This is my favorite episode of the whole series and, in my opinion, the best hour in television history. In this episode, President Bartlet is dealing with the death of his secretary Mrs. Landingham, while having to make the decision of whether or not to run for a second term. President Bartlet is making the decision under great pressure, with much of his party leadership not wanting him to run given his failure to disclose his Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and in a time of great strife in his life, where his world seems to be crumbling around him. He goes to the press conference, and when he gets the question of if he will be running for a second term he responds “Yeah. And I'm going to win.”

Last night, former President Trump, in an hour-long speech, declared “I tonight am announcing my candidacy for president of the United States”. Many in his party don’t want him to run in 2024, blaming him for the Republican’s less-than-stellar performance in the midterms. He is also under investigation for illegally taking White House documents with him after the end of his term in office. And of course, he is still facing backlash for inciting a mob to attack the Capitol and denying his loss in the 2020 presidential race.

In both these cases, right up to the moment of their speeches, the public was wondering if with all the backlash they would run or not. Also, both had to take their health into consideration, with President Bartlet having to consider his MS, and Trump having to consider his age, given on Election day in 2024 he will be 78.

Trump is charting a path very few have before, as only 4 Presidents have run for a second term after losing, and only one, Grover Cleveland in 1893, has been successful. Of course, it is not even certain at this point if Trump will be the Republican nominee, as many are hoping for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to win the primary.