Now, you accuse me of breaking the rules, and I tell you I am playing by the rules. The very rules that you and I all agreed upon. The very rules that you and I all wrote together. So yes, I'm guilty as hell, but then so are all of you. Yes, the system is corrupt, but you wanted a guardian at the gate like me. And why? Because you know I will do whatever it takes. And you have all enjoyed it, been party to it and benefited by it.
[Frank addresses the audience.]
Oh, don't deny it. You've loved it. You don't actually need me to stand for anything, you just need me to stand. To be the strong man, the man of action. My God, you are addicted to action and slogans. It doesn't matter what I say. It doesn't matter what I do. Just as long as I'm doing something, you're happy to be along for the ride. And frankly, I don't blame you. With all the foolishness and indecision in your lives, why not a man like me? I don't apologize. In the end, I don't care whether you love me or you hate me, just as long as I win. The deck is stacked. The rules are rigged. Welcome to the death of the Age of Reason. There is no right or wrong. Not anymore. There's only being in, and then being out.
[Frank addresses the committee.]
So I will not be a party to this any longer. I will not wear the target for any of you anymore. You have all used me for long enough. So the party's over, the ride's done. I respect the office too much to allow this to continue going on. That's why I'm announcing to this committee, and to the nation, that as of 6 p.m. tomorrow evening, I shall resign the office of President of the United States.
More from this episode
All quotes from this episode →More House of Cards quotes · These quotes come from Wikiquote's House of Cards pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.