Aaron Sorkin says Biden’s decision to drop out of presidential race was a ‘West Wing’ moment as cast visits White House

With President Joe Biden away from the White House, it was left to another man with experience in the Oval Office to stand in front of the rose garden and give a rousing call to duty on Friday.

Martin Sheen and others from the cast of “The West Wing,” the hit drama about a liberal president and his staff, were invited by first lady Jill Biden to an event marking the show’s 25th anniversary.

Sheen urged the crowd to find something worth fighting for, “something deeply personal and uncompromising, something that can unite the will of the spirit with the work of the flesh.”

His voice and hands rose, his cadence perfectly matching that of President Jed Bartlet, the character Sheen played for seven seasons.

“When we learn that, we will discover the fire a second time, and then we will be able to help lift this nation and all its people to that place where the heart is fearless and their head is high,” Sheen. said.

“The West Wing” remains a favorite of many who now work in Washington, both liberal and conservative. Among those spotted in the Rose Garden were House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Joe Walsh, once a Tea Party-aligned Illinois congressman who is now a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and supports Vice President Kamala Harris.

Asked to name his favorite character, Walsh replied: “I’m partial to Martin Sheen because I want to be president one day.” (Walsh ran and lost a long-shot Republican challenge to Trump in 2020.)

It was clear in speeches and party touches that at least a few “West Wing” fans work in the White House.

It was the U.S. Marine Band playing the opening notes of the show’s theme song as Biden and the cast filed out.

There were references to “big blocks of cheese” — a show tradition of asking employees to meet eccentric or offbeat characters — and the walk-and-talk dialogue where characters moved through hallways at high speed.

Waiters passed out bourbon and ginger ale cocktails called “The Jackal,” a reference to press secretary CJ Cregg’s lip-syncing dance routine in an iconic episode.

Show creator Aaron Sorkin spoke after Sheen and referenced a bit of real-world politics: Biden’s decision not to seek a second term after his disastrous performance in the debates.

Sorkin was among the top Democrats who called for him to step down, writing a column for The New York Times outlining a potential “scenario” for Democrats to replace Biden as the nominee with a Republican, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney.

His column appeared on July 21, hours before Biden announced he would step down.

“The truth is, ‘West Wing’ moments happen,” he said Friday, addressing the first lady. “And Dr. Biden, we saw evidence of that on the morning of July 21st.”

Sorkin also acknowledged the cast members in attendance. Among them: Richard Schiff, who played communications director Toby Ziegler; Janel Moloney, who played nurse Donna Moss; and Dulé Hill, who played the president’s bodyman, Charlie Young.

He noted the absence of several high-profile actors – Allison Janney, who played Cregg, as well as Bradley Whitford and Rob Lowe – who he said were on set elsewhere.

“The rest of us are apparently unemployed,” he joked.

After the crowd laughed, a voice came from Sorkin’s right.

“Not yet!” Jill Biden said.