History Characters / HouseOfCardsUSWhiteHouse

->'''Played By:''' Dan Ziskie

->'''Portrayed By:''' Michael Gill

->'''Portrayed By:''' Joanna Going

* {{Expy}}: He bears some similarities to John Hickenlooper, the real life Colorado governor and a similarly moderate Democrat, who has long been rumored to have Presidential aspirations.

->'''Portrayed By:''' Kristen Connolly

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Do not uncomment them without expanding them to explain how they apply here.

* TheCameo: He gets two short scenes in Season 4. One is a flashback to the New Year's party in season 1, where Frank is shown introducing Walker to Will Conway. The other is when Tom Hammerschmidt interviews him about Frank's manipulation of his downfall.

[[folder:Garrett Walker]]

->'''Played By:''' Michael Gill

[[folder:Tricia Walker]]
!!Patricia "Tricia" Walker
->'''Played By:''' Joanna Going

[[folder:Linda Vasquez]]
!!Linda Vasquez

->'''Played By:''' Sakina Jaffrey

[[folder:Christina Gallagher]]

->'''Played By:''' Kristen Connolly

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Probably the most direct and blatant example in the series, of current US Vice President Joe Biden. Both are from Pennsylvania (though Biden grew to political prominence in Delaware), have the same speech and mannerisms, adopt a folksy demeanor, seem to shoot for centrist, blue-collar voters, and are viewed by many as burdensome to the administration they serve. The major difference is that Biden had an excellent working and personal relationship with President Obama, while Matthews and Walker barely even talk to one another.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Probably the most direct and blatant example in the series, of current US Vice President Joe Biden. Both are from Pennsylvania (though Biden grew to political prominence in Delaware), have the same speech and mannerisms, adopt a folksy demeanor, seem to shoot for centrist, blue-collar voters, and are viewed by many as burdensome to the administration they serve.

!!President Garrett Walker

* TheCameo: He gets two short scenes in Season 4. One is a flashback of Frank making introductions between Walker and Will Conway, and the other is when Tom Hammerschmidt interviews him about Frank's manipulation of his downfall.

* TheCameo: He gets two short scenes in Season 4. One is in a flashback, the other is when Tom Hammerschmidt interviews him about Frank's manipulation of his downfall.

* FatalFlaw: He's very gullible. An example of this is the end of season 2. He realizes that Frank has been the source of most of his troubles, so he cuts Frank off and he brings back his old chief of staff. Walker then offers Raymond Tusk a pardon in exchange for revealing Frank's illegal activities to the Department of Justice's investigation. Everything would have worked for Walker if he had just kept to his plan. Frank would have been imprisoned and Walker could have at least salvaged one term in the presidency. However, Walker changes his mind when Frank sends him an emotional letter pleading for the president's friendship, and refuses to give Tusk the pardon. Tusk then perjures himself by implicating Walker in illegal activities, readying the congress to impeach Walker and causing Walker to resign. In season 4, he's finally come to accept how Frank masterminded his fall and naturally wanting a little payback by helping Tom.

* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Well, party instead of country, but he's hesitant to give his account of how Frank manipulated his downfall because he's worried the scandal will guarantee a Republican victory in 2016. Tom Hammerschmidt reminds him that he owes no loyalty to the Democrats because of how they sold him down the river when the impeachment trial was looming.

[[folder:Walker]]

[[folder:Tricia]]

[[folder:Matthews]]

[[folder:Linda]]

[[folder:Christina]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Green]]
!!Nathan Green
->'''Played By:''' Jeremy Holm

The White House/FBI liaison.
----
* TheBully: To Gavin Orsay, his informant. Green is excessively cruel to him, frequently taunting and insulting him.
* {{Jerkass}}: Green is a smug, sadistic bully.
* KickTheDog: His barbaric treatment of Gavin Orshay, and especially Gavin's guinea pig Cashew, whom he slowly crushes under his foot.
* YourCheatingHeart: As Gavin discovers, Green's wife is having an affair.

