Madam Secretary (2014–…): Season 5, Episode 19 - Carrying the Gold - full transcript
As Elizabeth prepares to declare her candidacy for president, she must deal with fallout from a news article alleging she had an affair with President Dalton during her CIA days; Mike B. and Jay adjust in their roles as campaign staffers.
Damn it.
Agendas?
You left them in the printer.
Thank you.
This is your Sunday look?
Elegance has no schedule.
Cookie?
Oh, yes.
I'll take a cookie.
Mike?
No.
How about in a circle?
Yeah. Excuse me.
Sorry. Uh, yeah.
Uh, right there next to the secretary.
Yeah.
I got you.
Who put their bag there?
It's Mike B's.
Next time you got to pee
on the chair.
Hey, Jeff.
Yeah, okay, I'll let her in.
No, no, no, no. I'll let her in.
You have to go upstairs.
Oh, that's right. Stevie.
Come on.
Yes. I'm right here.
Time to go into exile.
I didn't make up
the rules about...
White House employees
staying out of campaigns.
And the two of you, shoo.
Guys, did neither of you hear the timer?
Oh, shoot, sorry. You
put me on cleanup duty. Hey, guys,
Ah.A presidential campaign
is about to kick off
in our living room.Ah.
A little excitement. I'm very excited.
Ooh, there we go.
Great British Baking Show?
You kidding?
It's Shark Week.
Okay! People!
Now that everybody's here...
That's my seat.
I would like to call to order
the first official Elizabeth
McCord kitchen cabinet. Yeah!
I like it.
And just as a reminder,
you're all here voluntarily
outside your government duties.
That means that nothing
we talk about tonight,
by law, can be discussed
at the State Department.
No accidental
breakroom check-ins.
No e-mails from State.
And now
I will turn this meeting over
to the next president
of the United States,
Elizabeth McCord.Aw.
Thank you, everyone.
Oh! And I have to thank Stevie,
especially for those cookies.
Yes, thank you, Stevie. Thank you, Stevie.
I made them, too.
Can we have an oven
on the tour bus?
That would be...
Okay, forget it.
Number one topic tonight
is the launch of the campaign,
which we think will be
in two weeks.
Ten days.
So...
Ten days. Ten days.
Are we, uh, sure
the speech is ready?
It's a masterpiece.
I made a few tweaks.
That brings me
to our next topic,
defining everyone's role
in the campaign.
Most of us will have
the same title
we now have at State.
With a much higher level
of intensity.
This isn't gonna be some cushy
conference in Geneva, people.
This is the longest marathon
of your lives,
running uphill the whole way
with this woman's
campaign agenda
carved into your foreheads.
You got me? Are we joining a cult?
It sounds like a cult. Right?
It's a team, and we're
all in it together,
so for now rest up, get
your annual checkups
and dentist appointments
out of the way,
and try and enjoy the
calm before the storm.
The fight of our lives.
Uh, excuse me. Mom,
security said
that Russell Jackson's here.
Oh. We've got room for him
if he wants in.
We-we do?
Let's take five.
Yeah, hey, there's-there's
more cookies in the kitchen.
Oh, there's cookies?
Yeah.
Hey, Russell.
Didn't realize
I was crashing a party.
You're always on the guest list.
An article's
coming out in the next few days
in the Washington Chronicle
alleging
an intimate relationship
between Elizabeth and Conrad
during their days at CIA.
What?
Okay.
Who's the source?
No, who's the reporter?
Some stringer
named Terrence Robinson.
We don't know where
he's getting his info. Well, that is
straight-up defamation.
No, this is good.
That means they have
nothing in their oppo file
if they're making
stuff up this early.
Unless they're not making it up,
which we'll talk later.
They're making it up, Mike.
All right, well, the Chronicle
called the White House
for comment, and we declined.
Most likely they'll be
reaching out to you next.
Well, I absolutely want
to comment.
Well, that's up to
you and your team.
Obviously you've got more at
stake with your campaign coming.
That's why we're not giving this
any oxygen.
But it's a complete load
of crap.
Ignore it, it's one
news cycle. Answer it,
it follows us the
rest of the campaign.
What if we do some digging
into the reporter?
Discredit the article
as blatantly biased. MIKE: Sure,
wage war on the press
ten days before we announce.
It's a brilliant strategy.
Not answering makes it look
like we have something to hide.
Okay, we push the
announcement three days
until the air is clear.
In the meantime the only thing
you talk about is policy, okay?
Let's get back to the meeting.
Let's go, people!
"She's not likable."
"I don't want to have a beer
with her."
"I hate her voice."
I mean, these are the things
that I was ready for,
but "she slept her
way to the top"?
What century are we in?
It just means they're terrified.
No. This works, Henry.
This taps right
into America's id.
And it works with women
just as well as men.
Well, can you find out
where it's coming from
and shut it down?
I mean,
there were always
these stupid jokes
at CIA about Conrad and me.
Isabelle and I used
to laugh about 'em.
We have to tell the kids.
Yeah, we do.
Morning, ma'am.
Morning.
Hey. I saw your draft
of the Global Climate
Migration Agreement.
You must have been up
half the night.
I'm all right.
You don't seem lit up by the
thrill of negotiating shelter
for the displaced people
of the next hundred years.
Thrill got dampened by this.
From East Asia
and Pacific Affairs.
Oh, what the hell?
We knew China was
trying to break into
the private jet industry.
A custom jet for
General Bo Htun?
Hey, what's going on?
China just violated economic
sanctions against Myanmar.
By selling a private jet
to the military leader
of one of the poorest
countries in Asia.
You know,
why hide the corruption?
It's so much easier this way.
A total slap in the face right
when we're negotiating the deal.
It's China. They're doing it
because they know we need them
on the Climate Migration deal.
One jet sale is worth it
to threaten the whole deal?
I want to put out
a statement. Strong.
Don't hold back. On it.
There is the larger issue.
Yeah, I know.
Myanmar is all but getting away
with the Rohingya massacre.
They've met none of the demands
of repatriation,
hundreds of thousands
of Rohingya people still stuck
in camps in Bangladesh.
And the world is moving on,
playing politics, selling jets.
It's Rwanda all over again.
Nina, get me
our U.N. ambassador.
Of course, ma'am.
I share your outrage.
The Rohingya massacre is one
of the worst human atrocities
in the last 20 years.
And President U Khaing?
Might as well be back
under house arrest.
He's completely under
the thumb of the generals.
Who are getting away
with murder... in a private jet.
Thanks, Jen.
We can step up the sanctions.
Because it worked so well
the first time?
If you really want to go rogue,
we can call an
international criminal tribunal
at the U.N.
Prosecute Bo Htun
and his cronies for violations
to the Geneva Convention
and crimes against humanity.
Well, I like the sound of that.
It's only been done
once before, with Bosnia.
Milo. evic weaponized
mob violence
against a Muslim
ethnic minority. So there's precedent.
We can point up the parallels.
Does this pass at the U.N.?
It could take years.
And even if we get
some convictions,
we'll have no way
to enforce the sentences.
It would put the
regime on notice.
Show 'em that the rest
of the world hasn't looked away.
If the resolution passes,
and for that we need China.
You get the other members.
I'll work on China.
Thank you, Peter. JAY:
So, Nina,
I'm sure you're aware
the State Department
is about to undergo
some changes.
You mean the secretary's
about to announce
her presidential run,
which is so exciting.
I can't discuss that,
but, yes, it's very exciting.
The secretary would like
the incoming team to have
some continuity
for the transition.
We were hoping that you
would be willing to stay.
Of course. I'd be honored.
Deputy Secretary Cushing, right?
Actually, the deputy secretary
has chosen to retire,
and Deputy Secretary Bailey
will step in
for the remainder of
the Dalton administration.
Oh. You'd report to him
in your current capacity.
He's already agreed based on
the secretary's recommendation.
Wonderful.
Uh, thanks, so I'll fill you in
more in the coming days,
but if you'll excuse... Sure.
Uh, Daisy?
Can I grab a moment? Is it me,
or did this coffee take
a serious nosedive?
Blake abdicated coffee duties.
