like to translate, sir.
So, Mexico is our most important
trading partner,
Americans are worried
about their jobs
and will hold you responsible
if you don't protect them,
and the administration
needs this trade deal
to prove itself
on the international stage.
But after the shooting,
the coordinated blockade
at every U.S. point of entry's
just gonna get harder to break.
Where are we at with the Mexican trade
rep and our favorite union leader?
They both walked, but we're trying
to get them back to the table.
We all know what we need to do.
Let's get it done.
You want us to cook your food,
cut your grass,
raise your children,
but treating us justly?
The United States is already the largest
market for Mexican goods.
- A reasonable excise tax...
- Oh, here comes the tariff pitch.
The offer that is on the table
will help reduce many of those tariffs,
but you have to meet us halfway.
This blockade...
hurts both countries.
Exactly.
But my people have
a different pain threshold.
See, we're willing to suffer
for better opportunities,
a better mañana...
...a better deal.
Businesses are moving their factories
to Mexico to exploit cheap labor.
And the President's policies
of low tariffs and free trade...
- Paul, you're a dinosaur.
- I'm sorry?
You're not familiar
with the whole Jurassic thing?
I know what a dinosaur is.
They're extinct,
which is where you're headed.
50 years ago, a third of U.S. workers
were unionized.
- Now it's 1 in 10.
- Okay, so if I'm a dying breed,
- why do I have a seat at the table?
- Because organized labor still matters.
Where you lead, they follow,
but Paul, you need to face facts.
Enlighten me.
Undocumented workers
take jobs Americans won't.
Cheap Mexican goods
force us to innovate.
Oh, Mexicans crashing the border
and trying to run down Americans...
- He was driving on the shoulder.
- It's symbolic, Lyor.
You want symbolism?
It's a dead Mexican on the spin cycle,
not a dead American.
They walk away, they're justified.
You walk away,
well, you're unreasonable.
Yes, we're concerned
that Mexico's voided the pact,
but we've made solid progress
towards a new agreement.
And with Labor's backing,
the U.S. has been able
to lower tariffs on select Mexican goods,
and the Mexican government
has responded positively.
Do you expect the Mexican position
to change now that we know
the bullet that killed Mr. Menez
came from an American gun?
I don't, um...
The only information I have is that
Mr. Menez was hit multiple times.
The M.E. has just confirmed the kill shot
was an American one
based on the angle of entry.
Okay, I mean, even if that's true,
the truckers have a self-defense claim.
Mr. Menez was driving
on the side of the road.
Okay, well, they may have had every reason
to suspect that he was going to swerve.
Uh, and if that's true, then, uh, they
had every right to stand their ground.
Will the shooting be investigated?
Sounds like that's a question
for local authorities.
Is the President going
to condemn American gun violence?
Um, I'm sorry, guys.
I can sidebar on that with you later.
So, is this shooting a referendum
on American gun violence?
No, it's a referendum on the dangers of
running the border at 90 miles an hour.
Mr. Shore, do you have
a position on this?
Uh, no, I do not,
but the administration does,
which is that this sad situation
reinforces the need
for the parties to get back to the table.
But as the only Mexican-American
on the President's senior staff...
I don't serve the President
as a Mexican-American.
What do you serve him as?
As a National Security Advisor.
This latest news
has furtherjeopardized
the stalled trade agreement
between the United States and Mexico.
Mexican-American leaders
in the United States
are calling for rallies
across the country
to protest the fatal shooting
of trucker José Menez.
Everybody was shooting;
Mexicans, Americans,
civilians, law enforcement.
This tragedy is the very definition
of collective responsibility.
But it was an American
who fired the fatal shot.
Yes, and it shifts
the negotiation equilibrium.
- Mexico is gonna up its demands now.
- That's already happened.
Arronte's asking for expanded
rights for undocumented workers
and rollbacks on agricultural tariffs.
Both of which will go over like
a lead balloon with Zalesky.
- So we're back to square one.
- I'm afraid so, sir.
We need to mobilize
the Hispanic-American community.
They're the honest brokers in this. They
can bring both sides back to the table.
I reached out to the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
- Senator Flores is en route.
- Okay, good.
We need a political solution and fast.
Yes, sir.
We have a broken vase.
That's not a sentence I've heard
since my babysitting days.
- A broken vase in the West Wing.
- Okay.
A gift from the Imperial Chinese Court
to Rutherford B. Hayes.
- This isn't getting more interesting.
- There's paperwork.
Stuff breaks. Have the Office of
Management and Budget file a claim.
- Done.
- Thanks.
Dax, I am so sorry.
Oh, that's all right, sir.
I understand you have
a few items on your plate.
Unfortunately, the trade
agreement is the entrée.
- I'm gonna have to push our dinner.
- No problem.
I brought you something, by the way.
- The new electric car?
- Yes, sir.
Wow.
Zero to 60 in 3 flat, carbon-neutral,
400 miles to a charge,
rolling off the assembly lines
this spring.
Which assembly lines?
We have plants in Tijuana and Flint.
Well, that explains why you haven't
called me about the trade deal.
Correct.
I'm the human version of carbon-neutral.
Plus, in three years, my factories
will be completely automated.
So labor's not your concern.
No, sir. It's cadmium.
Impressive. I owe you a meal.
- Oh.
- Come on, let me walk you out.
- Sure.
- Here's the good news:
there's no legal jeopardy
for the First Lady's mother.
Even if she took a bribe?
Yes. The statute of limitations
is long past.
It's the contractor's death
that's the problem.
Well, only if you're a conspiracy
theorist. Doesn't lead anywhere.
Before we worry about where it leads,
let's worry about where you're leading it.
You're a White House employee.
Your actions are imputed to the President.
Why is everyone confusing
investigating with obstructing?
Because there's a fine line
between the two.
And if you want to stay
on the right side of it,
you have to jump through
certain hoops.
You mean speak
to the First Lady's mother?
Yes. The case against her
is highly circumstantial.
You get her denial on record,
the contractor's death,
anything else Lloyd may have dug up,
becomes immaterial.
I am not asking a 70-year-old woman whose
daughter is married to the President
- whether she committed a crime.
- No, that would be imprudent.
- Exactly.
- You have to ask the First Lady.
Senator Flores, the President wants
to bring both sides back to the table.
How can we work together to...
Nadia?
El primo!
- So great to see you!
- Well, it's great to see you, too.
Look, I-I'm meeting with
Senator Flores right now...
No, you're not.
She sent me.
Uh, you work
with Representative Yoshida.
I did, until about two weeks ago.
- I sent you like two messages about it.
- I'm... I'm sorry, I...
Anyway, I know
how busy you are, so...
why don't we jump in?
Okay.
The first item of business is amnesty.
Wait, th-the CBO estimates
that would cost the U.S. economy
$2.6 trillion in the first year alone.
That doesn't take into account
the taxes people
living in the shadows would pay.
It's a non-starter, Nadia.
We don't have bipartisan support.
