Madam Secretary (2014–…): Season 6, Episode 7 - Accountability - full transcript

Alex and Ellie-Rose are serving salmon.

So, we could do, like, a pinot gris

or maybe just, like, a light
red, like a pinot noir, or...

I don't know. We can go off the grid

and do something effervescent.

Yeah, just like you in the mornings.

(CHUCKLES)

Please just weigh in so
I don't have to decide.

I will drink anything that pairs well

with an inverted yield curve.

(LAUGHS SOFTLY)



Leaving finance was
the smartest thing I ever did.

- Well, second smartest.
- Mm. Ah...

- Coffee breath. Thank you.
- Mmm.

(POUNDING ON DOOR)

- Did you use the elliptical?
- Yeah.

- Did you fix the elliptical?
- No.

Which means 304 is about
to give you an earful

for the unexpected wake-me-up.

Oh, this woman is a nightmare.
Just back me up, please.

Yeah. Right behind you.

- Yes.
- Blake Moran?

Yes.

Special Agent Belstaff with the FBI.

We have a warrant for the
search of your premises.



- Please step back.
- Uh...

Hey, uh, this is a
private residence, okay?

I understand.

Trevor, don't say anything.
Just let them do their thing.

Russell, hi.

Yeah, we got a, um,
little s-situation.

The FBI is part of the DOJ,
and the DOJ

is run by the attorney general,
who answers to POTUS, so...

- Guys, I think...
- ...stop me if I'm missing something,

but if A.G. Lambert
was read in on a warrant

to raid the residence

of the aide-de-camp of the president

without so much as notifying her,

- he should be shot into space.
- What you're missing

is her internal mandate to pursue

- the investigation wherever it leads.
- Guys, listen...

- Hanson is setting a trap.
- MIKE: Huh.

Referring this matter to Justice
for a concurrent investigation

was a brilliant overreach.

Because he knows the A.G.
has to carry water for him.

The slightest opposition

from the administration
will smack of obstruction.

Which means under no circumstances

can we move to quash the warrant.

Except the more rope we give
Hanson, the easier it is

- to fashion a noose.
- Guys!

The only one being fit
for a noose here is me.

Okay? They-they took
my phone, my laptop.

Six years
of-of unclassified documents...

Six years?

What kind of
demented pack rat are you?

Okay, look, I knew she was special

from the minute
I started working for her.

I-I had a front-row seat

from day one.

I was going to write a book

about the secretary

when she finished public
service, which became a book

about the first female president.

Which i-is now a book about
a starry-eyed kid from Newton

who follows his dreams to Sing Sing.

- You're not going to Sing Sing.
- MIKE: Right.

That's a state facility.
You'll be doing federal time.

Oh, God!

Blake, look at me.

Have you ever broken the law
during your government tenure?

Absolutely not.

Then you have no exposure.

It's a fishing expedition.

Nothing more.

The question is, what
is Hanson fishing for?

He already grilled Blake for 12 hours.

OLIVIA: I think Blake's role

as the president's unofficial
archivist may be an open secret,

which is why the warrant's so broad.

This search is a naked pretext
to breathe life

into an investigation
that was flatlining.

And is suddenly metastasizing.

We walled off the president.

But we may be past that stage now.

I'll read her in.

Thank you.

(MUSIC PLAYING FAINTLY)

Mia Costello.

- Yes?
- Jason McCord.

I know. Hi.

I'm sorry to bother you,
I'm just such a big fan.

Cambridge Rubric's one
of my favorite blogs.

- Thank you.
- You've... you got this great voice.

You know? It's, uh, it's like
Maureen Dowd meets Ronan Farrow.

- Red eye.
- That's nice of you to say.

Are you okay with a little
friendly criticism?

- Sure.
- 'Cause it's-it's quibbling, really.

- Um...
- What?

Your last column.

You called my mom a "corrupt,
unqualified crypto-fascist."

- It was an opinion piece.
- Yeah.

And the accompanying cartoon
of her in fetish wear

being whipped by Senator Hanson,
that was...

- Satire.
- Satire. Yeah.

But, you know, it could be
misconstrued by some

as misogyny.

Or even slander.

You know, Jason,
your mom is a public figure.

Yeah. And the Rubric is a
nonpartisan student publication,

yet no other politician comes in
for this type of treatment.

Well, no other politician
is president.

The first female president. Hmm?

Yeah, I think I get the drift.

