Character

Donald McKittridge

procedural defensive insistent patronage-oriented well-connected pragmatic influential

Donald McKittridge directs the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, vetting candidates for administration roles amid political pressures. Bartlet references his prior review of Meredith Walker during an on-plane interview, marking him as an early staffing gatekeeper. He employed Deborah Fiderer until firing her for hiring Charlie Young over donor Brian Dweck's son, a patronage request tied to McKittridge's brother, Representative Mark McKittridge. McKittridge confronts Fiderer in the Outer Oval Office, insisting on proper patronage processes, which Bartlet deduces and acknowledges while testing her integrity.

4 appearances

Also known as: McKittridge, Mr. McKittridge

Donald McKittridge's Journey

A timeline through the narrative

4 moments

S4E1 · 20 Hours in America Part I

Delegation Aboard Air Force One — Assigning Policy Leads and the On‑Plane Interview

Not present; implied trustworthiness and procedural reliability.

Mentioned by Bartlet as the director Meredith previously met; functions as an offstage credibility anchor whose prior screening informs the President's confidence in the candidate.

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S4E1 · 20 Hours in America Part I

Air Force One Interview — Bartlet's Offhand Vetting

Not present; inferred as professionally diligent based on Bartlet's reference.

Donald McKittridge is referenced by Bartlet as the director who previously met Meredith; he functions offstage as the institutional gatekeeper who screened the candidate.

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S4E2 · 20 Hours in America Part II

The Interview: Integrity on Trial in the Oval

Defensive and irritated—focused on enforcing patronage norms and his office's prerogatives.

Donald McKittridge appears in the Outer Oval Office, confronts Debbie about protocol and patronage, objects to her presence and insists on established hiring processes, and is implicitly challenged by Bartlet's …

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S4E2 · 20 Hours in America Part II

Integrity Over Patronage: Bartlet Confronts Debbie

Irritated and defensive; trying to protect the patronage channels and his office's authority from exposure.

Donald McKittridge appears in the Outer Oval Office, confronts Deborah about her presence, attempts to enforce the patronage process, and defensively responds when Bartlet names the contribution chain implicating his …

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