[[folder:Frank]]
!!See [[Characters/TheUnderwoods The Underwood Administration]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Donald]]
!!Vice President Donald Blythe
->'''Played By:''' Reed Birney

Democrat of New Hampshire, a respected and long-serving Representative who constantly gets in Frank's way due to his staunch liberal beliefs. He has a wife suffering from Alzheimers.

* KickedUpstairs: He was appointed Vice President in between seasons 2 and 3. The only reason Frank did so was because he didn't want to deal with Blythe interfering with his plans in Congress.
* NiceGuy: He's probably the most moral and upstanding member of the cast besides President Walker. [[spoiler:After the assassination attempt on Frank in Season 4, his first thought is what he can do for Claire.]]
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Blythe is a New England liberal with a penchant for sticking to his principles over political opportunity. He holds more than a passing resemblance to Bernie Sanders.
* NotSoDifferent: From the Tea Party die hards he hates so much.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: He hates Underwood and hates being his vice president, but agreed to appointment in exchange for an Alzheimer's research center.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:He spends his entire time as acting president being manipulated by Claire. Not really a bad example since, through her, he's able to keep the country running and effectively confront Viktor Petrov.]]
* VicePresidentWho: An invoked trope by Frank. No one believes Blythe would be up to the job of being president himself so it makes Congress less likely to impeach Underwood. [[spoiler:[[GoneHorriblyRight Goes Horribly Right]] when he proves incapable of making any decisions during his time as acting president]].
* YouAreInCommandNow: Becomes Acting President after [[spoiler:Frank gets shot]].

!Secretaries

[[folder:Cathy]]
!!Secretary Catherine "Cathy" Durant
->'''Played By:''' Jayne Atkinson

A Senator from Missouri who becomes Secretary of State after Frank brings about the downfall of Michael Kern.

* DudeWheresMyRespect: She constantly gets sidelined in Season 4, first by Claire and Acting President Blythe during the Russian energy crisis, then at the national convention when Frank and Claire use her as smoke screen to get Claire as the VP candidate instead of her. She finally has enough of it and [[TheDogBitesBack bites back]] by challenging Frank for the ''presidential'' nomination.
* IronLady: She might be as easily manipulated by Frank as anyone, but there's no shame in that and there's no denying Durant is one tough lady who isn't easily intimidated.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: After Frank nun too subtly hints that he's far more dangerous then he previous let slip, she withdraws her candidacy at the convention and quietly goes back to being Secretary of State.
* OhCrap: She realizes that she's in way over her head after Frank's SarcasticConfession that Lucas Goodwin was telling the truth, he really is a violent murderer who will crush anyone standing in his way.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: She seems to be based on Hillary Clinton; she actively opposed the sitting President during the primaries, and later she would be promoted to Secretary of State. She even somewhat resembles Clinton in appearance.
* RealLifeRelative: Her actress Jayne Atkinson is married in real life to Walker's actor Michel Gill.

[[folder:Kern]]
!!Secretary Michael Kern
->'''Played By:''' Kevin Kilner

A Senator from Colorado and the President's original choice for the position of Secretary of State. Made Secretary of Treasury by the newly-sworn in Frank at the end of Season 2.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Respected, craggy-faced, patrician Senator with a sort of hippy-ish past. Just like UsefulNotes/JohnKerry.
* OpenMouthInsertFoot: Kern's nomination to Secretary of State is railroaded as much by his own politically careless statements as it is by Frank Underwood's sabotage.
* CompositeCharacter: He appears to be somewhat based on Michael Samuels of the original series

!Other Staff

[[folder:Linda]]
!!Linda Vasquez
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vasquez_linda_4251.jpg]]
->'''Played By:''' Sakina Jaffrey

-->Toug'''h'''er th'''a'''n '''r'''awhi'''d'''e and me'''a'''n a'''s''' a '''s'''nake.

President Walker's White House Chief of Staff. She works with Frank as much as she can but also sees into his duplicity more than others.