There's no drift.

I mean, Elizabeth McCord's

the most powerful person in the world.

She can handle
a little incoming, so...

BARISTA: Jason?

- Here you go, man.
- I got to run.

Detail gets kind of... itchy

when I stand around, so...

I'm looking forward
to your next issue.

- I-It's a nonstarter.
- I'm not telling you

- not to go to the Correspondents' Dinner.
- You're telling me

to be pulled away five
minutes after I arrive.

Which means you were there.

As our dutiful White House
photographer will document.

The dinner is a hallowed tradition.

Presidents attend

whether their political
fortunes are rising or falling.

Reagan bailed.

Because he was shot.

Okay, you're nervous
about telling jokes anyway,

which you should be
because you're not funny.

- What?
- I... hmm.

That is so not true.

I have chops.

Serious chops.

And I've been working on my monologue.

And it's actually, it's pretty good.

Be that as it may, this dinner
is not exactly ideal timing.

You just locked up a reporter.

Valerie Guillen, remember?

And pardoned her.

Even if people aren't talking
about your predilection

for jailing reporters,
they will be talking about

the search warrant that was executed

on your aide's private residence.

Look, I'm not gonna worry about
a stunt that was engineered

- to give a failed investigation oxygen.
- It won't play as a stunt.

The White House press corps is
not exactly home team right now.

It'll play as an
escalation of a news cycle

we've been trying
to change for months.

It'll juice impeachment talk,
cast a shadow

of a looming constitutional crisis.

And then there's the bad stuff.

So it's the perfect time
to inject some levity.

But, Bess, you're not funny.

(LAUGHS): Well...

- Russell.
- Mike's right. Not your strong suit.

Listen, I think we've caught a break.

After a month and a half
of intensive investigations

by our intelligence services,

we've isolated the culprits
of Iran's hack of our election.

I'm just getting word that this
morning, a federal grand jury

has issued indictments
of five Iranian nationals

- Ah...
- for election interference.

Finally. Oh, uh, Blake.

Alerting President Shiraz's office.

Yeah. Also, can I get the, uh...

The full background files
on the Iranians?

- But I'm gonna need...
- Photos as well.

How are you doing?

Uh, nothing to brighten your morning

like a battalion of Feds
rifling through your underwear.

The worst is behind you.

Yeah. Oh.

Underwear, behind. Nice.

I am so gonna rock that ballroom.

SHIRAZ: You are seeking extradition

of Reza Mousavi,
our Quds Force commander.

For his criminal role in masterminding

a cyber attack
on my electoral opponent.

Elizabeth,

I'm an ally, not a foe.

We have done
such important work together.

The rapprochement between our
countries, the nuclear treaty.

All of which you jeopardized
by tampering with our election.

This alleged tampering...

which we strenuously deny...
was on your behalf.

It's perverse you would seek
to punish us for your success.

What's perverse is assuming
that I'd endorse behavior

merely because it benefited me.

Interfering with our elections

was the act of an enemy.

That is reckless talk.

Not as reckless as your
breach of our democracy.

You have 48 hours to extradite
the people responsible,

or the price that Iran pays
will grow exponentially steeper.

Well, you cornered him.

And cornered prey
either rolls over or...

Or lashes out.

We'll monitor developments.

DMITRI: You're already dressed,

which means you're not
coming back to bed.

I would love to, but I am,
I'm pretty late as it is

and I'm actually not done
with this yet, so...

- Yeah. Sorry I kept you.
- No.

I think we kept each other, right?
(CHUCKLES)

Yeah, that's been happening
a lot lately, huh? (LAUGHS)

Oy... hey.

(LAUGHS): This is, this is important.

- Hey. I have an idea.
- Okay.

How about... we...
go out this evening?

Uh, yeah, if I don't
have to work late again.

Take a stand.

Tell them that you're
the president's daughter.

Are you upset?

No, I'm... It's not you.

It's just... we haven't
left the bedroom in weeks.

(LAUGHS)

Are you seriously complaining
that you're oversexed?

No, of course not.

I'm just beginning
to feel like a kept man.

- Ah...
- Okay. Okay.

Cabin fever. I get it.

I will tell the office
that I have a hard out.

- Good.
- Okay.

All right, I've got
another one for you.

Odontalgia.

Odontalgia.

O-D-O-N-T-A-L-G-I-A.

Odontalgia.

Right again.