Can he take over
for the campaign?
Uh, sorry.
I forgot about the rule.
We're expecting a call from the
Chronicleasking for comment
on an article alleging
the secretary had a previous
intimate relationship
with the president.
Uh... say that again?
Before he was the president.
Our answer is "no comment."
You realize it's gonna
sound like she did have
an intimate relationship
with the president.
I do.
Talk to Mike B.
Wait, so did she?
Elizabeth.
I'm gonna miss
these conversations.
I'm calling to discuss
your troubled neighbor.
You'll have to be more specific.
Myanmar, the Rohingya people.
Tanks are still torching
whole villages,
soldiers killing mothers
in front of their children,
more than 700,000
forced from their homes.
The economic sanctions
are clearly failing.Mm.
We believe the time has come
to step up our efforts,
and I hope President Li
will join the United States
in calling for
a U.N. special tribunal
to charge General Bo Htun
and his regime with violations
of the Geneva Convention
and crimes against humanity.
As troubling as Myanmar's
actions have been,
China sees this
as a domestic response
to a dissident uprising.
It's not our concern.
Can I speak frankly, Ming?
I think your regime
is afraid that joining
a call for a U.N. tribunal
to prosecute the violation
of human rights might bring
a little too much attention
to China's mistreatment of its
own minority Uyghur population.
That is frank.
Right now the United States
sees a difference
between your unlawful detention
of a persecuted minority
and Myanmar opening fire
on women and children.
But if China continues to
violate the economic sanctions
by selling private jets
to generals in Myanmar,
then we may become
more concerned
about the human rights abuses
in China.
It's always impressive, the
amount of strength leaders wield
when they're about
to leave office.
I'll have plenty of strength
in my next office.
But I'd much prefer
to work with you, Ming.
I can discuss the idea
of a tribunal.
But I suggest you take
a less threatening approach
in your new office.
Whatever that might be.
Damn. Way to sweeten
the moral authority
with a little raw power.
Felt like
it was getting through.
Sorry to interrupt, ma'am. What's up?
We knew you'd want to see this.
Callister's
announcing his campaign.
America, America,
your soul is on the line.
While Washington plays
world cop,
pouring our nation's blood
and treasure into
every broken-down,
lawless country in the world,
the American dream
at home is dying.
Uh, taxed... taxed to death,
invaded by every criminal,
every drug dealer,
every gang member flooding
over our nation's borders.
Kick them out!
People who don't speak
our language, people who
don't respect our flag,
people who don't respect
our god.
What is that?
Is that a campaign announcement
or a call to revolt?
That they don't know
who they are messing with.
We, the people, will rise
to show them
who the real Americans are.
We will rise! We will rise!
When Owen Callister
is president,
there will be no more surrender.
We will rise.
He raised over a million dollars
in less than an hour.
I say, bring it.
We can fight that.
Yeah, except I just finished
begging China
to help us fight nationalism
around the world.
We will rise! We will rise!
And now it's running
for president.
We will rise!
We will rise! We will rise!
Hey.
Hey, Mom.
Is it game night, or...?
No. Uh, Dad said
that you wanted
to talk to us about something.
Yes. Um...
Oh, God.
Uh, right. Hold...
There you are.
Perfect timing.
Kids are all here. I-I'm sorry.
I-I can't...
I can't do this tonight.
You heard Callister's
announcement.
Callister,
this stupid article... it's just
all so ugly, and I'm...
Is something, uh... wrong?
What's, uh, going on? Oh, hi, guys.
Uh, Mom's just really tired.
Let's just do this
some other time, okay?
Oh, sure.
Yeah, that won't leave us
lying awake in bed all night,
wondering if she has cancer.
Okay. Um...
there's this article
coming out
in the next few days, and
it's going to imply that
when I was at the CIA...
It's a hit piece accusing Mom
and President Dalton
of having an affair
20 years ago.
It's not true,
no, it's not true. It is not true.
What?! Who's
behind it?
W-We don't know.
How can they just say that
with no proof? Isn't that slander?
Libel if they publish it.
Look, we just want you guys
to know
that it's gonna be out there
for a few days. That's disgusting.
We're not responding, so it just
goes away with the next crisis,
and... I am so sorry.
You do nothave
to apologize to us.
Wait, wait. So you're just gonna
let them say that?
I'm gonna get attacked a lot.
Just means
they're nervous about me.
Callister's speech will
probably dominate the news
anyway.
Yeah, well,
that's the real scandal.
Thank you.
If it makes you feel
any better, no one
at my school follows the news.
So, um, Kat,
you know how the secretary
was asking us to propose ideas
for workplace improvements
at State
before things,
you know, change over?
I do.
Well, I was doing some research
into the so-called
"potty parity initiative,"
the move to create
an equal number of bathrooms
for men and women
in all federal buildings.
Mm-hmm. It died in
committee. I'm familiar.
Once again, gender
neutral bathrooms,
and we'd never
have this problem.
Oh, well, one day.
You were saying?
So I was thinking, uh,
maybe a half-step would be
to get tampon dispensers
in all the women's bathrooms.
Oh.Um, not free tampons,
although that would
be good, too.
Yeah. No,
that's doable.
I'll, uh... I'll take it
to the secretary. Thank you.
Oh, and also, um...
Jay mentioned I
would be staying on
with the transition team
for Acting Secretary Bailey?
Yup, yup, yup. I'm super grateful
for the opportunity, and please
pass that on to the secretary.
Okay. But I'd like to
request a transfer.
Oh. Can I ask why?
I know it's only hearsay,
but I've heard...
I've heard some
things from women
who have worked
for Deputy Secretary,
and I'd rather not
put myself in a position
where I'd be reporting
directly to him.
Thank you for letting me know.
I will take it from here.
So China's a no-go
for the U.N. tribunal.
I just spoke to Chen yesterday.
He seemed open to it.
That was before
Owen Callister made his
campaign announcement.
They're waiting for
the dust to settle. What speech?
How much dust could it
have kicked up?
I guess you haven't seen
his poll numbers this morning.
Look, maybe he appeals
to a fringe group,
but he can't possibly
get a majority.
Poland, Hungary, Russia.
Why not here?
He convinces just enough voters
that he's the savior
of the working class.
So Callister comes out as
the dark knight, and that's it?
We let Myanmar go unpunished?
Well, there are other ways
of getting
the world's attention.
I'm listening.
So far, our reports have talked
about killings and atrocities.
Let's call it what it is.
Genocide.
We couldn't even call Rwanda
genocide
at the time. Yeah, but that's been
revised now.
That could help us.
And it sends a message
to Callister, too.
We don't target minorities here,
and we don't tolerate
other countries murdering them.
Exactly.
I'm gonna bring it
to the president.
Thank you, Peter.
I really... appreciate it.
Thank you, ma'am.
I waited in a stupidly long line
for what's supposed
to be the next Cronut.
Uh, Mike Barnow, ma'am.
Thanks, Blake.
This is to keep you
off-line for the next two
days, possibly the week.
The article came out?
Drops within the hour.
Stay inside, don't look
at any memes or tweets,
and for God's sake,
don't read it.
Why would I do that?
Hey, Richard, can you reschedule
my lunch today?
Something came up.
Sure thing, Dr. McCord.
Thanks.
Henry.
Isabelle.
So good to see you. You, too.
How long has it been?
Oh, gosh, uh,
Elizabeth's last birthday dinner?
Oh.
God, I'm the worst.
No, I think we hold that honor...
I mean, we keep talking
about seeing you
and then there's always... Oh, I-I know.
Work is so crazy.
I've been buying this house
up in Maryland.
Oh, uh, well, that's great.
Yeah, it's no horse farm
in Virginia.
But you got to retire somewhere.
Listen, by the time
we get all three kids
through college, I don't know
if we're retiring with a farm.
Oh, you know what?
Just coffee, thank you.
Somehow I think you two
are on to bigger things
before you're done.
Well, we're hoping
to stay in government.
Mm-hmm.
But, um...
articles like the one
that came out today
don't exactly help.
Thank you.
I almost called Bess
as soon as I read it.
She doesn't know I'm here. Oh.