Let's put a pin in that
and talk about remittance provision.
Nadia, I think it best for me
to interface with the senator
directly on all these things.
Ms. Rhodes. Maya Dunning, OMB.
The vase, right?
It's only a covered event
if the breakage is accidental,
- not deliberate.
- It was accidental.
Well, I don't know that.
The White House hasn't declared war
on Chinese ceramics, Mrs. Dunning.
I'm still required
to conduct an investigation.
If you leave me out of it,
you can wheel in Hercule Poirot.
Thank you.
Well, thank you
for bringing this to my attention.
- Of course.
- I don't need to tell you what I think
about the prospect
of involving my mother
in any of this, um, but I guess sometimes,
it's better to head things off
- at the pass.
- Yes, ma'am.
Which makes Agent Wells' deception
even more difficult to understand.
Ma'am?
You had me poring through documents,
hundreds of them,
when you were only
interested in this one.
I believe that Agent Wells...
Can speak for herself,
thank you, Kendra.
I didn't know
if there was anything to this,
and if there wasn't,
I didn't want to trouble you.
So you decided to insult me
with some ruse,
- playing me for a fool?
- That was never my intention.
So, now that everything's
on the table,
I hope you can see how absurd
this bribery suggestion really is.
At this stage, there's no indication
whether it's credible or not.
Of course there isn't.
My mom was a secretary.
She was not
an administrator, okay?
She didn't deal with executives
or hand out contracts.
- She got coffee.
- I understand that, but...
So you still find it plausible
that a contractor,
who was looking
for a big piece of business,
would think that my mother
was the right person to bribe?
I'm not saying
that it's plausible, ma'am.
I'm saying that we have
circumstantial evidence...
That my mother is a criminal.
Ma'am, the intention
is not to upset you.
Hannah is here at my urging.
And she should know,
more than anyone,
how crazy Lloyd was
and how much he hated my husband
and how no smear was beneath that man.
Right, Agent Wells?
Yes, ma'am.
So maybe you should have
considered all of this
before you came to me
with this manufactured nonsense.
Sorry to trouble you, Mrs. Kirkman.
As you can see, some very upset...
Yeah, come in.
...protesting the death of Mexican
citizen José Menez in the...
Well, Mexico's winning
the PR battle at home and abroad.
- They're hardening their stance.
- Meanwhile, we are turning on each other.
There's been an upsurge of violence
at the border crossings.
Where are we with the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus?
I had a productive meeting
with, uh, Senator Flores' aide.
Aide?
Aaron, that's not good enough.
She's sitting on her hands. We need her
out there defending our position.
- I'll tell her, sir.
- Where are we at with Labor?
Mr. President...
You need to see this.
This White House
is worried about globalism.
Well, hey, I'm worried
about our country.
Mr. President, the American worker
won't support your agenda
if you don't support him.
You tell Mr. Zalesky
if he keeps trying to undercut me,
- he's gonna regret it.
- Yes, sir.
You've got to give them
theirjobs back.
That's how this works.
You have to roll back everything
you've been doing for the past...
Damn Stegosaurus.
It's a simple questionnaire.
It's 12 pages.
I'm not having the White House staff
answer a 12-page questionnaire
about broken pottery.
The comprehensive one is 26.
This is officially a covered event,
the result of an accident.
I think that that conclusion
is premature.
Okay, then, you can take it up
with my boss.
He's in the office down the hall,
the big oval one.
- Hey.
- Hey.
You good?
Oh, semi-good.
You know, you ever get
a feeling like you...
just can't make anyone happy?
That would be my childhood.
Thanks a lot.
Yeah, you know, this trade deal...
everyone's wondering if
I'm doing enough for their side.
The only side I'm on
is the President's.
Yeah, I know what it's like
to be stuck in the middle.
You want to know when that ends?
- When?
- Never!
6.2 million undocumented Mexican workers
in the United States, Aaron.
- It's a national emergency.
- We're aware, Senator Flores,
which is why the President
is committed to working with you
to ease their path to citizenship.
Then why is that not reflected
in the agreement?
Because it should focus
on trade. I-It's economics.
Both of which are tied to people.
The President believes in people,
and he believes in honoring his word,
which you have.
You endorse this agreement, the
White House will be extremely grateful.
Well, this is not ideal, but...
I suppose very little is in this world.
Meaning you'll come out publicly
in support of the President?
You have my word.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Senator... may I address
a personal matter?
I didn't appreciate you
deploying my cousin
to manipulate me on a legislative matter.
Um, Aaron, I think you misunderstand.
No, no, I don't think I do.
I sent Nadia to the White House
because she is a highly prized
and capable aide.
Who happens to be related to me.
Look, trying to leverage that
isn't going to open doors for you, ma'am.
It's gonna close them.
My husband loved America.
He hoped to join me
and our children here one day.
But I'm still not a citizen...
so he couldn't.
He was killed by the people
he dreamed one day...
...would be his neighbors.
I just got off the phone
with President Moreno's office,
and they're saying
he won't intervene.
Of course not.
He can't put his personal prestige
on the line for something like this.
Why not? I've put mine on the line.
Yes, but you're not up
for re-election in four months.
Where are we at with Paul Zalesky?
I had a "come to Lyor" talk
with him last night.
- He'll stand down.
- For now.
The Congressional
Hispanic Caucus' support
gained us some ground domestically,
but Arronte's still insisting
on rollbacks.
If Zalesky responds, we're back
where we started again.
All of this is happening
because of the shooting, right?
Yes, sir.
It's hard to talk substance
when emotions are running high.
Well, of course, and now there's
a human cost to the debate.
Meanwhile, on both sides of the border,
families are struggling
to eke out a living.
Like José Menez.
- We can reach out to his widow.
- Yes.
She's a legal U.S. resident from Mexico.
Maybe she can help us bridge the divide.
That's actually pretty good.
We could stop talking substance,
put a human face on the tragedy.
Yeah, a photo op would show Mexico
that America cares about the plight
of the undocumented immigrant.
And it'll soften Arronte up.
He blinks first, Labor will fall in line.
He'd end the blockade, open up
the borders, and close this deal.
Let's try it. Seth, please, set it up.
Mom, I-I'm embarrassed
to even ask you this,
but it's just something I...
I have to put to bed, okay?
So, this is a purchase order
for helicopters
that Icarus Astrotech won.
I know what it is.
Okay, s-so, there's this allegation -
it's a crazy allegation -
that you helped Icarus
in exchange...
You know, even hearing myself
say this out loud, I...
Alex, ask me the question.
Did you accept a bribe?
Yes.
What?
Oh, you knew that already, right?
No, I didn't.
- Y-You were a secretary.
- With access to the bid specs.
When you're a contractor and you know
what the government's looking for,
you have the inside track.
So you broke the law?
To save your father's life.
Absolutely.
He was gonna die.
Alex, if he got his heart transplant,
you think I cared about who got
to build the stupid helicopter?
- Mom, why didn't you tell me this?!
- Why would I?