Ladies and gentlemen,

your national spelling bee
champion Oscar Rubis.

- (APPLAUSE)
- Congratulations, sir.

Very well done.

The president and our champion
will take a few questions.

- Madam President...
- Keira.

President McCord, as a
CIA operative in Baghdad,

did you order the torture

of Safeer Al-Jamil while
he was in CIA custody?

We're taking questions about the
administration's educational...

STEVE: What's your
response to the allegation

that you assaulted Philippine
President Datu Andrada

after he made an
unwanted sexual advance?

That's all we have for you today.

- (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
- Thank you, everyone.

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

Uh, Russell, do you have a second?

- Not now.
- I know where they, um,

(WHISPERS): I think I know
where they got their questions.

Come with me.

The oppo was on a flash
drive given to me

by Neal Shin from the Chronicle,

when he shadowed you three years ago.

In what universe is
squirreling away material

whose only use could be
to undermine the president

a good idea?

Boswell here's writing a tell-all,

- remember?
- Shin told me to keep it safe.

That one day the secretary might
need what's on the drive.

He meant she needed it buried at sea,

not enshrined in your museum.

It was in a safe.

Ma'am, I'm really sorry.

It's all right, Blake.

I mean, you couldn't have
anticipated the warrant

- or its scope.
- Yeah, or that some ally

of Hanson's in the FBI is obviously

leaking to the press.

MIKE: The timing's right
out of Hanson's playbook.

Releasing dirt just before
the Correspondents' Dinner,

he's chumming the waters.

Thank you, Blake.

Yeah, thanks, Blake.

Ma'am.

Olivia, I want I.G. to
investigate who at Justice

was behind the leak.

I mean... that is a
dangerous partisan move

for a department that is
supposed to be apolitical.

- I'll take care of it.
- On the down low, please.

Otherwise the president
looks like the captain

of the Good Ship Paranoid.

We have a massive political problem.

Daisy's resignation was
blunting Hanson's momentum,

but this raid jump-starts
his investigation.

And it's the first salvo

of a concurrent FBI inquiry
that could drag on for months.

So now we're fighting
a two-fronted war.

We should reach out to Hanson's camp,

see what he wants for a truce.

Russell, put out a feeler,
but let's keep in mind

that a truce is not surrender.

Well, we have a foreign
relations problem, too.

- Shiraz might be...
- (PHONE CHIMES)

less likely to cave

if he thinks you're
under siege at home.

Make that will be less likely.

HILL: Two hours ago,
Hezbollah cells in Lebanon fired

26 mobile-launched

surface-to-air missiles
into Northern Israel.

Fatalities?

Three dead in Nahariya.
Millions of dollars in damage.

Israel has already responded
by blowing up

a Hezbollah radar installation

and two suspected weapons
manufacturing sites in Dahieh.

Well, I guess we have Iran's response

to your ultimatum, madam.

They're using their terrorist
proxy to attack Israel,

sending a message that they will
drag the region into chaos

if we don't back off
our extradition request.

Did you reach out
to Foreign Minister Tousi?

My Iranian counterpart
professes surprise.

He claims Iran has no influence
over renegade cells.

HILL: Shiraz is squeezing
you, Madam President,

betting your domestic
distractions will weaken

your appetite
for international conflict.

ELIZABETH:
Well, unfortunately for him,

I can walk and chew gum
at the same time.

How's the rial doing, Susan?

It's in free fall.
The Iranian economy is

teetering on the brink of collapse.

Reach out to the G8 members.

I want to turn the screws,

- step up multilateral sanctions.
- Immediately.

And add the head
of the Revolutionary Guard

and the Speaker of
the Iranian Parliament

- to the SDN and Blocked Persons List.
- Yes, ma'am.

Russell, you've got
a personal relationship

with the Israeli prime minister.

You tell him to keep his powder dry.

Doron will do that for only so long.

We're playing with fire here.

I know.

Coffee this late?

You're gonna be up all night.

- It's not coffee.
- Oh.

It's a perfectly alkaline
chicory matcha superdrink

with ayurvedic herbs that
Chef Cindy whipped up for me.

Whoa. What does that taste like?

- Despair.
- (LAUGHS)

It's good to see you.

- Hmm. Oh. (EXCLAIMS)
- Yeah.

- (CHUCKLES)
- Yum.

Yeah, I'm sorry I've
been a little scarce

- the past few weeks.
- Well, I was young once, too.

