Line #45 Main/TheWhiteHouse


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/white-house_300_px_6452.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington D.C. ]]
3
4	->''"Did you know the city planners, when they sat down to design Washington, DC, their intention was to build a city that would intimidate and humble foreign heads of state? ... The White House is the single greatest home advantage in the modern world."''
5	-->-- '''President Andrew Shepherd''', ''Film/TheAmericanPresident''
6
7	The White House is the home of the U.S. President, [[InvisiblePresident invisible]] or otherwise, and the headquarters of the GovernmentConspiracy. It's heavily guarded by [[TheMenInBlack men in black]]. A GovernmentProcedural may call it home. ScaryDogmaticAliens may [[MonumentalDamage destroy it]] with their WaveMotionGun; friendly aliens and monsters will land on the lawn and [[TakeMeToYourLeader ask to speak to the being in charge]]. Our Hero may be called to The White House [[AvengersAssemble to be recruited for]] a [[SpyDrama top-secret mission]], or to be decorated for preventing TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
8
9	The building itself is nice-looking, and fairly big--big and nice enough to qualify as a BigFancyHouse--but not incredibly so; it's certainly a lot smaller than the literal palaces that most heads of state around the world live in. It's also smaller than most of the private residences of the American rich, although it wasn't at the time it was built: UsefulNotes/ThomasJefferson said at the time he moved in that it was "big enough for two emperors, one pope, and the grand lama in the bargain;" [[HypocriticalHumor he then proceeded to conduct the first significant]] ''[[HypocriticalHumor expansion]]'' [[HypocriticalHumor of the residence]], building two colonnades[[note]]Of his own design, because RenaissanceMan that he was, he was a great architect[[/note]] on each side of the building (to hide the stables and laundry from public view; today they connect the central Executive Residence to the East and West Wings). The grandeur in American government architecture was saved for the Capitol, home of Congress[[note]]construction codes prohibit any building from being built that would be taller than the Capitol ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Monument#cite_ref-22 details]]); the Heights of Buildings Act of 1910 restricts new building heights to no more than 20 feet (6.1 m) greater than the width of the adjacent street. Ironically, the Capitol is currently ''too small'' for Congress' needs; there hasn't been enough office space for Members of Congress since forever, and one of the objections to a proposed expansion of the House of Representatives--which is recommended by many reformers--is that the House Chamber would need to be extensively (and expensively) remodeled in order to fit all the new reps.[[/note]]; the Supreme Court didn't even get its own building until [[TheGreatDepression 1935]] (before, it shunted about various rooms in the Capitol). You can see what the founders of this country were going for...
10
11	Believe it or not, the White House was TheAllegedHouse in the 1940s. Decades of negligence, slipshod renovations and the additions of new floors and services had left the entire building in danger of collapsing. President UsefulNotes/HarryTruman was forced to vacate the White House for four years while the interior was demolished and rebuilt, but the cost and effort proved to be worth it.
12
13	The White House, being in Downtown Washington, DC[[note]]Indeed, it ''defines'' Downtown, which is usually considered to be anything within 5-6 blocks of the White House north of the National Mall[[/note]] is served quite heavily by the UsefulNotes/WashingtonMetro, with several stations nearby. The closest are [=McPherson=] Square and Farragut West on the Blue and Orange Lines and Metro Center on the Blue, Orange, and Red Lines.
14
15	On [[BritishTellyTropes British Telly]], UsefulNotes/{{Whitehall}} (or sometimes 10 Downing Street) is the EstablishingShot equivalent of The White House, and the P.M. speaks to the InvisiblePresident by trunk call. The Korean equivalent, the Blue House, will show up occasionally in [[KoreanDrama k-dramas]] with political themes (or as a coveted invitation).
16	----
17	!!Examples
18
19	[[foldercontrol]]
20
21	[[folder:Anime]]
22	* The I-jin attack it in the original ''Anime/ReadOrDie'' OVA.
23	* The Presidential mansion in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWingEndlessWaltz'' bears a strong resemblance to it...despite being located in Brussels, Belgium.
24	[[/folder]]
25
26	[[folder:Comic Books]]
27	* Blown up twice in ''ComicBook/GiveMeLiberty''.
28	* Shows up from time to time in ComicBook/CaptainAmerica comics.
29	* During the time in ComicBook/{{Superman}} comics when ComicBook/LexLuthor was president, the White House showed up a lot.
30	* Destroyed by unknown forces at the beginning of ''ComicBook/WeStandOnGuard'', prompting a surprise invasion of Canada by the United States.