Because my husband is president!
And had he been running for office...
yes, I probably would have come forward,
but come on, we all...
all woke up one day
and he was in charge!
What possible good
could it have done for me
to confess something that...
that... it happened so long ago?
Mom, you committed
a federal crime.
It bought me 15 more years
with a wonderful man
and gave my daughter her father.
I'd do it again, 10 times over...
because my family matters
more to me than anything else.
The President will make some
remarks, and then introduce you.
You'll read from
your prepared statement, okay?
Okay.
Don't be scared. I'll be
standing there right by your side.
Yes, sir.
Mike, stop.
Change of plans. I would like you to
escort Mrs. Menez back to the Oval Office.
I'm sorry.
I'll be right there.
Yes, sir.
- Sir?
- I can't do this. I'm sorry.
Sir, the press is waiting for you.
- She is mourning her dead husband.
- Sir...
I am not gonna milk human tragedy
for political gain.
I am not doing this. Handle it.
I have 40 reporters out there.
What am I supposed to say?
Don't ask me.
I'm the big-picture guy.
There are so many connections
between our two countries,
but the most important
is the human one.
On behalf of the American people,
I am so sorry for your tragic loss.
- Thank you.
- I also want you to know
that I am not gonna ask
anything else of you.
There will be no press conference
and no expectations.
You can say whatever you want
to whomever you want.
That's what our country is about.
If you don't mind,
could you tell me something
about your husband?
He was a good man.
He cared about his family...
...and baseball.
And tequila.
You'd have liked him.
It sounds like it.
But, uh...
the last three years,
there was no work,
and he was so desperate.
And then, last month,
he got that job as a driver,
a very good job.
So he just started working there?
And he was so happy.
It doesn't make any sense, you know?
Oh, I'm sorry.
Mike, would you please escort
Mrs. Menez to the ladies room?
Yes, sir.
Ma'am, could you
come with me, please?
Thank you.
- Mr. President?
- Emily, I want you to get me the name
of the trucking company
that Mr. Menez worked for.
Why, sir?
I've got a feeling, and if I'm right,
we might finally
have the leverage we need.
Will do. There's someone from
the OMB here to talk to you.
- Please get someone else to deal with it.
- I think you should, sir.
It's about Penny, but I think you might
want to talk to your daughter first.
Okay.
Have someone bring her down.
Come in.
Thank you, Clive.
Little Pea, take a seat.
You know that I trust you, right?
Yeah.
And you know that I think
honesty is the most important thing.
Yeah.
I need to ask you a question,
and I want you to know
I'm not gonna be angry,
no matter what your answer is.
I'm sorry I broke your watch.
You broke my watch?
Yeah.
Did you break this, too?
No.
You're absolutely sure?
Yeah.
Just your watch. Sorry.
Come here.
It's all right.
Come on.
Could you please take her
back up to the residency?
- Bye, Little Pea.
- Bye, Daddy.
- Mrs. Dunning.
- Mr. President.
It's very nice to meet you.
I want you to know that we take
the destruction of property
very seriously around here.
After all, we are simply caretakers
obligated to protect what
belongs to the American people.
I couldn't agree more, sir.
Right. I talked to my daughter
about the vase,
and she assured me
that she did not break it.
I see.
Respectfully, sir,
it is my experience that children
tend to gild the lily.
Gild the lily.
You know, fudge, and parents
want to believe the best.
But sometimes,
we need to be a bit skeptical.
It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Dunning.
Hey, sweetie. What did Daddy want?
To talk. I didn't break a vase,
but I'm not allowed to play
with his watches anymore.
Oh. Okay.
Mrs. Kirkman, do you have
a moment for Kendra Daynes?
Sure.
Sorry for intruding, ma'am,
but I need to bring something
urgent to your attention.
Okay.
And I apologize for upsetting you
earlier. That was never our intention...
No, no, no.
Kendra, please, just tell me.
It's an FBI subpoena, ma'am.
It's for your mother.
Foerstel wants to question my mom.
Closed-door hearing, penalty of perjury.
We'll handle it.
She won't.
Tom, my mom didn't sign up for this.
She's a very private person.
This will destroy her,
not to mention what this kind of scandal
could do to the White House.
Alex, Alex, stop.
In the past year,
we were almost blown up,
we survived a major conspiracy,
and I was shot.
This is nothing.
But, Tom, it's not nothing.
It's a 30-year-old transgression
that your mom made
in an effort to save her husband.
People will understand that.
The rest is innuendo.
We have weathered so much together.
We will weather this.
Sorry to interrupt, sir,
but he's waiting in the Roosevelt Room.
Alex, this is going to be okay.
It's going to be okay.
- Mr. Arronte.
- Mr. President. Ms. Rhodes.
Transport Transnacional
is your company?
One of them, yes.
And you hired José Menez
just over three weeks ago?
Uh, personally, no.
My head of human resources has...
Mr. Arronte,
you're in the White House now.
You don't get to come here
and insult my intelligence.
Yes, I approved his hiring,
Mr. President.
To run the border blockade,
so you would have the upper hand
in negotiations,
making you complicit in his death.
The intention was not
for Mr. Menez to die.
Right, because running
a blockade of truckers with guns
is a smart way to ensure longevity.
For the record, I didn't come
to Mr. Menez. He came to me.
Dozens of my employees did.
They wanted to fight your country's
unfair trade practices.
A sacrifice for which I'm sure his family
will be handsomely rewarded.
He did a patriotic act. I'll do mine
by supporting his loved ones.
You signed his death warrant!
No, sir!
The American who killed him did that.
Mr. Arronte, let me tell you
what's gonna happen here.
You're gonna call your president
and you're gonna tell him
that the deal we have here on the table
is fair and reasonable
and he needs to sell it
to the Mexican people.
- The American propo...
- I'm not finished yet.
After he signs the deal,
you're gonna resign as trade envoy,
or I'm gonna call
the Texas State Attorney
and have you charged with manslaughter.
Do you understand that?
- Yes, sir.
- Good.
Then you can show yourself out.
That gets us halfway there, sir.
Get me Zalesky.
He'll take us the rest of the way.
- Nadia, you can't let people use you.
- Use me?
What, you didn't find it suspicious
that Senator Flores hired you
just after the trade
negotiations were heating up?
No, I didn't.
Well, you should've.
You need a little cynicism
to survive in this town.
Aaron, the senator didn't recruit me.
There was an opening, and I applied for
the job because I wanted to work for her.
I don't care. Sending you
just to twist my arm like that...
Was my idea!
The senator didn't even know
I was related to you.
I-I find that very hard to believe.
Well, it's true,
and if you had asked me,
I would've told you.
But instead, you assumed the worst.
You went to my boss.
You humiliated me.
All right, I'm sorry, but the fact remains
you used our relationship
to seek concessions
that make this deal harder to broker.
"Concessions"?
Whose side do you think I'm on?
Well, y-you tell me.
Those concessions are for
36 million Mexican-Americans
who don't see this
as a zero-sum game,
people who have family
on the other side of the border.