(CHUCKLES)

So, how's Dmitri?

- He's good.
- Good.

He's great. (LAUGHS)

Actually, can I ask you...?

You know what, if you're too busy...

No, I... Dish away.

So...

Dmitri wants to do, um,

traditional couples stuff,
like, in public.

- Swell.
- Yeah, except here's the thing.

I, I was just with
Griffin. I mean, God.

And our relationship was
all over Instagram

and-and tabloids, and, like, what,

a few weeks later I'm coming out like,

- "Hey, here's my new..."
- What's your concern?

I mean, judgment.

What's your real concern?

Stevie, you are the most
private of my three kids.

And you're also the one

who cares the least
about what other people think.

Yeah.

I guess it's more about what I think.

Which is?

That I was devastated when
this didn't work before.

And if I commit again and we fail...

- You'll take it even harder.
- Yeah.

Because this time, you know,

there's nobody to blame but me.

Oh, sweetie.

It's scary.

Try terrifying.

Love is all about...

You have to risk everything...

to gain everything.

Do you think that we'll make it?

Well, I think that...

you should take it one step at a time.

Go to dinner,

then come back and tell me
what real food tastes like.

(LAUGHS)

- I was just going to come to see you.
- (SIGHS) I was crawling

- out of my skin. Just show me.
- Okay. This was posted

- Don't preface, just give it to me.
- on a website of a publication

- called the Rubric at 6:00... this morning.
- What... ooh, wait. Okay.

"A dislike of a free press seems
to run in the McCord family,

"as first son Jason
demonstrated by confronting

"the Rubric's editor over
a description of his mother

"he labeled misogynistic
and slanderous,

"then baldly suggesting
the first female president

- deserved preferential treatment."
- Oh, come on.

- You can take it from here.
- What... um...

"When his charm offensive ran aground,

"McCord resorted to
ham-fisted threats,

"alluding to his Secret
Service detail and their...

- guns."
- Guns.

"The implication being
they might be deployed

"to muzzle yours truly.
After all, Jason warned,

his mother was 'the most
powerful person in the world.'"

Nearly two million retweets.

Picked up by the AP,
foreign media, it's...

Yeah. Because I'm not already

in Dutch enough with the press corps,

who I will be schmoozing
tomorrow night.

Yep.

He is going to issue an apology.

Yes, agreed.

Then we are going to shave his head

and ship him off to military school.

Well, h-he's not 12,
but that is a good thought.

Madam President, you're needed
in the Sit Room immediately.

Okay, listen, I will have him
on the next train down here

to give us time to give him
a proper neck-wringing.

Okay.

- You just go save the world.
- Okay, okay. Yep, yep, yep.

At 9:00 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time,

the G8 member nations notified Tehran

that the sanctions on the Shiraz
regime were being trebled.

RUSSELL: Three hours later,

the U.K.'s two largest banks

reported data breaches
on their cloud servers.

And the London
and Frankfurt stock exchanges

just suspended trading
after their own breaches.

We confirm Iran was behind it?

WARE: We know they are.

They have hacking mills now.
People on the job 24/7.

HILL: And Tehran's
aggression isn't limited

to financial markets.

A French-flagged oil tanker

in the Strait of Hormuz
nearly capsized

after the automated ballast

control system was
remotely compromised.

And British ships in the region
are reporting problems with GPS.

THOMPSON: Meaning traffic
through the most important

oil-shipping route in the world

- has come to a complete standstill.
- RUSSELL: All of which

is a prelude to an inevitable
spike in oil prices,

which you will be blamed for.

There is nothing subtle
about this, ma'am.

Shiraz is under pressure
by the hard-liners.

He wants to stay in power,
he has to appease them.

So, unless we back off,
this is just the beginning.

Well, I'll personally
reach out to our allies.

Reinforce the coalition.

Our allies aren't going
to spend political capital

on an embattled president.

The undermining of democracy
should concern

all free nations.

Well, our friends
aren't as like-minded.

And we won't be able
to exert enough pressure

on Shiraz independently to force
him to cough up the hackers.

Then we'll go it alone.

Ellen, have JSOC pull up
scenarios for the extraction

of the five Iranian nationals

responsible for the attack
on our elections.

You are talking about
breaching Iranian sovereignty.

Yes.

That is an extreme response.

ELIZABETH: To an extreme provocation,

which we have tried to address
diplomatically with Tehran.