Listen, I've got to ask you.
Do you know anyone from
your time together at CIA
who would have done this?
Someone who wants to
take Elizabeth down?
You know, people knew
Bess was my friend.
They didn't talk about
this stuff around me.
You never heard rumors?
Personally? No.
Sometimes the Company
is like high school
with encryption.
Somebody wanted to look
important to a reporter,
at some dinner party,
Elizabeth is right
to let it evaporate.
Yeah.
Our kids read about this.
Henry, you know
there's nothing to it, right?
People used to call them
"the Honor Twins."
Elizabeth and Conrad.
Yeah, not a great reflection
on the rest of us,
but, yeah, there it is.
Hmm.
So...
I think I know the
source of the story.
The one we're not talking about?
I reached out to Isabelle
this afternoon.Henry.
I just wanted to get
her take on it.
How is that ignoring it?
She completely denied
ever hearing the rumors.
You told me that you two
used to joke about it.
So you think
Isabelle's the source?
Why would she lie
about the rumors? I...
I-I don't even know
what to say, I...
Look, I don't want to
be right, but if she
had something to do with it,
maybe we could, I don't know,
could ask her to... She's not gonna
admit to it
if she did do it.
It doesn't make any sense.
I think she's resentful
of your success.
You never know how
that's gonna affect people.
Look, I know we were
supposed to ignore it.
But...
after I read the article...
Is it bad?
Uh, it's all...
"alleged"
and...
"rumored."
So, as long as there's
no evidence to back it up...
Are you-you asking me
if I had an affair with Conrad? No.
Of course not.
See, this-this is how it works.
This is the poison.
I don't doubt you.
But you were halfway
around the world,
i-it was a rough time for us...
Nothing happened!
I know.
Ever. I...
I know.
Yeah.
Um...
well, that's odd.
Let him in, Matt, thank you.
Governor of
Massachusetts is here.
Governor Hayes.
U-Uh, please come in.
Thank you.
I'm sorry to stop
in unannounced.
Oh, it's... yeah, hi.
I, um...
was hoping to discuss
your future plans.
Off the record.
As a conservative governor
of a progressive state,
I've come to appreciate
the values of my party
that bring people together:
an equal love of liberty
and the rule of law,
patriotism, personal
responsibility,
merit, and honor.
Those are admirable values.
I don't believe Owen Callister
represents those values.
I'm not the only member
of the party
who found his remarks
yesterday hateful,
divisive, fearmongering.
Well, he is polling pretty well.
Well, with a certain section
of the American people.
We believe another candidate
can bring those people
back to the center.
Elizabeth,
I'm here tonight to ask you
to seek the nomination
of the Republican Party
for president.
Wow. That's...
Can I-I speak frankly, John?
Please.
I-I work for a president
who turned his back
on both parties.
Why come to me?
Because you're a
worthy candidate.
Well, I appreciate that.
I do. But...
I got to tell you,
when I look at your party's
current platform,
I-I...
I mean, I-I'm about to host
a global conference
on climate change,
and your party can't even agree
that climate is changing.
We need to evolve.
We'd see your candidacy
as an opportunity to do that
and, at the same time,
come back to the party
of Teddy Roosevelt
and Dwight Eisenhower.
A square deal and a
strong national defense.
I think you fit that platform.
And it's a platform we believe
the majority of Americans
will vote for.
Well, that's inspiring.
And... flattering.
But if you're so alarmed by
Owen Callister,
why not denounce him?
Where are the public statements?
We don't want to alienate the
people Callister's talking to.
We want to reach them.
We think we can do that
with you.
Well, Governor,
you, uh...
you have given me
a lot to think about.
Thank you.
My pleasure.
Hope you'll say yes.
What is there to think about?!
For starters, the fact that
she's aligned with a president
who won as an Independent.
For the first time in history.
The chances of that happening
a second time are about the same
as my son's chances
of getting into Harvard.
Well, the governor
makes one good point:
if I join the GOP ticket now,
we have a better chance
of knocking Callister out early.
What if the governor represents
a small faction of the party
and you don't win broad support?
And then we're dead
in New Hampshire.
Have you forgotten
who you're working for?
Um, Elizabeth schooled
America about nationalism,
and her, and her popularity
went up five points.
This country's totally ready
to be spanked by Hot Mom.
What do youthink?
I think that I do line up
with some GOP policy positions.
I think privatization
is sometimes more efficient
than government bureaucracy,
and I'm all for
a strong military.
And I think...
we do all win when
the government steps back
and allows responsible
businesses to thrive.
But I don't think that
that means that corporations
should pay a lower tax rate
than schoolteachers.
Of course not.
You can... There's always
a way to frame it.
What happens when
I make wealth disparity
my key issue?
Or...
declare that the days
of undermining democracy
by gerrymandering are over?
You will trade horses
like every other politician.
She's not every
other politician.
One bonus: I make this call
tomorrow, I am pretty sure
this whole affair story
goes away a lot faster.
Okay, that...
is exactly the kind of political
gamesmanship that I hate.
I know that both parties do it.
But the GOP has
a much darker history
of playing up wedge issues
like same-sex marriage
just to fire up voters.
When I went to Camp David
to think about the candidate
I want to be, none of that
was on the list.
Seems like you know your way
forward on this, ma'am.
Let's not make any
decisions tonight.
Yeah.
Let me, let me just,
let me just say this:
no one... gets to
shape this country
by being the noble
candidate who lost.
We get past the primary
and get the GOP
machine behind us?
Guarantee we win this thing.
Hey, is anyone gonna
say anything?
Like what? "Congratulations on
your affair with the president"?
Wait. We don't really
think it happened, do we?
I think it's none
of our business, and, no,
I don't think it happened.
Did you see Carrot Top's tweet?
You follow Carrot Top?
Good morning. Good morning.
Ma'am.
Morning. Good morning.
Here's your schedule,
and muffin's on your desk.
Okay.
Can I see you
in my office, Nina?
Thank you.
Listen, Kat shared with me
your concerns about working
with Deputy Secretary Bailey.
Oh, gosh, it's really not
that big of a deal.
It-it is,
and-and I'm grateful
that you brought it to me.
Um... look, I'm, I'm happy
to transfer you
wherever you want to go,
but for the sake
of everyone else working
with the deputy secretary,
I wonder if you would tell me
a little bit more
about what you know.
Well, I don't, I don't really
want to get anybody in trouble
just based on gossip.
Oh.
Well, trust me,
I can appreciate that.
But I'm trying to gather
any information I can to pass it
to the Office of Civil Rights
for review.
Well, from what I've read,
um, most of those incidents
have already gone to OCR.
Can I ask where,
where you read this?
Uh...
oh, gosh.
Um, okay.
There's... a document
that goes around between
women federal employees.
Mostly lower level.
Just a private thing,
warning each other of
which men to avoid
being alone with.
And the deputy secretary
is in it?
Yeah, um,
mostly...
groping and lunging
and some weird comments.
If I assure you that
I will protect the identities
of the accusers,
would you be willing
to share that document with me?
Thank you.
For what it's worth,
the president isn't in it.
And I'm really sorry
about that article, ma'am.
Isabelle.
Bess, oh, my God.
How good to see you.
How have you been?
A little rocky lately.
Did you repeat any of the rumors
about Conrad and me?
What, you think I'mthe source?
Henry said he talked to you.
Why, why would you say
you hadn't heard anything?
He showed up, he...
You know what, can
we get in the car?
I-I'm freezing.Sure.
Henry...
he showed up out of nowhere.
He's obviously
stirred up from reading about
his wife sleeping with her boss.
When your friend's husband
asks you if it's true,
you don't feed the fire.
This whole thing... Yeah.
Do you have any idea
who it could've been?
I mean, it could've been
a lot of people, Bess.
Weren't thatmany
people out to get me.
Maybe not out to get you,
but if they were asked?
They all had eyes.
Whether anything
happened or not,
he clearly favored you.
Wait...
Look, I know you
didn't cross any lines.
I-I mean, I don't even think
there's anything wrong
with how you benefited from it.
Uh... Wow.