We have family
on the other side of the border!
I'm aware of that. I'm as connected
to my heritage as anyone.
Really? When was the last time
you were home?
I've been a little busy, Nadia,
all right?
I know!
And we're all so proud.
Look at you.
Everything you've accomplished...
our Aaron...
you've climbed
to the top of the ladder.
But maybe you've forgotten
who helped you build it.
Paul, we're done haggling.
The pendulum stops here.
Yes, Arronte was guilty,
but there was plenty of guilt
to go around.
We can't treat our neighbors as enemies.
We need to make deals with them.
- Bad deals.
- Imperfect ones.
But if everybody is so afraid of losing,
how on earth can anyone ever win?
I will back you, sir...
but you still have a problem.
Okay, I'm listening.
This thing is so compromised,
neither side can embrace it.
You can make this deal, yes,
but it's eventually
gonna be unmade.
What if I was able
to give both parties something
without either side losing anything?
Well, then, you'd have
a deal that might last,
but how are you gonna do that?
I'm gonna buy a friend dinner.
- Are you live streaming?
- Excuse me?
Your computer seems to have
a perfect view to the hallway.
Yes, my nephew in Saginaw's
recovering from a broken leg,
but Sammy's fascinated
with the White House,
- so I like to do this for him.
- Is it always on?
Yes.
And how long
does the computer store video?
I don't know.
A week, I guess?
Am I in trouble?
Not at all.
How is it you're treating me to dinner,
but I still feel like
everyone's gonna wind up
dining out on me?
For a smart guy,
that's a pretty simple way
of looking at things.
It is simple.
You're asking me to slow the rollout
of my automated plants.
To save jobs.
You employ 50,000 people
on both sides of the border.
Who get to stave off unemployment
for a few more years.
How does that break your log jam?
It helps both sides back the deal
without losing anything in the bargain.
It nudges us across the finish line.
And it costs me a fortune.
I'll push for tax breaks, and you'll be
a hero south of the border.
Mexico walked into the 21st century
as one of the world's greatest polluters.
They want to change that record.
It'd be a huge market
for your electric cars.
None of this will make me whole.
In the short term, no,
but you're a privately owned company.
You don't have to answer
to shareholders,
and we both know you can afford it.
Oh, I need a better reason than that.
How about your president asked you?
That's a better reason.
The future's coming
whether you're ready or not, Tom.
Now, you can try to hold back
the rushing water,
but one day, the dam is gonna burst.
I know.
I'm just trying to buy time,
make sure everybody can swim.
Is this you?
Uh, the camera adds 10 pounds,
but yes, yes.
And why were you running?
Well, it was almost midnight.
I realized my exercise monitor
showed 9,200 steps for the day.
I had barely two minutes
to make 10,000.
Our insurance covers negligence.
It doesn't cover intentional
destruction of property.
But your behavior here was reckless,
which puts us squarely in a gray area.
- How gray?
- It's a discretionary determination.
I see.
Is there anything I can do
to inform that discretion?
Meaning what?
How can I help you understand
that this was, in fact, an accident?
- Are you trying to bribe me?
- Of course not. I'm...
Right?
I suppose further investigation could
shed some light on the incident.
It would.
A secondary questionnaire,
deposition, perhaps.
You'll find me very forthcoming.
Good.
Let's discuss this further over dinner.
- Dinner?
- Yes.
- How much?
- For what?
The vase. How much?
It was last appraised
at $1.2 million.
I'm gluten-free.
Great.
Let's face the facts.
This deal's the Kirkman compromise.
Not a win-win. It's a lose-lose.
Well, maybe he should, uh...
Seth.
Grab a beer. You deserve one.
Oh, I'm good, thank you.
And does anybody think the United States
won anything here?
What's the temperature out there?
Lukewarm, sir.
I don't think that's a fair assessment.
The blockade's over,
the country's not
hemorrhaging money anymore,
and we hammered out
a crucial trade agreement.
Despite incentives for both sides,
this thing fell far short
of anything anyone wanted.
Well, if no one's happy,
that's the mark of a good deal, sir.
Then this was a great deal, Lyor.
- Aaron!
- Sophia.
Como estas?
Como estas?
I'm glad you made it.
I'm glad I made it.
Míralo!
Just in time for dinner!
Aaron.
You subpoenaed the First Lady's
mother after we spoke?
- Hannah...
- Why did you do it?
- I had to do it.
- You're such a bastard, John.
I'm gonna give you a pass on that,
'cause you and I go back a long way,
but it's a one-time pass.
I'm the director of the FBI.
You cross a line with me,
it's gonna stay crossed.
I came to you in friendship
and in confidence!
And I intended to honor
that confidence...
Till when? Till your ambition
got the better of you?
No. This did.
Icarus Astrotech contract
with the Defense Department.
For $3 billion.
They landed it six months ago,
right after Lloyd's Pentagon hack,
and the Icarus signatory is Eric Little,
the guy who bribed
the First Lady's mother back in '87,
the guy who just turned up dead.
So I don't think I have
to tell you what this looks like,
but I can tell you that I have
an obligation to investigate it,
and I intend to do my job.
"Designated Survivor"...
The FBI conducted a drone strike.
I can now confirm that Patrick Lloyd
has been neutralized.
Lloyd's on the run for six
months, and the last thing he does
is trash the First Lady's mother's house?
He wasn't looking for something.
He was leaving us something.
Is this really necessary?
We have to vet everything
that Patrick Lloyd touched.
It's the insurance form
for my dad's heart transplant.
Let's head around back.
I cut a hole in the fence.
Hannah!
Do you guys want to tell me what you're
doing on private property after hours?
That supposed to impress me, Agent Wells?
No, it's just to show you that we're
working a federal investigation
and that I don't have to answer
any of your questions.
The First Lady's mother gives inside info
to a government contractor
in order to win a bid.
So the First Lady's father
could move up the transplant list?
- A bribe? And which employee signed this?
- Eric Little.
Eric Little.
So, this is
your complete statement?
Yes.
You noticed the door had been pushed in.
You entered the premises because
you suspected a crime was ongoing.
You found a dead body. You called it in.
That's right.
- And you didn't know Eric Little?
- No.
- You'd never been to his house before?
- Nope.
You mind telling me what you were doing
in his neighborhood?
I'm not at liberty to discuss that.
A warehouse burns down, you're there.
A dead body turns up, you're there.
Now, why are you at the epicenter
of every crime in Reston?
Look, Detective. You're just trying
to do your job. I understand that.
If I were you, I would be frustrated, too,
but some things are just...
above your pay grade.
You get to play that card once, not twice.
It's not a card. It's a reality check.
Well, let me give you one:
whatever you're mixed up in,
your hands better be clean, or even
this place can't protect you.
You and I go way back, John.
I didn't know who else to turn to.
So no one in the White House knows?
Well, no one in a position of power.
I didn't want to set off any alarm bells
unless I had to.
- You already have.
