Second Cabinet Member

cautious skeptical loyal forthright alert responsive professional pragmatic protocol-conscious probing uncertain dutiful

Cabinet Member advises President Bartlet during the White House crisis sparked by Zoey's abduction. As the President invokes Section Three of the 25th Amendment to transfer power temporarily to Speaker Walken, Cabinet Member directly raises alarms about chain-of-command breakdowns. He warns that contradictory orders from Bartlet and the acting president would trap Leo McGarry in an untenable bind, sparking chaos and rival governments. His intervention highlights the Cabinet's frontline role in navigating constitutional handoffs amid partisan tensions and personal grief.

3 appearances

Presidential succession and crisis response

Also known as: SECOND AGENT, THIRD CABINET MEMBER, SECOND CABINET MEMBER

Second Cabinet …'s Journey

A timeline through the narrative

3 moments

S4E23 · Twenty-Five

Leo Shrinks the Oval: Quietly Initiating the 25th

Anxious and cautious — primarily concerned with preserving a single, coherent chain of command.

Voices a procedural worry during the Cabinet discussion, warning that contradictory orders between the President and acting President could create two governments and extraordinary chaos.

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S4E23 · Twenty-Five

Invoking Twenty-Five — Staff Divides as Leo Prepares Transfer

Apprehensive and skeptical—fearful of institutional breakdown and divided loyalties.

Voices constitutional and operational concern during the Cabinet exchange: warns that contradictory orders from the President and acting president could create extraordinary chaos and put Leo in an impossible position.

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S4E23 · Twenty-Five

Invoking Twenty-Five: Walken Steps In

Apprehensive and alert — focused on the practical danger of split authority.

Voices a constitutional and operational worry aloud: if conflicting orders come from the President and acting president, staff (specifically Leo) could be forced into an impossible position, risking 'two governments.'

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