So you think that I... No. I'm-I'm not...
used Conrad... No, I'm not saying
you didn't earn
everything that you've achieved,
and believe me, I will be
first in line to vote for you.
I know it's totally
unfair to you, but
it's not hard for people who
saw your dynamic with Conrad
to think there could have been
something to those rumors.
The foreign aid bill
before the Senate
this morning
generated heated debate.
I am absolutely opposed to
increasing our foreign spending,
particularly at a time
when the chief diplomat
representing the United States
to the rest of the world,
Elizabeth McCord, brings such
a shameful example
of moral turpitude
and corruption...
Hey, Jace.
I was hoping for a sit-down
with Secretary McCord
sooner than later.
There are a few initiatives
I'd like to go over with her.
Well, there's another matter
we need to discuss
first, Deputy Secretary.
Hey. Let's keep
it Steven,
at least until I'm out
of the bullpen.
Uh, if you could take
a look at this.
Mm-hmm.
What...?
You want to tell me
what this is?
It's an anonymous document
maintained by female employees
of the federal government
warning each other of
other employees who have
made them feel unsafe.
Here we go.
Deputy Secretary, you should
know that Secretary McCord and I
take these allegations
very seriously.
I suggest you do so as well.
And, uh, you want to hear
my side of the story,
or have you done away
with due process?
Oh, all of these allegations
will be investigated fully
if you decide to
take this position.
What are you implying?
I am openly informing you
that if an investigation
confirms any of the actions
as described in this document,
then you will not become
Acting Secretary of State.
Furthermore,
those determinations
will most likely follow you
in your next career, so...
you may want to think carefully
about your next move.
You know, I get
that the rules have changed.
But you need
to look at my record.
No one has been
a bigger champion of women
in this department.
And I have taken bullets
for this country,
and now you're telling me
that you're gonna run me
out of town on... at dawn
because a few women have
no sense of humor?
It's a shocking
violation, isn't it?
To be confronted
by something so unwelcome
and disempowering at work?
I'm pretty sure
every woman in this document
knows exactly how you feel.
Sir, I'd like to ask
if we can turn up the heat
and call the Myanmar attack
against the Rohingya people
what it is: genocide.
I think I know the answer
to this, but why now?
Because Myanmar getting away
with turning tanks
on its own people
makes it a lot easier
for the next regime
to give it a try.
Because we should have
moved on it
when we had the chance.
All good points.
But genocide, once proven,
brings a legal obligation
to prevent and punish.
If we intervene
in one situation,
there are dozens of others
all over the world
that clamor
for the same recognition. I know.
Yeah, it's the same thinking
that made us avoid
intervening in Rwanda.
There are other terms
you can use
that don't bring the same burden
of intervention
but would still shame
the Chinese for sitting it out.
That saves you from starting
a mess with China
that I would rather
you didn't inherit from me.
It's no guarantee
that I'm gonna inherit
anything from you, sir.
Don't tell me you're letting
that ridiculous article
get to you.
It's my family
I'm worried about.
Well, I'm willing
to make a statement
about the damn thing
if it'll help. No,
thank you, sir.
But you decided
to stay out of it,
and I'm gonna follow your lead.
I hope Lydia isn't too upset?
One thing we learned
about this job is that you need
to keep yourself separate
from the office.
They are two different things.
Conrad, do you think...?
When we were at CIA,
did you favor me?
Of course.
You were smart, diligent,
and you knew how to
think for yourself.
What kind of boss would I be
if I didn't favor that?
Perfect. Thanks, Kayla.
I'll circle back ASAP.
If that's a masseuse, can you
see if she'll do campaign stops?
What makes you think
I'm booking a masseuse?
You said her name was Kayla.
Hey.
Sorry I'm late.
Hey, you want my beer?
Suck-up. Uh, no, um, I'm fine.
Look, I've been thinking
about the GOP offer...
Before you finish that thought,
I just got off the phone
with the Democratic Party
chairman's office.
They want to talk. What?
So we can hear what
the other side has to say.
You greenhorn idiot.
Mike. You just gave
Callister every reason
to call her a superficial
party hopper. I just gave a candidate
the opportunity to
consider her options. Guys, enough.
Enough.
This whole routine
between the two of you,
undercutting,
the jockeying for position,
this has got to stop.
This is exactly what
George Washington hated
about a two-party system.
Two sides trying
to dominate each other.
What does he know?
He had wooden teeth.
He was right.
And so is Jay, by the way.
My political identity
is tied to Conrad's.
I'm an independent.
It's who I am,
and it's how I'm gonna run.
I'm gonna call Governor Hayes,
tell him we're
declining his offer.
Either of you have
a problem with that?
No, ma'am.
Good.
I've also accepted
an interview tomorrow morning
where I'm gonna put
these affair rumors to rest,
among other things.
Love it. Can we go
over some talking points?
I don't need talking points.
I was there.
Guys, this is gonna be
a long, hard road,
but it's the road
I want to be on.
So you either
get on it with me
or get out of the way. Okay?
Great.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.
Hey, did you see
Bailey's resignation?
Are you kidding? I killed trees
and printed it out for everyone.
Hey, it's pretty decent, right?
Wait, are we talking
Bailey's resignation?
So, you think he wrote it?
"I regret the part
I played in a system
designed to silence and dominate
half the world's population."
He didn't write it.[laughs]: No.
But I love whoever
got him to sign it.
I know. Uh, good morning.
Hey, Nina,
can I see you for a minute?
Sure.
And, uh, the secretary's
interview might go long.
You were able to move the meet
and greet with the new FSOs?
Yes, to Thursday.Good.
So, do we know
who wrote that memo?
I think the deputy secretary
saw the error of his ways.
What? It could happen.
Undersecretary Thompson.
Yes. This is Nina Cummings.
She'll be your new
administrative assistant.
And, Nina, Undersecretary
Thompson will be stepping in
as acting secretary
once we begin the transition.
It's an honor.
I-I so admire your work
with the Bureau
of African Affairs. Thank you, Nina.
I look forward
to working with you. Me, too.
Oh, that reminds me, um,
OMB approved a line item
for tampons in the bathrooms.
Nina's idea.Hey.
Look at that.Oh.
Policy in action.
Yes. That's right.
What else can we get?
Um, equal pay.Yes.
In five, four, three...
Secretary McCord,
I'm gonna get right to it.
Are you running for president
in the next election?
Well, right now I'm pretty busy
representing our country
to the rest of the world.
I want to get to your work
as Secretary of State,
but first
let's go back to your time
at the CIA.
Uh, you were
an intelligence analyst
working with
Conrad Dalton in Iraq?
Yes, that's right.
You worked closely
with President Dalton.
I was a member
of an incredible team.
There was a great deal
of mutual respect.
There have been
rumors lately, uh,
that your relationship
with President Dalton
was a more intimate one
during those years?
Those rumors are not true,
and the people spreading them
are the same people
who are trying
to distract Americans
from the real threats we face.
Like the rise of hatred
and intolerance.
These people want us to
be scared and suspicious
of anyone who looks, speaks,
prays differently
than people we know.
Because when we're scared,
that's when they take power.
This is happening
all over the world.
Last year, Myanmar unleashed
a campaign of ethnic cleansing
on an entire population
of Muslim citizens
in retaliation against a
handful of Muslim dissidents.
And right now
they're getting away with it.
It's the same hate and fear
that drove extremists
to attack the White House
over an immigration policy.
And it's the same hate
infecting every line
of Senator Callister's
campaign announcement.
You made a speech
several months ago, uh,
calling nationalism the greatest
threat to humankind.
I did,
but what's happening now
is even more scary.
Extremists aren't just attacking
the White House from outside,
they're trying to move into it.
If we vote hatred
into our highest office,
I don't think we survive that.
Not intact.
What would you say
to the many Americans
who support
Senator Callister's message?
De Tocqueville called
our early democracy
"the great experiment."
And I love that because it
reminds me how fragile we are.
Every generation
gets to choose whether or not
this experiment continues.
That means not giving in
to the weaknesses
that make us fragile as people
and as a country,
not listening
to those who tell us
to blame others
when we feel shut out.