31	* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': As the Themysciran ambassador Diana is sometimes invited to events at the White House. Her most memorable visit there was probably that time she accompanied Themyscira's Archon Eponymous (Philippus) and Polemarch (ComicBook/{{Artemis}}) to discuss the warships the US had off Themyscira's coast only to end up fighting off an attack by Medusa, that ended up leaving the building and continuing on in the Themysciran Embassy.
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
35	* ''Film/AbrahamLincolnVampireHunter''
36	* The movie ''Film/{{Dave}}'', where the title character (played by Kevin Kline) acts as a look-alike for the President.
37	* The SignatureScene of ''Film/IndependenceDay'' was the [[MonumentalDamage destruction of the White House]].
38	* It was supposed to be the eponymous house in ''House of Re-Animator'', that would have had [[Film/ReAnimator Herbert West]] resurrecting the suddenly died President with [[HilarityEnsues hilarity ensuing]]. Unfortunately, it got stuck in DevelopmentHell.
39	* Female staffer is found dead there in ''Film/MurderAt1600''.
40	* Aliens attack it in ''Film/MarsAttacks!'' when two protagonists are visiting it.
41	* ''Film/WildWildWest'' sees our two heroes head on up to meet with the president. You can easily walk right up to the front door without being bothered, and there are goats on the lawn.
42	* ''Film/NationalTreasure'' requires Ben and co to break into the oval office to open the president's desk, to get an ancient Indian clue to the lost city of gold.
43	* ''Film/ResidentEvilFilmSeries'':
44	** The novelization of ''Film/ResidentEvilExtinction'' has a chapter set in the White House where an angry President threatens to shutdown Umbrella Corporation for good due to the T-virus and Raccoon City's nuclear destruction. The White House Chief of Staff [[ZombieInfectee suddenly reanimates]] before being shot by Secret Service agents. The White House is put on lockdown and [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse we do not hear]] [[NothingIsScarier from them again.]]
45	** ''Film/ResidentEvilRetribution'': The White House becomes a forward operating base for the remaining U.S. military and Umbrella security forces, all led by Chairman Albert Wesker who has taken residence at the Oval Office. Wesker states that this combined resistance was humanity's LastStand.
46	** ''Film/ResidentEvilTheFinalChapter'': Alice awakens in a bombed-out White House right after [[spoiler:Wesker's betrayal.]]
47	* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'':
48	** ''Film/X2XMenUnited'': Nightcrawler breaches security at the White House and comes within an inch of stabbing the president before being winged by a Secret Service agent, allowing Nightcrawler to break free of his mind control.
49	** ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'': The 1973 portion of the climax occurs on the lawn in front of the White House, which culminates in [[spoiler:Magneto's attempt to assassinate President Nixon and his cabinet]].
50	[[/folder]]
51
52	[[folder:Literature]]
53	* In post-apocalyptic ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'', the White House is abandoned when the Government hurriedly evacuates Washington to escape the advancing Neo-Confederates, and ends up ravaged and looted by local criminals.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
57	* In ''Series/TheWestWing'' it is the primary setting, as the main characters are mostly White House staff.
58	* In ''Series/CommanderInChief'', it is the primary setting, as the main character is the president.
59	* Appears in ''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'', but the Capitol Building is a more prominent setting.
60	* ''Series/{{Veep}}'', the [[TransAtlanticEquivalent American adaptation]] of ''Series/TheThickOfIt'', is set at the office of the ''Vice'' President. While the VP has his own residence (Number One Observatory Circle), that is almost exclusively a residence, and his office tends to be in the West Wing. That said, that office doesn't start being used on the show until Season 2 [[spoiler: and at the end of Season 3, Selina ascends to the presidency upon the President's resignation, and from then on, the show is set in the White House.]]
61	* ''Series/CoryInTheHouse'' had the The White House as its main setting.
62	* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': Harm & Mac first met in the Rose Garden in "We The People", following an presidential awards ceremony where Harm recieved his first Disthinguished Flying Cross from UsefulNotes/BillClinton.
63	* ''Series/DesignatedSurvivor'' tries to envision what would happen if the entire U.S. government is killed in a terrorist attack and the designated survivor is promptly sworn in to lead the country. Most characters are White House or Pentagon staff.
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
67	* ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'' has some portions take place in and around the White House, or uses exterior shots if Trudeu hasn't settled on a symbol for the InvisiblePresident.
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Theater]]
71	* Much of the second act of ''Theatre/OfTheeISing''. Wintergreen shares an office with his wife, who uses her half to keep perfumes and makeup.
