Bartlet's Daughters

President Josiah Bartlet's daughters—Zoey, Elizabeth, and Ellie—ground his leadership in family priorities amid White House pressures. Bartlet checks their safety during threats like the Kennison State pipe-bombing. They question Abbey on the Vickie Hilton naval case, linking personal views to military policy for women. Abbey teases Bartlet about sneaking them candy, capturing private warmth. At a DNC luncheon, Abbey jokes they form core 'Bartlet women' with her mother-in-law, blending family into public honors and political optics.

6 appearances

Also known as: the kids, Bartlet's daughters, his daughters, the girls, my daughters

Bartlet's Daughters's Journey

A timeline through the narrative

6 moments

S4E3 · College Kids

Briefing and Personal Alarm: Bombing Ties, Aide Vetting, Bartlet's Reach for Family

Not present; represented as potential victims/concern points for the President.

Bartlet's daughters are invoked when the President, suddenly private and fearful, asks Charlie to call them; they are not present but become the human locus of the President's anxiety.

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S4E4 · The Red Mass

Pilot's Signal: Stackhouse's Quiet Endorsement and Bartlet's Public Choice

Not present; referenced to increase perceived risk to the President.

Bartlet's children are invoked by Toby as hypothetical targets; they are not present but their mention functions to amplify Toby's protective alarm and the calculus of risk.

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S4E10 · Arctic Radar

Shielding Berryhill's Cabinet Seat

Concerned and vocal (inferred from Bartlet's remark that he has been hearing from them).

Referenced collectively as having joined Abbey in raising concerns; their presence is invoked to explain Bartlet's sensitivity to the political and moral dimensions.

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S4E10 · Arctic Radar

Keeping Hilton Out of the Oval

Concerned (as relayed by Bartlet); their worries add a personal stake to the political decision.

Bartlet's daughters are cited by the President as raising objections alongside Abbey, providing familial pressure and representing a private constituency in the decision calculus.

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S4E15 · Inauguration Part II: Over There

Candy Confession and Quiet Duty

Content and indulgent by implication — the girls are recipients of Dad's sneaky generosity, creating a cozy backdrop.

Mentioned by name during the exchange: Abbey asks 'You gave the girls candy?' and refers to 'the kids' being in another room; the daughters are not present but are the …

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S4E15 · Inauguration Part II: Over There

Defend Everything, Defend Nothing

Not present in the room; emotionally neutral and content, serving primarily as background warmth that highlights the parents' roles.

Referenced in conversation as 'the girls' who were given candy and who watched a movie in another room; they function as the domestic anchor and softening element in Bartlet and …

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