And that can be
such a tempting message,
especially when you're down,
but it's a false one
and a dark one.
All I can say is,
however I continue
to serve our country,
I will never stop fighting
to save this great experiment.
Captioning sponsored by CBS
Agendas?
You left them in the printer.
Thank you.
This is your Sunday look?
Elegance has no schedule.
Cookie?
Oh, yes.
I'll take a cookie.
Mike?
No.
How about in a circle?
Yeah. Excuse me.
Sorry. Uh, yeah.
Uh, right there next to the secretary.
Yeah.
I got you.
Who put their bag there?
It's Mike B's.
Next time you got to pee
on the chair.
Hey, Jeff.
Yeah, okay, I'll let her in.
No, no, no, no. I'll let her in.
You have to go upstairs.
Oh, that's right. Stevie.
Come on.
Yes. I'm right here.
Time to go into exile.
I didn't make up
the rules about...
White House employees
staying out of campaigns.
And the two of you, shoo.
Guys, did neither of you hear the timer?
Oh, shoot, sorry. You
put me on cleanup duty. Hey, guys,
Ah.A presidential campaign
is about to kick off
in our living room.Ah.
A little excitement. I'm very excited.
Ooh, there we go.
Great British Baking Show?
You kidding?
It's Shark Week.
Okay! People!
Now that everybody's here...
That's my seat.
I would like to call to order
the first official Elizabeth
McCord kitchen cabinet. Yeah!
I like it.
And just as a reminder,
you're all here voluntarily
outside your government duties.
That means that nothing
we talk about tonight,
by law, can be discussed
at the State Department.
No accidental
breakroom check-ins.
No e-mails from State.
And now
I will turn this meeting over
to the next president
of the United States,
Elizabeth McCord.Aw.
Thank you, everyone.
Oh! And I have to thank Stevie,
especially for those cookies.
Yes, thank you, Stevie. Thank you, Stevie.
I made them, too.
Can we have an oven
on the tour bus?
That would be...
Okay, forget it.
Number one topic tonight
is the launch of the campaign,
which we think will be
in two weeks.
Ten days.
So...
Ten days. Ten days.
Are we, uh, sure
the speech is ready?
It's a masterpiece.
I made a few tweaks.
That brings me
to our next topic,
defining everyone's role
in the campaign.
Most of us will have
the same title
we now have at State.
With a much higher level
of intensity.
This isn't gonna be some cushy
conference in Geneva, people.
This is the longest marathon
of your lives,
running uphill the whole way
with this woman's
campaign agenda
carved into your foreheads.
You got me? Are we joining a cult?
It sounds like a cult. Right?
It's a team, and we're
all in it together,
so for now rest up, get
your annual checkups
and dentist appointments
out of the way,
and try and enjoy the
calm before the storm.
The fight of our lives.
Uh, excuse me. Mom,
security said
that Russell Jackson's here.
Oh. We've got room for him
if he wants in.
We-we do?
Let's take five.
Yeah, hey, there's-there's
more cookies in the kitchen.
Oh, there's cookies?
Yeah.
Hey, Russell.
Didn't realize
I was crashing a party.
You're always on the guest list.
An article's
coming out in the next few days
in the Washington Chronicle
alleging
an intimate relationship
between Elizabeth and Conrad
during their days at CIA.
What?
Okay.
Who's the source?
No, who's the reporter?
Some stringer
named Terrence Robinson.
We don't know where
he's getting his info. Well, that is
straight-up defamation.
No, this is good.
That means they have
nothing in their oppo file
if they're making
stuff up this early.
Unless they're not making it up,
which we'll talk later.
They're making it up, Mike.
All right, well, the Chronicle
called the White House
for comment, and we declined.
Most likely they'll be
reaching out to you next.
Well, I absolutely want
to comment.
Well, that's up to
you and your team.
Obviously you've got more at
stake with your campaign coming.
That's why we're not giving this
any oxygen.
But it's a complete load
of crap.
Ignore it, it's one
news cycle. Answer it,
it follows us the
rest of the campaign.
What if we do some digging
into the reporter?
Discredit the article
as blatantly biased. MIKE: Sure,
wage war on the press
ten days before we announce.
It's a brilliant strategy.
Not answering makes it look
like we have something to hide.
Okay, we push the
announcement three days
until the air is clear.
In the meantime the only thing
you talk about is policy, okay?
Let's get back to the meeting.
Let's go, people!
"She's not likable."
"I don't want to have a beer
with her."
"I hate her voice."
I mean, these are the things
that I was ready for,
but "she slept her
way to the top"?
What century are we in?
It just means they're terrified.
No. This works, Henry.
This taps right
into America's id.
And it works with women
just as well as men.
Well, can you find out
where it's coming from
and shut it down?
I mean,
there were always
these stupid jokes
at CIA about Conrad and me.
Isabelle and I used
to laugh about 'em.
We have to tell the kids.
Yeah, we do.
Morning, ma'am.
Morning.
Hey. I saw your draft
of the Global Climate
Migration Agreement.
You must have been up
half the night.
I'm all right.
You don't seem lit up by the
thrill of negotiating shelter
for the displaced people
of the next hundred years.
Thrill got dampened by this.
From East Asia
and Pacific Affairs.
Oh, what the hell?
We knew China was
trying to break into
the private jet industry.
A custom jet for
General Bo Htun?
Hey, what's going on?
China just violated economic
sanctions against Myanmar.
By selling a private jet
to the military leader
of one of the poorest
countries in Asia.
You know,
why hide the corruption?
It's so much easier this way.
A total slap in the face right
when we're negotiating the deal.
It's China. They're doing it
because they know we need them
on the Climate Migration deal.
One jet sale is worth it
to threaten the whole deal?
I want to put out
a statement. Strong.
Don't hold back. On it.
There is the larger issue.
Yeah, I know.
Myanmar is all but getting away
with the Rohingya massacre.
They've met none of the demands
of repatriation,
hundreds of thousands
of Rohingya people still stuck
in camps in Bangladesh.
And the world is moving on,
playing politics, selling jets.
It's Rwanda all over again.
Nina, get me
our U.N. ambassador.
Of course, ma'am.
I share your outrage.
The Rohingya massacre is one
of the worst human atrocities
in the last 20 years.
And President U Khaing?
Might as well be back
under house arrest.
He's completely under
the thumb of the generals.
Who are getting away
with murder... in a private jet.
Thanks, Jen.
We can step up the sanctions.
Because it worked so well
the first time?
If you really want to go rogue,
we can call an
international criminal tribunal
at the U.N.
Prosecute Bo Htun
and his cronies for violations
to the Geneva Convention
and crimes against humanity.
Well, I like the sound of that.
It's only been done
once before, with Bosnia.
Milo. evic weaponized
mob violence
against a Muslim
ethnic minority. So there's precedent.
We can point up the parallels.
Does this pass at the U.N.?
It could take years.
And even if we get
some convictions,
we'll have no way
to enforce the sentences.
It would put the
regime on notice.
Show 'em that the rest
of the world hasn't looked away.
If the resolution passes,
and for that we need China.
You get the other members.
I'll work on China.
Thank you, Peter. JAY:
So, Nina,
I'm sure you're aware
the State Department
is about to undergo
some changes.
You mean the secretary's
about to announce
her presidential run,
which is so exciting.
I can't discuss that,
but, yes, it's very exciting.
The secretary would like
the incoming team to have
some continuity
for the transition.
We were hoping that you
would be willing to stay.
Of course. I'd be honored.
Deputy Secretary Cushing, right?
Actually, the deputy secretary
has chosen to retire,
and Deputy Secretary Bailey
will step in
for the remainder of
the Dalton administration.
Oh. You'd report to him
in your current capacity.
He's already agreed based on
the secretary's recommendation.
Wonderful.
Uh, thanks, so I'll fill you in
more in the coming days,
but if you'll excuse... Sure.
Uh, Daisy?
Can I grab a moment? Is it me,
or did this coffee take
a serious nosedive?
Blake abdicated coffee duties.
Can he take over
for the campaign?
Uh, sorry.
I forgot about the rule.
We're expecting a call from the
Chronicleasking for comment
on an article alleging
the secretary had a previous
intimate relationship
with the president.
