West Wing creator reveals the Biden moment that could have been a storyline… as Jill jokes about their future
West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin revealed on Friday afternoon what he saw as a “West Wing moment” during the Biden administration.
Sorkin and West Wing actors Martin Sheen, Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill, Janel Moloney, Emily Procter, Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack gathered in the White House Rose Garden to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary.
President Joe Biden has now departed for Wilmington, Delaware, where he will host Quad leaders this weekend, leaving first lady Jill Biden to provide the entertainment.
“Over the years, I’ve noticed that pundits have warned us not to expect a West Wing moment in times of political tension,” Sorkin said. “They mean that we shouldn’t expect selfless statesmanship, that we shouldn’t expect anyone to put country first, that we shouldn’t expect anyone to knock down the fences or reach for the stars.”
“But the fact is that West Wing moments do exist, and we saw evidence of that on the morning of July 21st,” Sorkin said, citing the date Biden decided to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin revealed Friday afternoon what he saw as a “West Wing moment” during the Biden administration
Dr. Jill Biden addresses the Rose Garden crowd on Friday while surrounded by cast members and West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin (right)
Dr. Biden took to her role as outgoing first lady with gusto.
While Sorkin introduced the cast members in attendance at the Rose Garden reception, he also acknowledged that three of the series’ biggest stars — Rob Lowe, Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford — were on set.
“The rest of us are apparently unemployed,” Sorkin said.
“Not yet,” the first lady said.
She also told the audience that she had given the cast a tour of the Oval Office just before the event.
“We just got back from the Oval Office, but even though Joe is visiting leaders of Australia, India and Japan in Delaware, he wanted to make sure that President Bartlet and his staff had a chance to see the Oval Office again,” she said.
Sheen, who played President Jed Bartlet, had FaceTime with Biden in mid-August when he came to the White House and watched Marine One take off with fellow cast members Fitzgerald and McCormack — who recently wrote a book on the theme of the West Wing.
Actor Martin Sheen (left) stands next to first lady Jill Biden (right) during an event celebrating the TV show The West Wing
Actor Martin Sheen waves to attendees at a White House event Friday marking the 25th anniversary of the television show The West Wing
When asked if it was nice to be back, Sheen reminded reporters that he never lived in the White House.
On Friday, he thanked the first lady and other organizers for giving him the opportunity to “transform once again into the amazing character who has changed my life and the lives of so many others.”
Guests at the event were served a signature cocktail called ‘The Jackal’, made with bourbon and ginger ale, with bitters and an orange slice garnish.
The Jackal was an iconic scene in the series, in which White House spokesman CJ Cregg (played by Janney) lip-syncs to a song of that name.