And through the use of sanctions.

Those measures have not only failed,

but Iran has become emboldened.

HILL: Ma'am, I'm duty
bound to advise you

that this could be
seen as an act of war.

WARE: One which puts U.S.
citizens and service members

overseas in the line of fire.

Not to mention our allies.

Does anyone here doubt that
interfering with our elections

was an act of war?

What we do here...

or don't do... will have consequences.

Because America is the
bellwether for freedom.

If we look away,

then democracies
everywhere are at risk.

I expect a full range of options
as soon as you gather them.

I'm not saying "Congressman Codeine."

Why? He's out of rehab.

Fine. Senator Lithium?

(SIGHS): Oh, for God...

- I...
- Hey, Russell.

Welcome to the laugh-free zone,
starring your headliner Mike B.

Yeah, the gang at Cactus Norm's

- open mic night would beg to differ.
- Uh-huh.

By the way, two-for-one
margaritas on Sundays,

but, uh, skip the tuna nachos.

I think you're gonna find

this update aggressively unfunny, too.

I back-channeled
with Hanson's chief of staff.

He named his price for shutting
down the investigation.

One kidney or two?

Oh, the whole body, I'm afraid.

He's demanding rollbacks
on the ESI bill,

approval rights
on all judicial nominees.

- Well, that's sort of funny.
- Yeah, well,

I won't even mention the raft
of anti-environment initiatives,

corporate tax cuts, weakening

gun control and
health care legislation,

all of which he is
expecting you to cosign.

If I don't?

Well, then he and his allies

will beat the impeachment drum
for the rest of your term.

I agree to his demands, I'll be
functionally impeached anyway.

It's still worth considering.

- On what basis?
- Political winds

can shift, leverage can change.

Deals can be unmade.

I have no interest in this office

if I can't do what the
people put me here for.

I'd rather be on the farm
in Virginia writing my memoirs.

With all due respect, ma'am,

that might be sooner than you think.

I'll find time to speak
with Senator Hanson

at the Correspondents' Dinner.

Maybe we'll find some common ground.

I'll pass the word.

BLAKE (CLEARS THROAT):
Excuse me, ma'am.

Uh, Jason is in the Residence.

Would you like me to invite him down?

No.

Ask Henry to meet me there.

Yes, ma'am.

First off, every word I said
was taken out of context.

Oh, a hit job, huh?

Yeah, totally. And...

Well, we happen to have
the piece right here,

so we can go over the inaccuracies.

Okay, maybe I was a tiny bit clumsy.

Breaking a vase is clumsy, Jason.

Accusing a female writer of misogyny

while flagging the fact
that your detail

is packing heat... that's just dumb.

I was defending you.

I know it came from a good place,

but you don't help me by
throwing your weight around.

And when you talk to journalists,

your words are going
to be scrutinized.

Real journalists

don't tote around
Hello Kitty knapsacks.

No, no, the blog's a farce, okay?

I'm the victim here.

- Oh, boy.
- See, that's just not the way

- you want to play this, sport.
- No, everyone attacks you.

And you just turn the other cheek.

Don't you get sick of that?

I don't have that luxury,

and neither does my family.

And I'm sorry, but
that's the way it is.

Okay. I...

Lesson learned. Are we done here?

We are, but you're not.

A full-throated apology

posted online before
the Correspondents' Dinner,

uh, by, let's say, noon.

Tomorrow.

Okay. Yeah. I can,
I'll mock up a clarification.

ELIZABETH AND HENRY: Apology.
- Okay, fine.

DMITRI: Isn't this nice?

- Mm-hmm.
- Beautiful evening.

- You, me.
- Mm-hmm.

Four people licensed to kill.

Well, a table for six
is my new normal.

I've never had a normal,
except for you.

Aw.
- WOMAN: Oh, it's the president's daughter.

Oh, okay. Uh, here, let's sit down.

(CLEARS THROAT)

You're nervous.

(CLEARS THROAT)

- Yeah.
- About being seen with me?

No.

Um, it's just that,

if we're a couple,

then we are official,
and if we're official,

don't know, my mind goes places.

I'll never hurt you again.

You can't promise that.

- I'll never hurt you intentionally.
- (LAUGHS) Gee.

You really know how
to sweet-talk a gal.

(BOTH LAUGH)

Look, it's the best I can do.

Some things are out of our control.

Yeah.

I just can't do this again.