Uh... say that again?
Before he was the president.
Our answer is "no comment."
You realize it's gonna
sound like she did have
an intimate relationship
with the president.
I do.
Talk to Mike B.
Wait, so did she?
Elizabeth.
I'm gonna miss
these conversations.
I'm calling to discuss
your troubled neighbor.
You'll have to be more specific.
Myanmar, the Rohingya people.
Tanks are still torching
whole villages,
soldiers killing mothers
in front of their children,
more than 700,000
forced from their homes.
The economic sanctions
are clearly failing.Mm.
We believe the time has come
to step up our efforts,
and I hope President Li
will join the United States
in calling for
a U.N. special tribunal
to charge General Bo Htun
and his regime with violations
of the Geneva Convention
and crimes against humanity.
As troubling as Myanmar's
actions have been,
China sees this
as a domestic response
to a dissident uprising.
It's not our concern.
Can I speak frankly, Ming?
I think your regime
is afraid that joining
a call for a U.N. tribunal
to prosecute the violation
of human rights might bring
a little too much attention
to China's mistreatment of its
own minority Uyghur population.
That is frank.
Right now the United States
sees a difference
between your unlawful detention
of a persecuted minority
and Myanmar opening fire
on women and children.
But if China continues to
violate the economic sanctions
by selling private jets
to generals in Myanmar,
then we may become
more concerned
about the human rights abuses
in China.
It's always impressive, the
amount of strength leaders wield
when they're about
to leave office.
I'll have plenty of strength
in my next office.
But I'd much prefer
to work with you, Ming.
I can discuss the idea
of a tribunal.
But I suggest you take
a less threatening approach
in your new office.
Whatever that might be.
Damn. Way to sweeten
the moral authority
with a little raw power.
Felt like
it was getting through.
Sorry to interrupt, ma'am. What's up?
We knew you'd want to see this.
Callister's
announcing his campaign.
America, America,
your soul is on the line.
While Washington plays
world cop,
pouring our nation's blood
and treasure into
every broken-down,
lawless country in the world,
the American dream
at home is dying.
Uh, taxed... taxed to death,
invaded by every criminal,
every drug dealer,
every gang member flooding
over our nation's borders.
Kick them out!
People who don't speak
our language, people who
don't respect our flag,
people who don't respect
our god.
What is that?
Is that a campaign announcement
or a call to revolt?
That they don't know
who they are messing with.
We, the people, will rise
to show them
who the real Americans are.
We will rise! We will rise!
When Owen Callister
is president,
there will be no more surrender.
We will rise.
He raised over a million dollars
in less than an hour.
I say, bring it.
We can fight that.
Yeah, except I just finished
begging China
to help us fight nationalism
around the world.
We will rise! We will rise!
And now it's running
for president.
We will rise!
We will rise! We will rise!
Hey.
Hey, Mom.
Is it game night, or...?
No. Uh, Dad said
that you wanted
to talk to us about something.
Yes. Um...
Oh, God.
Uh, right. Hold...
There you are.
Perfect timing.
Kids are all here. I-I'm sorry.
I-I can't...
I can't do this tonight.
You heard Callister's
announcement.
Callister,
this stupid article... it's just
all so ugly, and I'm...
Is something, uh... wrong?
What's, uh, going on? Oh, hi, guys.
Uh, Mom's just really tired.
Let's just do this
some other time, okay?
Oh, sure.
Yeah, that won't leave us
lying awake in bed all night,
wondering if she has cancer.
Okay. Um...
there's this article
coming out
in the next few days, and
it's going to imply that
when I was at the CIA...
It's a hit piece accusing Mom
and President Dalton
of having an affair
20 years ago.
It's not true,
no, it's not true. It is not true.
What?! Who's
behind it?
W-We don't know.
How can they just say that
with no proof? Isn't that slander?
Libel if they publish it.
Look, we just want you guys
to know
that it's gonna be out there
for a few days. That's disgusting.
We're not responding, so it just
goes away with the next crisis,
and... I am so sorry.
You do nothave
to apologize to us.
Wait, wait. So you're just gonna
let them say that?
I'm gonna get attacked a lot.
Just means
they're nervous about me.
Callister's speech will
probably dominate the news
anyway.
Yeah, well,
that's the real scandal.
Thank you.
If it makes you feel
any better, no one
at my school follows the news.
So, um, Kat,
you know how the secretary
was asking us to propose ideas
for workplace improvements
at State
before things,
you know, change over?
I do.
Well, I was doing some research
into the so-called
"potty parity initiative,"
the move to create
an equal number of bathrooms
for men and women
in all federal buildings.
Mm-hmm. It died in
committee. I'm familiar.
Once again, gender
neutral bathrooms,
and we'd never
have this problem.
Oh, well, one day.
You were saying?
So I was thinking, uh,
maybe a half-step would be
to get tampon dispensers
in all the women's bathrooms.
Oh.Um, not free tampons,
although that would
be good, too.
Yeah. No,
that's doable.
I'll, uh... I'll take it
to the secretary. Thank you.
Oh, and also, um...
Jay mentioned I
would be staying on
with the transition team
for Acting Secretary Bailey?
Yup, yup, yup. I'm super grateful
for the opportunity, and please
pass that on to the secretary.
Okay. But I'd like to
request a transfer.
Oh. Can I ask why?
I know it's only hearsay,
but I've heard...
I've heard some
things from women
who have worked
for Deputy Secretary,
and I'd rather not
put myself in a position
where I'd be reporting
directly to him.
Thank you for letting me know.
I will take it from here.
So China's a no-go
for the U.N. tribunal.
I just spoke to Chen yesterday.
He seemed open to it.
That was before
Owen Callister made his
campaign announcement.
They're waiting for
the dust to settle. What speech?
How much dust could it
have kicked up?
I guess you haven't seen
his poll numbers this morning.
Look, maybe he appeals
to a fringe group,
but he can't possibly
get a majority.
Poland, Hungary, Russia.
Why not here?
He convinces just enough voters
that he's the savior
of the working class.
So Callister comes out as
the dark knight, and that's it?
We let Myanmar go unpunished?
Well, there are other ways
of getting
the world's attention.
I'm listening.
So far, our reports have talked
about killings and atrocities.
Let's call it what it is.
Genocide.
We couldn't even call Rwanda
genocide
at the time. Yeah, but that's been
revised now.
That could help us.
And it sends a message
to Callister, too.
We don't target minorities here,
and we don't tolerate
other countries murdering them.
Exactly.
I'm gonna bring it
to the president.
Thank you, Peter.
I really... appreciate it.
Thank you, ma'am.
I waited in a stupidly long line
for what's supposed
to be the next Cronut.
Uh, Mike Barnow, ma'am.
Thanks, Blake.
This is to keep you
off-line for the next two
days, possibly the week.
The article came out?
Drops within the hour.
Stay inside, don't look
at any memes or tweets,
and for God's sake,
don't read it.
Why would I do that?
Hey, Richard, can you reschedule
my lunch today?
Something came up.
Sure thing, Dr. McCord.
Thanks.
Henry.
Isabelle.
So good to see you. You, too.
How long has it been?
Oh, gosh, uh,
Elizabeth's last birthday dinner?
Oh.
God, I'm the worst.
No, I think we hold that honor...
I mean, we keep talking
about seeing you
and then there's always... Oh, I-I know.
Work is so crazy.
I've been buying this house
up in Maryland.
Oh, uh, well, that's great.
Yeah, it's no horse farm
in Virginia.
But you got to retire somewhere.
Listen, by the time
we get all three kids
through college, I don't know
if we're retiring with a farm.
Oh, you know what?
Just coffee, thank you.
Somehow I think you two
are on to bigger things
before you're done.
Well, we're hoping
to stay in government.
Mm-hmm.
But, um...
articles like the one
that came out today
don't exactly help.
Thank you.
I almost called Bess
as soon as I read it.
She doesn't know I'm here. Oh.
Listen, I've got to ask you.
Do you know anyone from
your time together at CIA
who would have done this?
Someone who wants to
take Elizabeth down?