- By keeping a lid on it?
By stonewalling a police investigation
into the murder of a contractor
who allegedly bribed
the First Lady's mother?
Allegedly, John. This is Lloyd.
This is his last desperate act
to bring down the presidency.
Yeah, it doesn't mean
that there's nothing here.
So what now?
If it's cancer,
you have to tell the patient.
But what if it's not?
I need time to... to dig into this.
I need time to disprove this,
and if I can do that,
then I don't have to bring
the President into the loop.
Okay, but if you can't disprove it,
you've impeded an investigation.
I don't think I have
a better option right now.
Look, there may be a way
to give yourself some cover
so the whole weight of this
doesn't fall on you if things go south.
I'm listening.
You want to protect the President,
bring the White House Counsel
into the loop.
Kendra Daynes has got
the President's back, right?
Yes.
Yes, but will she have mine?
Hell no, Mexico!
Your lousy junk has got to go!...
Tensions continue to rise
on both sides of the border
as American truckers enter
the sixth day of their blockade.
The truckers are
protesting trade negotiations,
which have dragged on for two months now
without signs of a breakthrough.
Jake from Laredo,
you're on the air.
I'm sick and tired of Mexico
stealing ourjobs and taking our money.
Give 'em hell, truckers!
This blockade is totally illegal!
It's a racist move against all Mexicans!
Apparently, the White House
believes doing nothing
will make the problem go away.
They couldn't be more wrong.
Make no mistake about it:
this situation is a powder keg
just waiting to explode.
Move!
Gracias.
The slain trucker has
been identified as José Menez,
a Mexican national.
An autopsy has been ordered.
More than $2 billion a day; that's what
the blockade's costing our economy.
$10 billion so far, and the meter keeps
ticking until we get this trade deal done.
Aaron, what'd the Mexican ambassador
have to say?
Not a lot I'd like to translate, sir.
So, Mexico is our most important
trading partner,
Americans are worried
about their jobs
and will hold you responsible
if you don't protect them,
and the administration
needs this trade deal
to prove itself
on the international stage.
But after the shooting,
the coordinated blockade
at every U.S. point of entry's
just gonna get harder to break.
Where are we at with the Mexican trade
rep and our favorite union leader?
They both walked, but we're trying
to get them back to the table.
We all know what we need to do.
Let's get it done.
You want us to cook your food,
cut your grass,
raise your children,
but treating us justly?
The United States is already the largest
market for Mexican goods.
- A reasonable excise tax...
- Oh, here comes the tariff pitch.
The offer that is on the table
will help reduce many of those tariffs,
but you have to meet us halfway.
This blockade...
hurts both countries.
Exactly.
But my people have
a different pain threshold.
See, we're willing to suffer
for better opportunities,
a better mañana...
...a better deal.
Businesses are moving their factories
to Mexico to exploit cheap labor.
And the President's policies
of low tariffs and free trade...
- Paul, you're a dinosaur.
- I'm sorry?
You're not familiar
with the whole Jurassic thing?
I know what a dinosaur is.
They're extinct,
which is where you're headed.
50 years ago, a third of U.S. workers
were unionized.
- Now it's 1 in 10.
- Okay, so if I'm a dying breed,
- why do I have a seat at the table?
- Because organized labor still matters.
Where you lead, they follow,
but Paul, you need to face facts.
Enlighten me.
Undocumented workers
take jobs Americans won't.
Cheap Mexican goods
force us to innovate.
Oh, Mexicans crashing the border
and trying to run down Americans...
- He was driving on the shoulder.
- It's symbolic, Lyor.
You want symbolism?
It's a dead Mexican on the spin cycle,
not a dead American.
They walk away, they're justified.
You walk away,
well, you're unreasonable.
Yes, we're concerned
that Mexico's voided the pact,
but we've made solid progress
towards a new agreement.
And with Labor's backing,
the U.S. has been able
to lower tariffs on select Mexican goods,
and the Mexican government
has responded positively.
Do you expect the Mexican position
to change now that we know
the bullet that killed Mr. Menez
came from an American gun?
I don't, um...
The only information I have is that
Mr. Menez was hit multiple times.
The M.E. has just confirmed the kill shot
was an American one
based on the angle of entry.
Okay, I mean, even if that's true,
the truckers have a self-defense claim.
Mr. Menez was driving
on the side of the road.
Okay, well, they may have had every reason
to suspect that he was going to swerve.
Uh, and if that's true, then, uh, they
had every right to stand their ground.
Will the shooting be investigated?
Sounds like that's a question
for local authorities.
Is the President going
to condemn American gun violence?
Um, I'm sorry, guys.
I can sidebar on that with you later.
So, is this shooting a referendum
on American gun violence?
No, it's a referendum on the dangers of
running the border at 90 miles an hour.
Mr. Shore, do you have
a position on this?
Uh, no, I do not,
but the administration does,
which is that this sad situation
reinforces the need
for the parties to get back to the table.
But as the only Mexican-American
on the President's senior staff...
I don't serve the President
as a Mexican-American.
What do you serve him as?
As a National Security Advisor.
This latest news
has furtherjeopardized
the stalled trade agreement
between the United States and Mexico.
Mexican-American leaders
in the United States
are calling for rallies
across the country
to protest the fatal shooting
of trucker José Menez.
Everybody was shooting;
Mexicans, Americans,
civilians, law enforcement.
This tragedy is the very definition
of collective responsibility.
But it was an American
who fired the fatal shot.
Yes, and it shifts
the negotiation equilibrium.
- Mexico is gonna up its demands now.
- That's already happened.
Arronte's asking for expanded
rights for undocumented workers
and rollbacks on agricultural tariffs.
Both of which will go over like
a lead balloon with Zalesky.
- So we're back to square one.
- I'm afraid so, sir.
We need to mobilize
the Hispanic-American community.
They're the honest brokers in this. They
can bring both sides back to the table.
I reached out to the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
- Senator Flores is en route.
- Okay, good.
We need a political solution and fast.
Yes, sir.
We have a broken vase.
That's not a sentence I've heard
since my babysitting days.
- A broken vase in the West Wing.
- Okay.
A gift from the Imperial Chinese Court
to Rutherford B. Hayes.
- This isn't getting more interesting.
- There's paperwork.
Stuff breaks. Have the Office of
Management and Budget file a claim.
- Done.
- Thanks.
Dax, I am so sorry.
Oh, that's all right, sir.
I understand you have
a few items on your plate.
Unfortunately, the trade
agreement is the entrée.
- I'm gonna have to push our dinner.
- No problem.
I brought you something, by the way.
- The new electric car?
- Yes, sir.
Wow.
Zero to 60 in 3 flat, carbon-neutral,
400 miles to a charge,
rolling off the assembly lines
this spring.
Which assembly lines?
We have plants in Tijuana and Flint.
Well, that explains why you haven't
called me about the trade deal.
Correct.
I'm the human version of carbon-neutral.
Plus, in three years, my factories
will be completely automated.