* TheConsigliere: To President Walker.
* GracefulLoser: After she resigns in Season 2, Linda gives Frank a precious gift. Frank mentions how he respects her even more for losing with dignity.
* InformedAbility: All of the traits Frank ascribes to her in the first episode. She is easily duped for most of the season, doesn't question why Frank is taking such an active role in the Walker presidency, and even when she confronts Frank on his long-term goal to be president, she accepts his admission without conflict.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: She resigns in Season 2, after she realized she can no longer compete with Frank in the White House.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Linda attempts unsuccessfully to use her influence to get her son into Stanford despite the fact that the admissions committee has turned him down. She has to turn to Frank to get some help.
* TenMinuteRetirement: Averted. Despite resigning during Season 2, Linda is given a chance to get her job back, if she helps President Walker bring Frank Underwood down. Unfortunately for her, Frank's BatmanGambit with the letter, prevents this from happening.
* WorthyOpponent: Frank views her as one, as she is one of the few people he acknowledges are just as smart, tough-minded, and ruthless as he is.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Christina]]
!!Christina Gallagher
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gallagher_christina_6424.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I've been running a congressional district for the past nine weeks with zero assistance. Nobody elected me. Nobody taught me. I've done it because somebody had to."'']]
->'''Played By:''' Kristen Connolly

-->C'''a'''n lovi'''n'''g the ri'''g'''ht man b'''e''' al'''l''' wrong?

A headstrong congressional staffer involved in a secret relationship with Peter Russo, before becoming personal assistant to Walker.
----
* DemotedToExtra: Despite her large role in Season 1, Christina is demoted to a fairly minor role albeit one with an arc. She exists mostly as an UnwittingPawn for Claire to use in Season 2.
* HonestAdvisor: As a campaign adviser, this is her job and she does her best at it. She doesn't hesitate to tell the truth and give her honest opinions, although in keeping with being a NiceGirl she tends to be tactful.
* TheMistress: For Russo, but only due to secrecy and not true infidelity. The First Lady suspects her of being this to Garrett, although her suspicions are aided by Claire.
* MoralityPet: For Peter Russo.
* NiceGirl: She's one of the most morally upright characters and this is reflected in her general demeanor.
* PuppyDogEyes: Christina has a big shining pair of 'em, which is quite helpful when dealing with Russo.
* PutOnABus: Claire sets the seeds into First Lady's mind that Christina is a sycophant willing to sleep her way to the top (given her past relationship with Russo) and she ends up getting transferred off-screen from the White House to another location.
* UnwittingPawn: Claire Underwood uses her as one to help crumble the President's marriage.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Nathan Green]]
!!Nathan Green
->'''Played By:''' Jeremy Holm

The White House/FBI liaison.
----

* FatalFlaw: He's very gullible. An example of this is the end of season 2. He realizes that Frank has been the source of most of his troubles, so he cuts Frank off and he brings back his old chief of staff. Walker then offers Raymond Tusk a pardon in exchange for revealing Frank's illegal activities to the Department of Justice's investigation. Everything would have worked for Walker if he had just kept to his plan. Frank would have been imprisoned and Walker could have at least salvaged one term in the presidency. However, Walker changes his mind when Frank sends him an emotional letter pleading for the president's friendship, and refuses to give Tusk the pardon. Tusk then perjures himself by implicating Walker in illegal activities, readying the congress to impeach Walker and causing Walker to resign.

* TheDitherer: Which is why it's so easy for Frank to manipulate him, well at least when Raymond Tusk is far away.