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Video Games]]
75	* In the late '90s, there was a trend of [[FirstPersonShooter First Person Shooters]] set in detailed recreations of the White House and surrounding environs, a gimmick which [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents probably wouldn't go over very well nowadays]]:
76	** ''[[VideoGame/DukeNukem Duke it out in D.C.]]'', an ExpansionPack in which [[ExcusePlot the president has been kidnapped by aliens, are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president?]]
77	** ''Prime Target'', a game based on the ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}''-engine in which a senator has been murdered by WesternTerrorists on the orders of [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Corrupt Corporate Executives]] as part of a coverup by the pharmaceutical industry, and as her friend, you avenge her and expose them by [[OneManArmy singlehandedly killing everyone]]. [[GratuitousNinja There are ninjas involved]].
78	** ''VideoGame/DeusEx'', a tactical stealth game, was originally going to have a level requiring you to infiltrate the White House. Sadly, it ended up on the cutting room floor.
79	** Subverted in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'': While the Capitol building, National Mall, and many other places are all intact and explorable, there's nothing left of the White House but a crater bathed in radiation.
80	* The final stage of the [=PlayStation=] shooter, ''VideoGame/{{Apocalypse}}'', is set in the White House, which has been converted into a portal towards ''hell'' by the only undefeated horsemen, the Beast (which turns out to be ''The President'').
81	* ''VideoGame/HitmanBloodMoney'' had 47 infiltrating the White House to assassinate the corrupt Vice-President.
82	* Subverted in ''VideoGame/TheConduit.'' [[spoiler:While one stage is set at the White House, it is '''not''' the headquarters of the GovernmentConspiracy.]] Although [[spoiler:a former resident ''is...'']]
83	* The ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare 2'' level [[MilitaryAlphabet Whiskey Hotel]] features a [[{{Ranger}} Army Ranger]] assault on the captured White House.
84	* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' games feature the White House with some fequency.
85	** In the Nod ending of ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianDawn Tiberan Dawn]]'', you can target the White House for an Ion Cannon strike.
86	** White House appears the Washington DC missions in both Soviet and Allied Campaigns in ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2 Red Alert 2]]''.
87	** In ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberiumWars Tiberum Wars]]'', capturing and liberating the White House is an objective of Nod and GDI respectively. By 2047, it has lost its political importance due to GDI absorbing the US government (alongside many others). It is still a strong cultural and historic symbol though.
88	* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage 3'' Had the two final levels on the bad ending path take place outside and inside the White House, although sloppy censoring by Sega referred the White House as City Hall.
89	* ''VideoGame/MetalWolfChaos'' starts at the outskirts of the White House. It is fought as a ''boss fight'' later on, where the President must carefully destroy the "Fight House" fortress built around it while trying to be carefully not to destroy the White House itself.
90	* ''VideoGame/SplinterCellConviction'' has the finale level here, as Sam Fisher tries to stop a coup.
91	* ''VideoGame/EmpireEarth 2'': The penultimate American mission has an understrength National Guard base rescue the President from a rogue general's coup (involving giant warbots) before dealing with the attackers.
92	* The final goal in ''VideoGame/{{Octogeddon}}'' is to destroy the White House. However, when you arrive in front of it, it rises from the ground on top of a giant mech. ''And then detaches itself from it and hovers above Octogeddon to fire a massive WaveMotionGun upon it''.
93	* In ''VideoGame/PAYDAY2'', the White House is visible from the Benevolent Bank in the Big Bank heist, being just down the street - the Dentist notes that Benevolent is at 1500 Penn[[note]]as is the real-life PNC bank that Benevolent is based on[[/note]].
94	** The White House is the setting of the final heist in the game, aptly titled "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The White House]]". The goal is to steal a ream of blank presidential pardons from the Oval Office in order to escape the country scot-free.
95	* In ''VideoGame/TheDivision2'', the White House was repurposed as the main base of operations for Division agents in DC.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Web Original]]
99	* In the AlternateHistory ''Literature/DecadesOfDarkness'', it is burned down by the Halifax Powers (Britain and New England) and rebuilt in the new capital of Knoxville, Tennessee.
100	* ''WebVideo/EconomyWatch'': David visits Washington D.C., in the Fairfax county, which he grew up in. While he doesn't go inside the White House, he compares monuments like the Washington Monument to that of a specific body part, before getting cut off.
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Western Animation]]
104	* ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' has a White House with an elevator leading to ''another'' White House in a cavern underground.
105	[[/folder]]

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