Like, go all in, and then

maybe one day I'll-I'll
wake up and you'll be gone

because you have this secret
life that you can't outrun.

Look, there's no more secrets
and there's no more running.

All I can promise you is this:

I'm not leaving again,

not unless I'm dragged away,
kicking and screaming.

So we leave the rest up to fate?

No.

I don't trust fate.

I trust you.

Okay.

HENRY: So how go the jokes?

Six comedy writers,
three speechwriters,

endless edits by Mike B.,

and it still needs a punch-up.

You're gonna be great.

What I need is a time machine,
so I can

go back and fix things.

These investigations
aren't going anywhere.

Nope.

Maybe my presidency is.

- Babe, don't.
- I'm just being realistic.

Been thinking a lot
about the fate of pioneers.

Well, you're certainly one of them.

Yeah. You know what
pioneers get to accomplish?

Being first. That's it.

Some accomplished more than that.

Not the ones that matter.

Susan B. Anthony paved the way
for women's suffrage

but died 15 years
before women got to vote.

And Martin Luther King
fought for equality

but didn't live to see
many of his dreams fulfilled.

People who provide the spark

don't often get to sit by the fire.

Maybe

the country just wasn't ready

for the first female president.

Or maybe all this is just
inevitable tectonic shifts.

The earth realigning itself.

Or opening up to swallow me whole.

You're gonna get through this.

What if I don't?

Well, then you'll have
a burgeoning comedy career

to fall back on.

Maybe I'll just fall back on you.

Well, that works, too. (CHUCKLES)

WARE: Iran's cyber force

is a decentralized
confederation of hackers,

but our intel confirms

there's nothing random about the
dispersion of our five targets.

Tabriz, Mashhad,

Zahedan, and Bushehr.

- The four corners of the country.
- And Reza Mousavi,

the crown jewel,

is in Tehran.

Our range of options, unfortunately,

has boiled down to one.

We would have to have
a full-scale invasion

to extract all the targets.

Which sets the stage for a long
and costly occupation.

- ELIZABETH: Another Iraq.
- Yes, ma'am.

Well, if we can't get into Iran,

maybe we can get the targets out,

at least Mousavi.

- Ma'am?
- Well, do we have any

- high-ranking assets left in Hezbollah?
- We do.

Someone who could draw Mousavi
out so he's a soft target?

Our agent would have to dangle
the promise of a package

so sensitive, it could
only be passed in person.

And we'd have to burn him.

But it can be done.

Theoretically.

But what about the
other four suspects?

Well, I'm willing to trade

the head of the snake
for the rest of its body.

HUMINT says Mousavi's in line
for a big promotion,

maybe as soon as tomorrow.

Shiraz keeps his inner circle
a stone's throw away,

- under heavy guard.
- It'll be a high-risk op.

Well, then there's no time to waste.

WARE: And if it fails,

there will be American fatalities.

And fallout.

Just ask Carter the cost

of botched Iranian missions.

And even if this goes off
without a hitch,

your political enemies will
accuse you of wagging the dog.

Even if you win,

- you'll lose.
- Yeah.

Yup. I want Mousavi on
American soil to face justice.

I'll deal with the rest later.

- Set it up.
- Yes, Madam President.

Hey, Russell, Mousavi
is happily ensconced

at a baccarat table
at the Casino de la Falaise.

It's some luxury seaside resort
just south of Beirut.

There's a joint HRT/SEAL Team
task force ready to grab him up.

Okay. Bye.

So, what's the pretext?

A stolen workup on the vulnerabilities

of our electrical grids.

- Have you read in President Bashar?
- No.

His loyalties are divided.

Besides, it's easier to ask
forgiveness than permission.

Speaking of forgiveness,
Madam President, Dr. McCord,

Jason posted,

uh, an apology on social media.

Do we want to see it?

Uh, in ten years.

(GROANS)

JASON (OVER VIDEO): Um, some of you

may have seen a piece on me
in The Cambridge Rubric

discussing my interaction
with a college journalist,

and I would like

to address the matter.

Um, I'm sorry for what happened.

An auspicious enough start.

I'm sorry I disrespected

the serious field
of college journalism.

And I'm sorry I failed
to recognize that the press

should be free to vilify
our leaders without consequence.

Oh, less auspicious.