You know, people knew
Bess was my friend.
They didn't talk about
this stuff around me.
You never heard rumors?
Personally? No.
Sometimes the Company
is like high school
with encryption.
Somebody wanted to look
important to a reporter,
at some dinner party,
Elizabeth is right
to let it evaporate.
Yeah.
Our kids read about this.
Henry, you know
there's nothing to it, right?
People used to call them
"the Honor Twins."
Elizabeth and Conrad.
Yeah, not a great reflection
on the rest of us,
but, yeah, there it is.
Hmm.
So...
I think I know the
source of the story.
The one we're not talking about?
I reached out to Isabelle
this afternoon.Henry.
I just wanted to get
her take on it.
How is that ignoring it?
She completely denied
ever hearing the rumors.
You told me that you two
used to joke about it.
So you think
Isabelle's the source?
Why would she lie
about the rumors? I...
I-I don't even know
what to say, I...
Look, I don't want to
be right, but if she
had something to do with it,
maybe we could, I don't know,
could ask her to... She's not gonna
admit to it
if she did do it.
It doesn't make any sense.
I think she's resentful
of your success.
You never know how
that's gonna affect people.
Look, I know we were
supposed to ignore it.
But...
after I read the article...
Is it bad?
Uh, it's all...
"alleged"
and...
"rumored."
So, as long as there's
no evidence to back it up...
Are you-you asking me
if I had an affair with Conrad? No.
Of course not.
See, this-this is how it works.
This is the poison.
I don't doubt you.
But you were halfway
around the world,
i-it was a rough time for us...
Nothing happened!
I know.
Ever. I...
I know.
Yeah.
Um...
well, that's odd.
Let him in, Matt, thank you.
Governor of
Massachusetts is here.
Governor Hayes.
U-Uh, please come in.
Thank you.
I'm sorry to stop
in unannounced.
Oh, it's... yeah, hi.
I, um...
was hoping to discuss
your future plans.
Off the record.
As a conservative governor
of a progressive state,
I've come to appreciate
the values of my party
that bring people together:
an equal love of liberty
and the rule of law,
patriotism, personal
responsibility,
merit, and honor.
Those are admirable values.
I don't believe Owen Callister
represents those values.
I'm not the only member
of the party
who found his remarks
yesterday hateful,
divisive, fearmongering.
Well, he is polling pretty well.
Well, with a certain section
of the American people.
We believe another candidate
can bring those people
back to the center.
Elizabeth,
I'm here tonight to ask you
to seek the nomination
of the Republican Party
for president.
Wow. That's...
Can I-I speak frankly, John?
Please.
I-I work for a president
who turned his back
on both parties.
Why come to me?
Because you're a
worthy candidate.
Well, I appreciate that.
I do. But...
I got to tell you,
when I look at your party's
current platform,
I-I...
I mean, I-I'm about to host
a global conference
on climate change,
and your party can't even agree
that climate is changing.
We need to evolve.
We'd see your candidacy
as an opportunity to do that
and, at the same time,
come back to the party
of Teddy Roosevelt
and Dwight Eisenhower.
A square deal and a
strong national defense.
I think you fit that platform.
And it's a platform we believe
the majority of Americans
will vote for.
Well, that's inspiring.
And... flattering.
But if you're so alarmed by
Owen Callister,
why not denounce him?
Where are the public statements?
We don't want to alienate the
people Callister's talking to.
We want to reach them.
We think we can do that
with you.
Well, Governor,
you, uh...
you have given me
a lot to think about.
Thank you.
My pleasure.
Hope you'll say yes.
What is there to think about?!
For starters, the fact that
she's aligned with a president
who won as an Independent.
For the first time in history.
The chances of that happening
a second time are about the same
as my son's chances
of getting into Harvard.
Well, the governor
makes one good point:
if I join the GOP ticket now,
we have a better chance
of knocking Callister out early.
What if the governor represents
a small faction of the party
and you don't win broad support?
And then we're dead
in New Hampshire.
Have you forgotten
who you're working for?
Um, Elizabeth schooled
America about nationalism,
and her, and her popularity
went up five points.
This country's totally ready
to be spanked by Hot Mom.
What do youthink?
I think that I do line up
with some GOP policy positions.
I think privatization
is sometimes more efficient
than government bureaucracy,
and I'm all for
a strong military.
And I think...
we do all win when
the government steps back
and allows responsible
businesses to thrive.
But I don't think that
that means that corporations
should pay a lower tax rate
than schoolteachers.
Of course not.
You can... There's always
a way to frame it.
What happens when
I make wealth disparity
my key issue?
Or...
declare that the days
of undermining democracy
by gerrymandering are over?
You will trade horses
like every other politician.
She's not every
other politician.
One bonus: I make this call
tomorrow, I am pretty sure
this whole affair story
goes away a lot faster.
Okay, that...
is exactly the kind of political
gamesmanship that I hate.
I know that both parties do it.
But the GOP has
a much darker history
of playing up wedge issues
like same-sex marriage
just to fire up voters.
When I went to Camp David
to think about the candidate
I want to be, none of that
was on the list.
Seems like you know your way
forward on this, ma'am.
Let's not make any
decisions tonight.
Yeah.
Let me, let me just,
let me just say this:
no one... gets to
shape this country
by being the noble
candidate who lost.
We get past the primary
and get the GOP
machine behind us?
Guarantee we win this thing.
Hey, is anyone gonna
say anything?
Like what? "Congratulations on
your affair with the president"?
Wait. We don't really
think it happened, do we?
I think it's none
of our business, and, no,
I don't think it happened.
Did you see Carrot Top's tweet?
You follow Carrot Top?
Good morning. Good morning.
Ma'am.
Morning. Good morning.
Here's your schedule,
and muffin's on your desk.
Okay.
Can I see you
in my office, Nina?
Thank you.
Listen, Kat shared with me
your concerns about working
with Deputy Secretary Bailey.
Oh, gosh, it's really not
that big of a deal.
It-it is,
and-and I'm grateful
that you brought it to me.
Um... look, I'm, I'm happy
to transfer you
wherever you want to go,
but for the sake
of everyone else working
with the deputy secretary,
I wonder if you would tell me
a little bit more
about what you know.
Well, I don't, I don't really
want to get anybody in trouble
just based on gossip.
Oh.
Well, trust me,
I can appreciate that.
But I'm trying to gather
any information I can to pass it
to the Office of Civil Rights
for review.
Well, from what I've read,
um, most of those incidents
have already gone to OCR.
Can I ask where,
where you read this?
Uh...
oh, gosh.
Um, okay.
There's... a document
that goes around between
women federal employees.
Mostly lower level.
Just a private thing,
warning each other of
which men to avoid
being alone with.
And the deputy secretary
is in it?
Yeah, um,
mostly...
groping and lunging
and some weird comments.
If I assure you that
I will protect the identities
of the accusers,
would you be willing
to share that document with me?
Thank you.
For what it's worth,
the president isn't in it.
And I'm really sorry
about that article, ma'am.
Isabelle.
Bess, oh, my God.
How good to see you.
How have you been?
A little rocky lately.
Did you repeat any of the rumors
about Conrad and me?
What, you think I'mthe source?
Henry said he talked to you.
Why, why would you say
you hadn't heard anything?
He showed up, he...
You know what, can
we get in the car?
I-I'm freezing.Sure.
Henry...
he showed up out of nowhere.
He's obviously
stirred up from reading about
his wife sleeping with her boss.
When your friend's husband
asks you if it's true,
you don't feed the fire.
This whole thing... Yeah.
Do you have any idea
who it could've been?
I mean, it could've been
a lot of people, Bess.
Weren't thatmany
people out to get me.
Maybe not out to get you,
but if they were asked?
They all had eyes.
Whether anything
happened or not,
he clearly favored you.
Wait...
Look, I know you
didn't cross any lines.
I-I mean, I don't even think
there's anything wrong
with how you benefited from it.
Uh... Wow.
So you think that I... No. I'm-I'm not...
used Conrad... No, I'm not saying
you didn't earn
everything that you've achieved,
and believe me, I will be
first in line to vote for you.
