Mark Richardson

Mark Richardson is not present but becomes the focal point of Leo's private strategy; he is the named target of a solo outreach intended to secure the remaining vote without …

Congressman Mark Richardson confronts Leo with measured, morally sharp denunciations — naming weapons and technical cutoffs to demonstrate the bill's insufficiency — then refuses the vote and physically departs, leaving …

referenced as a Philadelphia Biology Teacher killed by gun last night

Margaret supplies precise travel and scheduling information (Unionville, Madison, wheels down time, identity and topic of the President's first meeting), confirms logistical details when asked, and accepts Leo's directive to …

Enters Leo's office, briefly interrupts to notify Leo that the President is on the line, and then steps back—functioning as the efficient conduit that allows the urgent exchange to occur …

Margaret interrupts briefly to hand off the incoming call, stating 'You've got the President.' Her entrance is businesslike and practical, initiating the exchange by making sure Leo takes the line.

Enters Leo's office with an incoming call report, relays the odd detail about women in aprons and rolling pins at Mrs. Bartlet's Madison event, flags it as a potential optics …

Margaret enters, announces Fitzwallace's arrival, relays the curious report about women in aprons at Mrs. Bartlet's Madison event, then leaves the principals to their briefing—functioning as information conduit and tonal …

Margaret is referenced as the team's usual source of condensed briefings; she is not present but her reputation as a go-to summarizer shapes how staff plan to brief Sam.

Invoked by Ginger as the go-to source for condensed background; not present in the hallway but mentally present as the team's quick-reference shortcut.

Teasing and easy with Leo, Margaret shares light banter about his cooking-show habit, then watches his demeanor change and remains a composed, service-minded presence as he moves to get information.

Margaret is present in Leo's office, engaging in light teasing about his cooking-show habit; she hears the briefing on TV and provides the domestic counterpoint that makes the interruption emotionally …

Initiates and maintains speakerphone connection, tries to clarify conversation protocol, then delivers an urgent posted message from Harold Harrison about an imminent District Court decision—interrupting the vetting and raising legal …

Margaret connects on speakerphone to provide context and then interrupts with Harold Harrison's urgent legal message, apologizing as she cuts across Leo's confession—functioning as the communications conduit that forces an …

Answers Leo's phone, notifies him of an incoming fax and a call from the President, physically hands the fax to Leo and informs staff the President is requesting Leo next …

Answers line one, delivers the incoming fax to Leo, notifies staff that the President is requesting Leo next door, and quietly manages the flow of information and physical documents.

Margaret answers Leo's call to convene the National Security Council crisply ('Yes sir'), performing the administrative relay that turns an urgent directive into institutional action.

Margaret responds crisply to Leo's summons to convene the National Security Council with a prompt 'Yes sir,' signaling the staff machinery mobilizing behind the political decision to bring Ali Nassir …

Responds to Leo's order to assemble the National Security Council with crisp professionalism ('Yes sir'), enabling an immediate escalation of official response procedures while maintaining administrative composure.

Margaret announces Ambassador Von Rutte on the phone in Leo's outer office, executing gatekeeping tasks and facilitating the ambassador's direct access to Leo—an administrative pivot point for the diplomatic contact.

Margaret, in Leo's outer office, announces Ambassador Von Rutte on the phone and facilitates the meeting by indicating his arrival, serving as the operational gatekeeper enabling the quiet, executive exchange.

Briefly flustered while delivering scheduling items, slips by saying 'recession,' accepts Leo's correction, and stays at her desk as Leo moves to his office; her mistake triggers Leo's linguistic chastening.

Margaret walks alongside Leo, flags competing meetings (HHS, CEA), and then stays at her desk—providing routine scheduling context that frames Leo's abrupt policy decision.

Not physically present in the Oval Office but indirectly participates: a small note she passed becomes the punchline catalyst for Leo and Bartlet's exchange about Iranians in the streets.

Margaret is not present on-screen but her passed note is read aloud by Leo; the note — "The Iranians, they've taken to the streets" — functions as a trigger for …

Knocks and enters Leo's office with a terse schedule update — 'They're starting' — efficiently interrupting the private argument and prompting an immediate shift to the Oval Office.

Interrupts Leo's office meeting with the brisk line 'They're starting,' functioning as the pivot point who propels Leo from banter into urgent business, then presumably accompanies the shift of attention …

Margaret interjects a brief administrative note — 'CEQ' — signaling concurrent scheduling or briefing pressures while the urgent conversation unfolds, maintaining operational flow in the outer office.

Enters the office politely but urgently, announces 'Mr. Ambassador', and hands Leo a small urgent note which functions as the trigger for next action; her delivery redirects the meeting outward …

Enters Leo's office politely, interrupts the meeting with minimal ceremony, and delivers the urgent note—acting as the discreet conduit that triggers the escalation.

Referenced as one of the three abducted Marines (a PFC); not present in the Situation Room but the human stake of the briefing — their capture catalyzes all subsequent decisions.

Margaret waits just outside the door and, when Leo steps into the hall, delivers the precise operational timing ("47 minutes plus 2 hours"), signaling urgent command decisions and pulling Leo …

Waits in the hall, authoritative and businesslike; delivers the precise operational timeline—"47 minutes plus 2 hours"—instantly converting the room's private grief into an actionable deadline.

Mark actively challenges C.J.'s timekeeping, pushing a mocking contradiction that keeps the mood light and slightly argumentative until the PA announcement ends the repartee.

Mark challenges C.J.'s time statement, insisting on a different interpretation and pushing the small factual dispute before the PA announcement shuts the banter down.

Mark voices skeptical disbelief about Will's Festival of Lights story (can it be seen from 33,000 feet?), thereby testing the plausibility of the diversion before the F-16 appears and panic …

Mark vocally presses C.J. on the right to file and points out the obvious visual cues (military escort), testing the embargo and probing for the administration's factual account.

Although sharing the first name, this canonical 'Mark' (a reporter) does not participate in the scene and is only present in the canonical set; therefore he is not active in …

Not physically present in the scene but invoked by Bartlet as a political example: 'Mark's got a tough district' — used rhetorically to counter the Black Caucus' demand.

Mentioned by Bartlet as a political example ('Mark's got a tough district') during the opening rant; he is not physically present and contributes only as rhetorical context for Bartlet's irritation.

Mark supplies the dire technical hypothesis about hydraulic leaks and wheel recycling, escalating the threat level by articulating a catastrophic mechanical failure scenario.

Mark offers the technical worst-case scenario—explicitly naming hydraulics and catastrophic front-end failure—escalating fear with a concrete mechanism for how the plane could fail.

Mark is not physically present but is the proximate instigator mentioned by Toby; his demands — for public debate and for studying the amendment — are the catalytic motive for …

Richardson finishes a phone call, interrogates the political bargain by reframing it in terms of class and the draft, asks Toby his lottery number, then picks up the phone himself …

Mark participates with light banter early in the gaggle (birthday exchange) and asks about the Trustees Report, helping establish the normal, playful tone that the Mars allegation suddenly punctures.

Mark participates earlier in the gaggle with a routine question about the Trustees Report and exchanges light banter with C.J., serving as a tonal contrast to the sudden seriousness that …

Aide Mark follows the exit order, offers a polite farewell, and is physically present only at the meeting's opening and departure—they're not part of the substantive confrontation.

Aide Mark participates in the initial meeting, thanks the Vice President and exits with other aides; in the confrontation's vicinity he behaves formally and retreats when senior staff take over.

Aide Mark stood in the earlier staff meeting, offers a polite farewell and exits with the rest of Hoynes' team prior to the confrontation, removing junior presence from the room.