And I was wrong to defend my mother

because she has been treated so fairly

by journalists

and by the Senate
Intelligence Committee

and by conservative critics who have

embraced her as the
female president that they've

- always been longing for.
- No, no, no...

And I hope one day to display
the ethics and decorum

so regularly evidenced
by our woke media

'cause it's what they deserve.
Jason out.

Yeah.

Well, it was, technically, an apology.

So how do you want to handle it?

I don't.

You're both gonna get hammered.

Well, I'm used to it.

Maybe he'll learn something
about consequences

- and how to talk to people.
- Speaking of which,

have you decided what
you're gonna say to Hanson?

Yeah. Am I sure

it's the right thing to do?

Well, that's a whole different animal.

MIKE: Why do they call these
stupid things monkey suits?

No self-respecting simian would
be caught dead in one of them.

I thought you liked galas.

Only when I'm trolling for business.

This place is like a casting
call for The Walking Dead.

Where's the president?

Uh, discussing free trade
with, uh, Secretary Barnum.

- Tell her the senator's ready.
- Will do.

ELIZABETH: Cynthia.

PAUL: Great to see you.
- ELIZABETH: Hey, Paul.

HENRY: Cynthia, how are you?
- CYNTHIA: Henry.

- Oh, so good to see you.
- HENRY: Hey, Paul.

And my dress is biodegradable,
in honor of your ESI bill.

Oh, come on.

That's fantastic. You know
what else is biodegradable?

French fries, truffles,
mac and cheese.

I'm actually just eating

for the environment tonight.

- Really good to see you both.
- Good to see you. Take care.

- Hey, guys. Hi.
- Hi. Mom, Dad.

Oh. Sorry. Uh, this is Shasta.

Yeah, hi, Shasta.
It is an honor to meet you,

Mr. and Mrs. President.

Yeah, that's not...
that's not how that...

- My-my mom...
- This is huge. I...

Just go and have fun.
Just don't worry.

- We'll see you at the table.
- Hi. Uh,

- Madam President?
- Yes?

Uh, Senator Hanson is ready for you.

Good luck.

- Madam President.
- Senator.

I hope you're enjoying your evening.

Well, so far, so good.

Have you considered my offer?

I have. At some length.

Before I respond to it,

I-I do want to acknowledge something.

I have made mistakes.

I can be too single-minded

in my pursuit of progress.

Not solicitous enough
of opposing viewpoints.

And the charge

that I haven't always been
quick to compromise...

well, that hits the mark, too.

Well said.

Compromise is the key
to effective leadership.

- It is.
- But here's the thing, Senator.

You don't want compromise.

You want my complete
and unconditional surrender

- to your demands.
- That's a bit over the top,

- don't you think?
- No.

What's over the top is months
of hearings engineered only

to further your boundless ambition.

The relentless persecution
of my staff, the most devoted

and selfless public servants
I have ever had the privilege

of serving with.

You're a cheap
shakedown artist, Senator.

And I am not willing
to sell out my agenda

to sit in the Oval and take orders

from a partisan hack,
who puts his own self-interest

before the national good.

I'm gonna continue serving
the American people.

You're just gonna have
to try and stop me.

When the end comes, and it will, soon,

remember I gave you
a chance, Elizabeth.

It's Madam President.
You remember that.

- Um, this is my date Shasta.
- Hi. Nice to meet you.

...drivers here this evening.
Please feel free to drink up.

- (CHEERING)
- Yep, the administration

has graciously arranged
for free rides home

care of the U.S. Marshals Service.

- (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
- So buckle up, guys!

Here we go.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Speaking of McCords
who hate the media,

there is the president's son Jason.

Hello, Jason, it's great to see you.

Uh, Jason is now

a college junior.

He is majoring in affluenza

and minoring in celibacy.

- (LAUGHTER)
- Jason, uh, does intend

- to follow in his mom's footsteps.
- Extraction team is in place.

- It's awaiting your okay.
- He hopes to enter

- the political arena...
- They have it.

...as the subject

of simultaneous
federal investigations.

No, seriously, don't worry,
Jason, in ten years

no one will remember how you
publicly humiliated yourself.

I, I do think I speak
for everyone here tonight

when I say,
thank God for the Internet.

(LAUGHTER)

Can we switch seats?

EMCEE: Our president

is a woman of conviction.

Or soon will be.

- Um...
- (LAUGHTER AND GROANING)

But she is a good sport,

and now I'm gonna give her
the chance to take a few shots

at all of us.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome

President Elizabeth McCord!