So labor's not your concern.
No, sir. It's cadmium.
Impressive. I owe you a meal.
- Oh.
- Come on, let me walk you out.
- Sure.
- Here's the good news:
there's no legal jeopardy
for the First Lady's mother.
Even if she took a bribe?
Yes. The statute of limitations
is long past.
It's the contractor's death
that's the problem.
Well, only if you're a conspiracy
theorist. Doesn't lead anywhere.
Before we worry about where it leads,
let's worry about where you're leading it.
You're a White House employee.
Your actions are imputed to the President.
Why is everyone confusing
investigating with obstructing?
Because there's a fine line
between the two.
And if you want to stay
on the right side of it,
you have to jump through
certain hoops.
You mean speak
to the First Lady's mother?
Yes. The case against her
is highly circumstantial.
You get her denial on record,
the contractor's death,
anything else Lloyd may have dug up,
becomes immaterial.
I am not asking a 70-year-old woman whose
daughter is married to the President
- whether she committed a crime.
- No, that would be imprudent.
- Exactly.
- You have to ask the First Lady.
Senator Flores, the President wants
to bring both sides back to the table.
How can we work together to...
Nadia?
El primo!
- So great to see you!
- Well, it's great to see you, too.
Look, I-I'm meeting with
Senator Flores right now...
No, you're not.
She sent me.
Uh, you work
with Representative Yoshida.
I did, until about two weeks ago.
- I sent you like two messages about it.
- I'm... I'm sorry, I...
Anyway, I know
how busy you are, so...
why don't we jump in?
Okay.
The first item of business is amnesty.
Wait, th-the CBO estimates
that would cost the U.S. economy
$2.6 trillion in the first year alone.
That doesn't take into account
the taxes people
living in the shadows would pay.
It's a non-starter, Nadia.
We don't have bipartisan support.
Let's put a pin in that
and talk about remittance provision.
Nadia, I think it best for me
to interface with the senator
directly on all these things.
Ms. Rhodes. Maya Dunning, OMB.
The vase, right?
It's only a covered event
if the breakage is accidental,
- not deliberate.
- It was accidental.
Well, I don't know that.
The White House hasn't declared war
on Chinese ceramics, Mrs. Dunning.
I'm still required
to conduct an investigation.
If you leave me out of it,
you can wheel in Hercule Poirot.
Thank you.
Well, thank you
for bringing this to my attention.
- Of course.
- I don't need to tell you what I think
about the prospect
of involving my mother
in any of this, um, but I guess sometimes,
it's better to head things off
- at the pass.
- Yes, ma'am.
Which makes Agent Wells' deception
even more difficult to understand.
Ma'am?
You had me poring through documents,
hundreds of them,
when you were only
interested in this one.
I believe that Agent Wells...
Can speak for herself,
thank you, Kendra.
I didn't know
if there was anything to this,
and if there wasn't,
I didn't want to trouble you.
So you decided to insult me
with some ruse,
- playing me for a fool?
- That was never my intention.
So, now that everything's
on the table,
I hope you can see how absurd
this bribery suggestion really is.
At this stage, there's no indication
whether it's credible or not.
Of course there isn't.
My mom was a secretary.
She was not
an administrator, okay?
She didn't deal with executives
or hand out contracts.
- She got coffee.
- I understand that, but...
So you still find it plausible
that a contractor,
who was looking
for a big piece of business,
would think that my mother
was the right person to bribe?
I'm not saying
that it's plausible, ma'am.
I'm saying that we have
circumstantial evidence...
That my mother is a criminal.
Ma'am, the intention
is not to upset you.
Hannah is here at my urging.
And she should know,
more than anyone,
how crazy Lloyd was
and how much he hated my husband
and how no smear was beneath that man.
Right, Agent Wells?
Yes, ma'am.
So maybe you should have
considered all of this
before you came to me
with this manufactured nonsense.
Sorry to trouble you, Mrs. Kirkman.
As you can see, some very upset...
Yeah, come in.
...protesting the death of Mexican
citizen José Menez in the...
Well, Mexico's winning
the PR battle at home and abroad.
- They're hardening their stance.
- Meanwhile, we are turning on each other.
There's been an upsurge of violence
at the border crossings.
Where are we with the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus?
I had a productive meeting
with, uh, Senator Flores' aide.
Aide?
Aaron, that's not good enough.
She's sitting on her hands. We need her
out there defending our position.
- I'll tell her, sir.
- Where are we at with Labor?
Mr. President...
You need to see this.
This White House
is worried about globalism.
Well, hey, I'm worried
about our country.
Mr. President, the American worker
won't support your agenda
if you don't support him.
You tell Mr. Zalesky
if he keeps trying to undercut me,
- he's gonna regret it.
- Yes, sir.
You've got to give them
theirjobs back.
That's how this works.
You have to roll back everything
you've been doing for the past...
Damn Stegosaurus.
It's a simple questionnaire.
It's 12 pages.
I'm not having the White House staff
answer a 12-page questionnaire
about broken pottery.
The comprehensive one is 26.
This is officially a covered event,
the result of an accident.
I think that that conclusion
is premature.
Okay, then, you can take it up
with my boss.
He's in the office down the hall,
the big oval one.
- Hey.
- Hey.
You good?
Oh, semi-good.
You know, you ever get
a feeling like you...
just can't make anyone happy?
That would be my childhood.
Thanks a lot.
Yeah, you know, this trade deal...
everyone's wondering if
I'm doing enough for their side.
The only side I'm on
is the President's.
Yeah, I know what it's like
to be stuck in the middle.
You want to know when that ends?
- When?
- Never!
6.2 million undocumented Mexican workers
in the United States, Aaron.
- It's a national emergency.
- We're aware, Senator Flores,
which is why the President
is committed to working with you
to ease their path to citizenship.
Then why is that not reflected
in the agreement?
Because it should focus
on trade. I-It's economics.
Both of which are tied to people.
The President believes in people,
and he believes in honoring his word,
which you have.
You endorse this agreement, the
White House will be extremely grateful.
Well, this is not ideal, but...
I suppose very little is in this world.
Meaning you'll come out publicly
in support of the President?
You have my word.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Senator... may I address
a personal matter?
I didn't appreciate you
deploying my cousin
to manipulate me on a legislative matter.
Um, Aaron, I think you misunderstand.
No, no, I don't think I do.
I sent Nadia to the White House
because she is a highly prized
and capable aide.
Who happens to be related to me.
Look, trying to leverage that
isn't going to open doors for you, ma'am.
It's gonna close them.
My husband loved America.
He hoped to join me
and our children here one day.
But I'm still not a citizen...
so he couldn't.
He was killed by the people
he dreamed one day...
...would be his neighbors.
I just got off the phone
with President Moreno's office,
and they're saying
he won't intervene.
Of course not.
He can't put his personal prestige
on the line for something like this.
Why not? I've put mine on the line.
Yes, but you're not up
for re-election in four months.
Where are we at with Paul Zalesky?
