‘The West Wing’ cast visits the White House for a 25th anniversary party

Nomaan Merchant, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — With President Joe Biden distant from nan White House, it was near Friday to different man pinch Oval Office acquisition to guidelines astatine nan beforehand of nan Rose Garden and springiness a rousing telephone to service.

Martin Sheen and others from nan formed of “The West Wing,” nan deed play astir a wide president and his staff, were invited by first woman Jill Biden for an arena to people nan 25th day of nan show.

Sheen exhorted nan crowd to find thing worthy fighting for, “something profoundly individual and uncompromising, thing that tin merge nan will of nan tone pinch nan activity of nan flesh.”

His sound and hands rose, his cadence matching perfectly that of President Jed Bartlet, nan characteristic Sheen played for 7 seasons.

“When we find that, we will observe occurrence for nan 2nd time, and past we will beryllium capable to thief assistance up this federation and each its group to that spot wherever nan bosom is without fear, and their caput is held high,” Sheen said.

“The West Wing” remains a favourite of galore who now activity successful Washington, some wide and conservative. Among those spotted successful nan Rose Garden were House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Joe Walsh, erstwhile a beverage party-aligned Illinois congressman who is now a crisp professional of erstwhile President Donald Trump and supporting Vice President Kamala Harris.

Asked to sanction his favourite character, Walsh replied, “I’m partial to Martin Sheen because I want to beryllium president 1 day.” (Walsh ran and mislaid a longshot Republican superior situation to Trump successful 2020.)

It was clear successful nan speeches and nan party’s touches that astatine slightest a fewer “West Wing” fans activity successful nan White House.

There was nan U.S. Marine Band playing nan opening notes to nan show’s taxable arsenic Biden and nan formed walked out. There were references to “big blocks of cheese” — a show contented of requiring staffers to meet pinch eccentric aliases offbeat characters — and nan walk-and-talk dialogues successful which characters moved done nan halls astatine precocious speed.

Waiters passed retired bourbon-and-ginger ale cocktails called “The Jackal,” a reference to property caput C.J. Cregg’s creation and articulator sync regular successful 1 iconic episode.

The show’s creator, Aaron Sorkin, said aft Sheen and referenced a spot of real-world politics: Biden’s determination not to activity a 2nd word aft his disastrous statement performance. Sorkin was among nan high-profile Democrats who called for him to withdraw, penning a file for The New York Times pinch a imaginable “script” for Democrats to switch Biden arsenic their nominee pinch a Republican, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney.

His file ran connected July 21, hours earlier Biden announced he would driblet out.

“The truth is, ‘West Wing’ moments do happen,” he said Friday, addressing nan first lady. “And Dr. Biden, we saw impervious of that connected nan greeting of July 21.”

Sorkin besides recognized nan formed members successful attendance. Among them: Richard Schiff, who played communications head Toby Ziegler; Janel Moloney, who played adjunct Donna Moss; and Dulé Hill, who played nan president’s bodyman, Charlie Young.

He noted nan absence of a fewer high-profile actors — Allison Janney, who played Cregg, arsenic good arsenic Bradley Whitford and Rob Lowe — who he said were connected group elsewhere.

“The remainder of america are apparently unemployed,” he joked.

After nan crowd laughed, a sound chimed successful from Sorkin’s right.

“Not yet!” Jill Biden said.