ELIZABETH: Thank you.

Good evening.

Traditionally,

this is a night for humor,

but some people in my administration

have informed me that I am not funny.

(LAUGHTER)

I will miss all of them dearly.

(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)

Yet while it pains me

to say this, these people were right.

Truth is, I'm not that funny,

and sometimes the truth hurts

and it isn't what we want to hear.

- (KNOCK ON DOOR)
- But truth is the fabric

- that binds society together.
- (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

What makes our government work.

What gives people trust
in their leaders.

And no one

is a more important defender
of the truth

than the people in this room.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

What you do

is serious,

and it is important and as critical

to our liberty as the work
of any branch of government.

The people in this room have

the unassailable right to document,

to editorialize, to
criticize, and to do so

without fear of reprisal.

- WOMAN: Yeah!
- (APPLAUSE)

Because without a free press,
truth is not reported,

power is not held accountable,

and democracy cannot survive.

The founders had the wisdom

to understand this and to enshrine

this understanding in our holiest

of civic documents.

Congress shall make no law

abridging the freedom of the press.

(CHEERING)

So says the First Amendment,

the elemental freedom

without which all other
freedoms are imperiled.

May we all cherish

the freedom that we honor tonight

and protect it.

Thank you. You're all under arrest.

(LAUGHTER)

(CHEERING)

HANSON: Fellow members,
it is my solemn duty

to update you on the fruits
of my committee's investigation.

What began as a targeted inquiry...

He's not wasting any time.

Hanson's addressing the full Senate.

At least he's finally putting
all of his cards on the table.

Let's see what kind of hand he has.

...by President McCord's own FBI.

And while the shameless obstruction

of President McCord's staff

means my committee's work
is still ongoing,

I can say with confidence
that we have uncovered

a pervasive pattern

of secrecy and corruption
in the White House,

contempt for truth and transparency

coordinated by President McCord

that should trouble every American.

The evidence is overwhelming

and irrefutable.

Her former press secretary

Daisy Grant fired
for concealing her receipt

of hacked election materials

from Iranian asset Claudine Bernard.

Her closest aide Blake Moran
caught in a scheme

he and the president's own
daughter executed to circumvent

campaign finance
disclosure requirements.

Her longtime fixer and bagman
Mike Barnow

implicated in covering up
the suspicious death

of a government official.

In every instance
President McCord's reward

for these acts of malfeasance?

A high-ranking job in the White House.

It pains me to say this culture
of corruption and self-dealing

extends to the president's own family.

To her husband,
who has ironically been gifted

the role of ethics czar
in her administration.

To her daughter, who was brazenly seen

in the company
of former spy Dmitri Petrov

at last night's
Correspondents' Dinner.

Mr. Petrov's presence
was made possible

because the administration
negotiated an amnesty deal

with Russia that greased his return,

apparently so the president

could facilitate her daughter's...

...romantic yearnings.

- And still there's more.
- That son of a bitch.

The recent revelations

that then Secretary of State McCord

assaulted a foreign leader

and concealed it.

That as a rogue agent,
she authorized the torture...

the torture...
of a suspected terrorist.

In the wake of this accumulation
of damning evidence,

how does President McCord respond?

By trying to distract the public

with a sensational mission

to kidnap a member
of Iran's Revolutionary Guard,

a desperate act of adventurism

to convince us she is not in league

with the country
that facilitated her election.

Where does this lawlessness end?

(SENATORS MURMURING)

With accountability.

Which is why I have referred
the work product

of this investigation
to Representative Canning

of the House Judiciary Committee

for proceedings consistent
with their charter.

"Consistent with their charter."
Oh, my God.

Impeachment. It's beginning.

All right, here we go.

We need to war game this.

Let's, uh, let's grab Olivia.

Hunker down with our allies.
Start deploying them.

A media onslaught.
Print, broadcast, digital.

Guys.

Do you think you could
give me a minute, please?

Madam President.

Yes, ma'am.

Blake?

When is my meeting

with the Council of Economic Advisers?

- 10:30.
- Move it up.

I also need

the OMB report on carbon reductions

and the latest slate

on potential judicial nominees,
all right?

- Right away.
- It's not your fault.

Ma'am?

The flash drive. The oppo file.

You were with me here
at the very beginning.

You'll be here at the end.

Whenever that day is.

Yes, ma'am.

Let's get to work.