24 (TV Series)

Day 4: 4:00 a.m.-5:00 a.m. (2005)

Dennis Haysbert: David Palmer

Quotes 

• President Charles Logan : [Over the speakerphone]  I've just been told there's a cruise missile containing a nuclear warhead?

  Jack Bauer : Yes Sir, that's correct: our military's tracking device is doing everything they can to find the trajectory of the missile but we don't have a lot to go on

  David Palmer : What about Marwan? You think he'll break?

  Jack Bauer : That won't be easy Sir: his planned and organized everything's that happened today. His committed to his cause, his prepared to die

  David Palmer : I know you'll do your best, keep us posted

  Jack Bauer : [Before hanging up]  yes Sir I will

• David Palmer : [to Mike]  let the Joints Chiefs know of the situation but tell them this should be limited to the intelligence community only

  Mike Novick : Sir, if a nuclear missile's been launched, we have to assume Washington is its target

  President Charles Logan : What are our options?

  Mike Novick : We don't have many: first priority is to establish a continuity of the government and start a quiet evacuation of government personnel in the city

  David Palmer : [to Mike]  bring the Cabinet members and the Speaker of the House to the bunker. Congress and Pentagon should be taken to the mountain safety facility

  Mike Novick : Right

  David Palmer : [Before Mike leaves the room]  let them know this is a Category One emergency: tell them nothing more. We can't afford an information leak

  President Charles Logan : The public needs to be warned, cities needs to be evacuated

  David Palmer : Not yet, let's see what Bauer comes up with first

• Mike Novick : We may have a problem

  President Charles Logan : What is it?

  Mike Novick : Don Ashton has been asking a number of questions and raising concerns as to President Palmer's "role" here

  President Charles Logan : That's too bad: we have more important things to worry about at the moment

  Mike Novick : Sir, as Speaker of the House, he can create problems you don't need right now

  David Palmer : Mike's right, Don's very ambitious. Now that his next in line to the Presidency, he'll look to exploit any angle he can

  President Charles Logan : He won't put his ambition in front of national security

  Mike Novick : He won't see it in those terms Sir. In his eyes, national security and his personal ambition are one in the same

  President Charles Logan : [sighs]  what'd we do?

  David Palmer : Show him who's in charge

• President Charles Logan : [During a meeting with his senior advisers]  gentlemen and ladies: considering the crisis we face today, I felt it was prudent to enlist the help of ex-President Palmer

  Jennie : In what capacity Sir?

  President Charles Logan : Excuse me?

  Don Ashton : Sir, everybody in this room has a title and a specific function, exactly what "position" will President Palmer be occupying?

  David Palmer : I'm here "solely" as an adviser, not only to the President, but to anyone else here who requests my counsel

  President Charles Logan : [to Don]  President Palmer is outside the chain of command is what you're asking?

  Don Ashton : I'm just asking for clarification Sir

  President Charles Logan : The missile carrying the nuclear warhead was launched from a location in central Iowa, it's becoming more and more "likely" that the target is on or near one of the coasts

  Jennie : It's clearly going to be New York or DC: why aren't we evacuating those two cities?

  David Palmer : I disagree Jennie. It's not clear, and if you start to evacuate these two cities, then you may have unauthorized mass exodus of Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Atlanta. That's a situation the President shouldn't be dealing with

  Don Ashton : [to Palmer]  maybe the "President" should be telling us that himself?

  President Charles Logan : [to Don]  Mr. Speaker, I've discussed this option with a number of my domestic experts, including President Palmer and that's my assessment as well

  Don Ashton : What about air defense? We're going to stand by and let the airspace over these cities remain undefended?

  David Palmer : We have a limited number of F-18's intercepting jets at our disposal: they need to be augmenting the search for this missile, and not deployed in a "wait and see" mode

  Don Ashton : Mr. Palmer, I'm sure we all appreciate your desire to help but the Constitution has determined who the decision maker should be at this time, I think your overstepping your bounds

  David Palmer : In the first place, it's "Mr. President" Don, and it is the "content" of my statement you should be addressing...

  President Charles Logan : [Interrupts him]  David, it's true, you are to be addressed as "President", it's an expression of respect but not a functional title

  David Palmer : I understand that Sir but you have to understand I've been through this crisis before

  President Charles Logan : Yes, but "we" are here now. The appointed and lawful representatives of the people of the United States

  David Palmer : Mr. President, I would... .

  President Charles Logan : [Interrupts him]  David, there will be no more discussion on this matter, your point has been taken, however, Ashton has made a good point and I want to address his concerns

  David Palmer : Perhaps it's best I excuse myself?