I had a "come to Lyor" talk
with him last night.
- He'll stand down.
- For now.
The Congressional
Hispanic Caucus' support
gained us some ground domestically,
but Arronte's still insisting
on rollbacks.
If Zalesky responds, we're back
where we started again.
All of this is happening
because of the shooting, right?
Yes, sir.
It's hard to talk substance
when emotions are running high.
Well, of course, and now there's
a human cost to the debate.
Meanwhile, on both sides of the border,
families are struggling
to eke out a living.
Like José Menez.
- We can reach out to his widow.
- Yes.
She's a legal U.S. resident from Mexico.
Maybe she can help us bridge the divide.
That's actually pretty good.
We could stop talking substance,
put a human face on the tragedy.
Yeah, a photo op would show Mexico
that America cares about the plight
of the undocumented immigrant.
And it'll soften Arronte up.
He blinks first, Labor will fall in line.
He'd end the blockade, open up
the borders, and close this deal.
Let's try it. Seth, please, set it up.
Mom, I-I'm embarrassed
to even ask you this,
but it's just something I...
I have to put to bed, okay?
So, this is a purchase order
for helicopters
that Icarus Astrotech won.
I know what it is.
Okay, s-so, there's this allegation -
it's a crazy allegation -
that you helped Icarus
in exchange...
You know, even hearing myself
say this out loud, I...
Alex, ask me the question.
Did you accept a bribe?
Yes.
What?
Oh, you knew that already, right?
No, I didn't.
- Y-You were a secretary.
- With access to the bid specs.
When you're a contractor and you know
what the government's looking for,
you have the inside track.
So you broke the law?
To save your father's life.
Absolutely.
He was gonna die.
Alex, if he got his heart transplant,
you think I cared about who got
to build the stupid helicopter?
- Mom, why didn't you tell me this?!
- Why would I?
Because my husband is president!
And had he been running for office...
yes, I probably would have come forward,
but come on, we all...
all woke up one day
and he was in charge!
What possible good
could it have done for me
to confess something that...
that... it happened so long ago?
Mom, you committed
a federal crime.
It bought me 15 more years
with a wonderful man
and gave my daughter her father.
I'd do it again, 10 times over...
because my family matters
more to me than anything else.
The President will make some
remarks, and then introduce you.
You'll read from
your prepared statement, okay?
Okay.
Don't be scared. I'll be
standing there right by your side.
Yes, sir.
Mike, stop.
Change of plans. I would like you to
escort Mrs. Menez back to the Oval Office.
I'm sorry.
I'll be right there.
Yes, sir.
- Sir?
- I can't do this. I'm sorry.
Sir, the press is waiting for you.
- She is mourning her dead husband.
- Sir...
I am not gonna milk human tragedy
for political gain.
I am not doing this. Handle it.
I have 40 reporters out there.
What am I supposed to say?
Don't ask me.
I'm the big-picture guy.
There are so many connections
between our two countries,
but the most important
is the human one.
On behalf of the American people,
I am so sorry for your tragic loss.
- Thank you.
- I also want you to know
that I am not gonna ask
anything else of you.
There will be no press conference
and no expectations.
You can say whatever you want
to whomever you want.
That's what our country is about.
If you don't mind,
could you tell me something
about your husband?
He was a good man.
He cared about his family...
...and baseball.
And tequila.
You'd have liked him.
It sounds like it.
But, uh...
the last three years,
there was no work,
and he was so desperate.
And then, last month,
he got that job as a driver,
a very good job.
So he just started working there?
And he was so happy.
It doesn't make any sense, you know?
Oh, I'm sorry.
Mike, would you please escort
Mrs. Menez to the ladies room?
Yes, sir.
Ma'am, could you
come with me, please?
Thank you.
- Mr. President?
- Emily, I want you to get me the name
of the trucking company
that Mr. Menez worked for.
Why, sir?
I've got a feeling, and if I'm right,
we might finally
have the leverage we need.
Will do. There's someone from
the OMB here to talk to you.
- Please get someone else to deal with it.
- I think you should, sir.
It's about Penny, but I think you might
want to talk to your daughter first.
Okay.
Have someone bring her down.
Come in.
Thank you, Clive.
Little Pea, take a seat.
You know that I trust you, right?
Yeah.
And you know that I think
honesty is the most important thing.
Yeah.
I need to ask you a question,
and I want you to know
I'm not gonna be angry,
no matter what your answer is.
I'm sorry I broke your watch.
You broke my watch?
Yeah.
Did you break this, too?
No.
You're absolutely sure?
Yeah.
Just your watch. Sorry.
Come here.
It's all right.
Come on.
Could you please take her
back up to the residency?
- Bye, Little Pea.
- Bye, Daddy.
- Mrs. Dunning.
- Mr. President.
It's very nice to meet you.
I want you to know that we take
the destruction of property
very seriously around here.
After all, we are simply caretakers
obligated to protect what
belongs to the American people.
I couldn't agree more, sir.
Right. I talked to my daughter
about the vase,
and she assured me
that she did not break it.
I see.
Respectfully, sir,
it is my experience that children
tend to gild the lily.
Gild the lily.
You know, fudge, and parents
want to believe the best.
But sometimes,
we need to be a bit skeptical.
It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Dunning.
Hey, sweetie. What did Daddy want?
To talk. I didn't break a vase,
but I'm not allowed to play
with his watches anymore.
Oh. Okay.
Mrs. Kirkman, do you have
a moment for Kendra Daynes?
Sure.
Sorry for intruding, ma'am,
but I need to bring something
urgent to your attention.
Okay.
And I apologize for upsetting you
earlier. That was never our intention...
No, no, no.
Kendra, please, just tell me.
It's an FBI subpoena, ma'am.
It's for your mother.
Foerstel wants to question my mom.
Closed-door hearing, penalty of perjury.
We'll handle it.
She won't.
Tom, my mom didn't sign up for this.
She's a very private person.
This will destroy her,
not to mention what this kind of scandal
could do to the White House.
Alex, Alex, stop.
In the past year,
we were almost blown up,
we survived a major conspiracy,
and I was shot.
This is nothing.
But, Tom, it's not nothing.
It's a 30-year-old transgression
that your mom made
in an effort to save her husband.
People will understand that.
The rest is innuendo.
We have weathered so much together.
We will weather this.
Sorry to interrupt, sir,
but he's waiting in the Roosevelt Room.
Alex, this is going to be okay.
It's going to be okay.
- Mr. Arronte.
- Mr. President. Ms. Rhodes.
Transport Transnacional
is your company?
One of them, yes.
And you hired José Menez
just over three weeks ago?
Uh, personally, no.
My head of human resources has...
Mr. Arronte,
you're in the White House now.
You don't get to come here
and insult my intelligence.
Yes, I approved his hiring,
Mr. President.
To run the border blockade,
so you would have the upper hand
in negotiations,
making you complicit in his death.
The intention was not
for Mr. Menez to die.
