[the President's motorcade races away from an assassination attempt]
Is anybody dead back there?
SRSpecial Agent Ron Butterfield
We don't know. We don't think so.
[seeing a bloodstained cloth wrapped around Agent Butterfield's right hand] What happened to your hand?
ButterfieldI got hit.
Oh, God. [to the driver] Coop, turn around! We've gotta go to a hospital!
Butterfield
No. We're going to the White House.
We're going to a hospital! Let's go!
Butterfield
I have to put you inside the White House, Mr. President! This isn't something we discuss.
This isn't-! [angrily] My daughter is throwing up on the floor of car behind us! You're losing blood by the liter, not to mention God knows how many broken bones you've got in your hand! [blood begins to leak from the corner of his mouth] But let's make sure that I'm tucked in bed before we-
Butterfield
Mr. President! [quickly checks the President's head and upper body for signs of injury, finding blood when he reaches the President's stomach; turning to the driver] GW! Blue, blue, blue!
C.J.'s starting to get some questions about why the President's exit wasn't covered in Rosslyn.
SRSpecial Agent Ron Butterfield
The Secret Service doesn't comment on procedure.
Yeah. Ron, a few weeks after the President was sworn in, you got a memo about his protection.
Butterfield
Yeah.
It said he wanted to enter and exit in the open air, and he didn't like the feeling of traveling around in an armored tank.
Butterfield
Yeah.
Specifically, it said he wouldn't use the tent or the canopy anymore.
Butterfield
Yeah.
I wrote that memo, and the President signed it at my urging.
Butterfield
I know.
Ron, I don't think it's right that the Secret Service get blamed for what happened last night, I want the Treasury Department to hand over my memo to the Press.
Butterfield
No, we can't do that.
There are going to be a lot of questions.
Butterfield
There are always a lot of questions.
Butterfield
Don't worry about it, Toby.
It's not right. You're the guys - look at your hand.
Butterfield
My hand is fine.
Butterfield
Toby.
Let me go over there and tell them it was my fault.
Ron
It wasn't your fault.
Butterfield
Ron.
Ron
It wasn't your fault. It wasn't Gina's fault, it wasn't Charlie's fault, it wasn't anybody's fault, Toby. It was an act of madmen. You think a tent was going to stop them? We got the President in the car. We got Zoey in the car. And at a hundred and fifty yards, five stories up, the shooters were down nine point two seconds after the first shot was fired. I would never let you not let me protect the President. You tell us you don't like something, we figure out something else. It was an act of madmen. Anyway, the Secret Service doesn't comment on procedure.
[Butterfield walks away.]
Butterfield
Thank you.
[after shots were fired at the White House] Where's Charlie?
He's somewhere in the building.
Butterfield
We're holding people where they are right now.
But if he's heard what happened, he's going to be trying to get here...
Butterfield
We've got to hold everybody for a moment so that we can secure...
No, I'm telling you that if Charlie heard there were bullets, he's going to overpower whoever's trying to...
[Charlie bursts through the door]
[pause] Sorry, Mr. President.
[Charlie moves to stand beside him]
It's bulletproof glass in the windows, okay. You want to kill me, you're going to have to do it from inside the building.
[sighs] Thank you, Mr. President.
BBartlet
[about Zoey's Secret Service detail] Well, here's my question: these guys look pretty young to me, and I'm looking for something very specific. This is a father-daughter situation, and so I think what I'm looking for in terms of protection would best be characterized as... well, overwhelming force. Do they have that? Do they have the ability to just overwhelm any danger that might...do you have overwh– [To Butterfield] Do they have overwhelming force?
Ron Butterfield
Attack, Wesley.
[Agent Wesley attempts to attack a female agent, who proceeds to throw him to the ground and put a handgun to his head. Zoey enters during.]
Oh God, Dad, what are you doing?
BBartlet
This one here tossed Wesley like a sack of potato chips!
The West Wing · 913 quotes