I know it's totally
unfair to you, but
it's not hard for people who
saw your dynamic with Conrad
to think there could have been
something to those rumors.
The foreign aid bill
before the Senate
this morning
generated heated debate.
I am absolutely opposed to
increasing our foreign spending,
particularly at a time
when the chief diplomat
representing the United States
to the rest of the world,
Elizabeth McCord, brings such
a shameful example
of moral turpitude
and corruption...
Hey, Jace.
I was hoping for a sit-down
with Secretary McCord
sooner than later.
There are a few initiatives
I'd like to go over with her.
Well, there's another matter
we need to discuss
first, Deputy Secretary.
Hey. Let's keep
it Steven,
at least until I'm out
of the bullpen.
Uh, if you could take
a look at this.
Mm-hmm.
What...?
You want to tell me
what this is?
It's an anonymous document
maintained by female employees
of the federal government
warning each other of
other employees who have
made them feel unsafe.
Here we go.
Deputy Secretary, you should
know that Secretary McCord and I
take these allegations
very seriously.
I suggest you do so as well.
And, uh, you want to hear
my side of the story,
or have you done away
with due process?
Oh, all of these allegations
will be investigated fully
if you decide to
take this position.
What are you implying?
I am openly informing you
that if an investigation
confirms any of the actions
as described in this document,
then you will not become
Acting Secretary of State.
Furthermore,
those determinations
will most likely follow you
in your next career, so...
you may want to think carefully
about your next move.
You know, I get
that the rules have changed.
But you need
to look at my record.
No one has been
a bigger champion of women
in this department.
And I have taken bullets
for this country,
and now you're telling me
that you're gonna run me
out of town on... at dawn
because a few women have
no sense of humor?
It's a shocking
violation, isn't it?
To be confronted
by something so unwelcome
and disempowering at work?
I'm pretty sure
every woman in this document
knows exactly how you feel.
Sir, I'd like to ask
if we can turn up the heat
and call the Myanmar attack
against the Rohingya people
what it is: genocide.
I think I know the answer
to this, but why now?
Because Myanmar getting away
with turning tanks
on its own people
makes it a lot easier
for the next regime
to give it a try.
Because we should have
moved on it
when we had the chance.
All good points.
But genocide, once proven,
brings a legal obligation
to prevent and punish.
If we intervene
in one situation,
there are dozens of others
all over the world
that clamor
for the same recognition. I know.
Yeah, it's the same thinking
that made us avoid
intervening in Rwanda.
There are other terms
you can use
that don't bring the same burden
of intervention
but would still shame
the Chinese for sitting it out.
That saves you from starting
a mess with China
that I would rather
you didn't inherit from me.
It's no guarantee
that I'm gonna inherit
anything from you, sir.
Don't tell me you're letting
that ridiculous article
get to you.
It's my family
I'm worried about.
Well, I'm willing
to make a statement
about the damn thing
if it'll help. No,
thank you, sir.
But you decided
to stay out of it,
and I'm gonna follow your lead.
I hope Lydia isn't too upset?
One thing we learned
about this job is that you need
to keep yourself separate
from the office.
They are two different things.
Conrad, do you think...?
When we were at CIA,
did you favor me?
Of course.
You were smart, diligent,
and you knew how to
think for yourself.
What kind of boss would I be
if I didn't favor that?
Perfect. Thanks, Kayla.
I'll circle back ASAP.
If that's a masseuse, can you
see if she'll do campaign stops?
What makes you think
I'm booking a masseuse?
You said her name was Kayla.
Hey.
Sorry I'm late.
Hey, you want my beer?
Suck-up. Uh, no, um, I'm fine.
Look, I've been thinking
about the GOP offer...
Before you finish that thought,
I just got off the phone
with the Democratic Party
chairman's office.
They want to talk. What?
So we can hear what
the other side has to say.
You greenhorn idiot.
Mike. You just gave
Callister every reason
to call her a superficial
party hopper. I just gave a candidate
the opportunity to
consider her options. Guys, enough.
Enough.
This whole routine
between the two of you,
undercutting,
the jockeying for position,
this has got to stop.
This is exactly what
George Washington hated
about a two-party system.
Two sides trying
to dominate each other.
What does he know?
He had wooden teeth.
He was right.
And so is Jay, by the way.
My political identity
is tied to Conrad's.
I'm an independent.
It's who I am,
and it's how I'm gonna run.
I'm gonna call Governor Hayes,
tell him we're
declining his offer.
Either of you have
a problem with that?
No, ma'am.
Good.
I've also accepted
an interview tomorrow morning
where I'm gonna put
these affair rumors to rest,
among other things.
Love it. Can we go
over some talking points?
I don't need talking points.
I was there.
Guys, this is gonna be
a long, hard road,
but it's the road
I want to be on.
So you either
get on it with me
or get out of the way. Okay?
Great.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.
Hey, did you see
Bailey's resignation?
Are you kidding? I killed trees
and printed it out for everyone.
Hey, it's pretty decent, right?
Wait, are we talking
Bailey's resignation?
So, you think he wrote it?
"I regret the part
I played in a system
designed to silence and dominate
half the world's population."
He didn't write it.[laughs]: No.
But I love whoever
got him to sign it.
I know. Uh, good morning.
Hey, Nina,
can I see you for a minute?
Sure.
And, uh, the secretary's
interview might go long.
You were able to move the meet
and greet with the new FSOs?
Yes, to Thursday.Good.
So, do we know
who wrote that memo?
I think the deputy secretary
saw the error of his ways.
What? It could happen.
Undersecretary Thompson.
Yes. This is Nina Cummings.
She'll be your new
administrative assistant.
And, Nina, Undersecretary
Thompson will be stepping in
as acting secretary
once we begin the transition.
It's an honor.
I-I so admire your work
with the Bureau
of African Affairs. Thank you, Nina.
I look forward
to working with you. Me, too.
Oh, that reminds me, um,
OMB approved a line item
for tampons in the bathrooms.
Nina's idea.Hey.
Look at that.Oh.
Policy in action.
Yes. That's right.
What else can we get?
Um, equal pay.Yes.
In five, four, three...
Secretary McCord,
I'm gonna get right to it.
Are you running for president
in the next election?
Well, right now I'm pretty busy
representing our country
to the rest of the world.
I want to get to your work
as Secretary of State,
but first
let's go back to your time
at the CIA.
Uh, you were
an intelligence analyst
working with
Conrad Dalton in Iraq?
Yes, that's right.
You worked closely
with President Dalton.
I was a member
of an incredible team.
There was a great deal
of mutual respect.
There have been
rumors lately, uh,
that your relationship
with President Dalton
was a more intimate one
during those years?
Those rumors are not true,
and the people spreading them
are the same people
who are trying
to distract Americans
from the real threats we face.
Like the rise of hatred
and intolerance.
These people want us to
be scared and suspicious
of anyone who looks, speaks,
prays differently
than people we know.
Because when we're scared,
that's when they take power.
This is happening
all over the world.
Last year, Myanmar unleashed
a campaign of ethnic cleansing
on an entire population
of Muslim citizens
in retaliation against a
handful of Muslim dissidents.
And right now
they're getting away with it.
It's the same hate and fear
that drove extremists
to attack the White House
over an immigration policy.
And it's the same hate
infecting every line
of Senator Callister's
campaign announcement.
You made a speech
several months ago, uh,
calling nationalism the greatest
threat to humankind.
I did,
but what's happening now
is even more scary.
Extremists aren't just attacking
the White House from outside,
they're trying to move into it.
If we vote hatred
into our highest office,
I don't think we survive that.
Not intact.
What would you say
to the many Americans
who support
Senator Callister's message?
De Tocqueville called
our early democracy
"the great experiment."
And I love that because it
reminds me how fragile we are.
Every generation
gets to choose whether or not
this experiment continues.
That means not giving in
to the weaknesses
that make us fragile as people
and as a country,
not listening
to those who tell us
to blame others
when we feel shut out.
And that can be
such a tempting message,
especially when you're down,
but it's a false one
and a dark one.
All I can say is,
however I continue
to serve our country,
I will never stop fighting
to save this great experiment.
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