Right, because running
a blockade of truckers with guns
is a smart way to ensure longevity.
For the record, I didn't come
to Mr. Menez. He came to me.
Dozens of my employees did.
They wanted to fight your country's
unfair trade practices.
A sacrifice for which I'm sure his family
will be handsomely rewarded.
He did a patriotic act. I'll do mine
by supporting his loved ones.
You signed his death warrant!
No, sir!
The American who killed him did that.
Mr. Arronte, let me tell you
what's gonna happen here.
You're gonna call your president
and you're gonna tell him
that the deal we have here on the table
is fair and reasonable
and he needs to sell it
to the Mexican people.
- The American propo...
- I'm not finished yet.
After he signs the deal,
you're gonna resign as trade envoy,
or I'm gonna call
the Texas State Attorney
and have you charged with manslaughter.
Do you understand that?
- Yes, sir.
- Good.
Then you can show yourself out.
That gets us halfway there, sir.
Get me Zalesky.
He'll take us the rest of the way.
- Nadia, you can't let people use you.
- Use me?
What, you didn't find it suspicious
that Senator Flores hired you
just after the trade
negotiations were heating up?
No, I didn't.
Well, you should've.
You need a little cynicism
to survive in this town.
Aaron, the senator didn't recruit me.
There was an opening, and I applied for
the job because I wanted to work for her.
I don't care. Sending you
just to twist my arm like that...
Was my idea!
The senator didn't even know
I was related to you.
I-I find that very hard to believe.
Well, it's true,
and if you had asked me,
I would've told you.
But instead, you assumed the worst.
You went to my boss.
You humiliated me.
All right, I'm sorry, but the fact remains
you used our relationship
to seek concessions
that make this deal harder to broker.
"Concessions"?
Whose side do you think I'm on?
Well, y-you tell me.
Those concessions are for
36 million Mexican-Americans
who don't see this
as a zero-sum game,
people who have family
on the other side of the border.
We have family
on the other side of the border!
I'm aware of that. I'm as connected
to my heritage as anyone.
Really? When was the last time
you were home?
I've been a little busy, Nadia,
all right?
I know!
And we're all so proud.
Look at you.
Everything you've accomplished...
our Aaron...
you've climbed
to the top of the ladder.
But maybe you've forgotten
who helped you build it.
Paul, we're done haggling.
The pendulum stops here.
Yes, Arronte was guilty,
but there was plenty of guilt
to go around.
We can't treat our neighbors as enemies.
We need to make deals with them.
- Bad deals.
- Imperfect ones.
But if everybody is so afraid of losing,
how on earth can anyone ever win?
I will back you, sir...
but you still have a problem.
Okay, I'm listening.
This thing is so compromised,
neither side can embrace it.
You can make this deal, yes,
but it's eventually
gonna be unmade.
What if I was able
to give both parties something
without either side losing anything?
Well, then, you'd have
a deal that might last,
but how are you gonna do that?
I'm gonna buy a friend dinner.
- Are you live streaming?
- Excuse me?
Your computer seems to have
a perfect view to the hallway.
Yes, my nephew in Saginaw's
recovering from a broken leg,
but Sammy's fascinated
with the White House,
- so I like to do this for him.
- Is it always on?
Yes.
And how long
does the computer store video?
I don't know.
A week, I guess?
Am I in trouble?
Not at all.
How is it you're treating me to dinner,
but I still feel like
everyone's gonna wind up
dining out on me?
For a smart guy,
that's a pretty simple way
of looking at things.
It is simple.
You're asking me to slow the rollout
of my automated plants.
To save jobs.
You employ 50,000 people
on both sides of the border.
Who get to stave off unemployment
for a few more years.
How does that break your log jam?
It helps both sides back the deal
without losing anything in the bargain.
It nudges us across the finish line.
And it costs me a fortune.
I'll push for tax breaks, and you'll be
a hero south of the border.
Mexico walked into the 21st century
as one of the world's greatest polluters.
They want to change that record.
It'd be a huge market
for your electric cars.
None of this will make me whole.
In the short term, no,
but you're a privately owned company.
You don't have to answer
to shareholders,
and we both know you can afford it.
Oh, I need a better reason than that.
How about your president asked you?
That's a better reason.
The future's coming
whether you're ready or not, Tom.
Now, you can try to hold back
the rushing water,
but one day, the dam is gonna burst.
I know.
I'm just trying to buy time,
make sure everybody can swim.
Is this you?
Uh, the camera adds 10 pounds,
but yes, yes.
And why were you running?
Well, it was almost midnight.
I realized my exercise monitor
showed 9,200 steps for the day.
I had barely two minutes
to make 10,000.
Our insurance covers negligence.
It doesn't cover intentional
destruction of property.
But your behavior here was reckless,
which puts us squarely in a gray area.
- How gray?
- It's a discretionary determination.
I see.
Is there anything I can do
to inform that discretion?
Meaning what?
How can I help you understand
that this was, in fact, an accident?
- Are you trying to bribe me?
- Of course not. I'm...
Right?
I suppose further investigation could
shed some light on the incident.
It would.
A secondary questionnaire,
deposition, perhaps.
You'll find me very forthcoming.
Good.
Let's discuss this further over dinner.
- Dinner?
- Yes.
- How much?
- For what?
The vase. How much?
It was last appraised
at $1.2 million.
I'm gluten-free.
Great.
Let's face the facts.
This deal's the Kirkman compromise.
Not a win-win. It's a lose-lose.
Well, maybe he should, uh...
Seth.
Grab a beer. You deserve one.
Oh, I'm good, thank you.
And does anybody think the United States
won anything here?
What's the temperature out there?
Lukewarm, sir.
I don't think that's a fair assessment.
The blockade's over,
the country's not
hemorrhaging money anymore,
and we hammered out
a crucial trade agreement.
Despite incentives for both sides,
this thing fell far short
of anything anyone wanted.
Well, if no one's happy,
that's the mark of a good deal, sir.
Then this was a great deal, Lyor.
- Aaron!
- Sophia.
Como estas?
Como estas?
I'm glad you made it.
I'm glad I made it.
Míralo!
Just in time for dinner!
Aaron.
You subpoenaed the First Lady's
mother after we spoke?
- Hannah...
- Why did you do it?
- I had to do it.
- You're such a bastard, John.
I'm gonna give you a pass on that,
'cause you and I go back a long way,
but it's a one-time pass.
I'm the director of the FBI.
You cross a line with me,
it's gonna stay crossed.
I came to you in friendship
and in confidence!
And I intended to honor
that confidence...
Till when? Till your ambition
got the better of you?
No. This did.
Icarus Astrotech contract
with the Defense Department.
For $3 billion.
They landed it six months ago,
right after Lloyd's Pentagon hack,
and the Icarus signatory is Eric Little,
the guy who bribed
the First Lady's mother back in '87,
the guy who just turned up dead.
So I don't think I have
to tell you what this looks like,
but I can tell you that I have
an obligation to investigate it,
and I intend to do my job.