* FatalFlaw: He's very gullible. [[spoiler:An example of this is the end of season 2. He realizes that Frank has been the source of most of his troubles, so he cuts Frank off and he brings back his old chief of staff. Walker then offers Raymond Tusk a pardon in exchange for revealing Frank's illegal activities to the Department of Justice's investigation. Everything would have worked for Walker if he had just kept to his plan. Frank would have been imprisoned and Walker could have at least salvaged one term in the presidency. However, Walker changes his mind when Frank sends him an emotional letter pleading for the president's friendship, and refuses to give Tusk the pardon. Tusk then perjures himself by implicating Walker in illegal activities, readying the congress to impeach Walker and causing Walker to resign.]]
* GoodIsDumb: The least morally dubious politician on the show, and is being constantly manipulated by [[spoiler:Tusk and later Underwood.]]
* HopeSpot: Gets one near the end of Season 2, when he [[spoiler:finally sees Frank for the duplicitous, power-hungry liar that he is and cuts him out of his circle. However, he underestimates just ''how'' good a liar the man is, and pretty soon Frank schemes his way back into Walker's good graces and orchestrates his downfall]].
* ThePardon: [[spoiler: It's mentioned in Season 3 that Underwood pardoned Walker after becoming president.]]
* ToxicFriendInfluence: Becomes a victim of this from both Frank Underwood and Raymond Tusk in Season 2, [[spoiler:resulting in him being manipulated out of the White House. Even more so with Frank, who uses a series of brilliant {{Batman Gambit}}s against Walker.]]

'''Season 2 spoilers follow. You have been warned.'''

[[folder:President Garrett Walker]]
!!Garrett Walker

->'''T'''he m'''o'''st '''p'''owerful man in the free worl'''d'''... or s'''o''' the saying '''g'''oes.

[[folder:Tricia Walker]]
!!Patricia 'Tricia' Walker

[[folder:Jim Matthews]]
!!James 'Jim' Matthews

[[folder:Catherine Durant]]
!!Catherine "Cathy" Durant

[[folder:Michael Kern]]
!!Michael Kern

A Senator from Colorado and the President's original choice for the position of Secretary of State. [[spoiler: Made Secretary of Treasury by the newly-sworn in Frank at the end of Season 2]]

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Respected, craggy-faced, patrician Senator with a sort of hippieish past. Just like UsefulNotes/JohnKerry.

[[folder:Linda Vasquez]]

* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:After she resigns in Season 2, Linda gives Frank a precious gift. Frank mentions how he respects her even more for losing with dignity.]]

* KnowWhenToFoldEm: [[spoiler:Resigns in Season 2, after she realized she can no longer compete with Frank in the White House.]]
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Attempts unsuccessfully to use her influence to get her son into Stanford despite the fact that the admissions committee has turned him down. She has to turn to Frank to get some help.
* TenMinuteRetirement: Averted. Despite [[spoiler:resigning during Season 2, Linda is given a chance to get her job back, if she helps President Walker bring Frank Underwood down. Unfortunately for her, Frank's BatmanGambit with the letter, prevents this from happening.]]

[[folder:Christina Gallagher]]

* TheMistress: For Russo, but only due to secrecy and not true infidelity. [[spoiler:The First Lady suspects her of being this to Garrett, although her suspicions are aided by Claire.]]

* PutOnABus: [[spoiler:Claire sets the seeds into First Lady's mind that Christina is a sycophant willing to sleep her way to the top (given her past relationship with Russo) and she ends up getting transferred off-screen from the White House to another location.]]
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Claire Underwood uses her as one to help crumble the President's marriage.]]

* OpenMouthInsertFoot: His nomination to Secretary of State is railroaded as much by his own politically careless statements as it is by Frank Underwood's sabotage.

* VicePresidentWho: Matthews feels ineffectual and locked out of the loop by the President, whom he dislikes immensely. Likewise, Walker considers Matthews to be a pain in the ass and only used him to get voters.

A Senator from Missouri who becomes Secretary of State after Frank brings about the downfall of the previous nominee.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Respected, craggy-faced, patrician Senator with a sort of hippieish past? Can anyone say "UsefulNotes/JohnKerry"?
* [[{{OpenMouthInsertFoot}} Open Mouth, Insert Foot]]: His nomination to Secretary of State is railroaded as much by his own politically careless statements as it is by Frank Underwood's sabotage.

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Attempts unsuccessfully to use her influence to get her son into Stanford despite the fact that the admissions committee has turned him down.

A headstrong congressional staffer involved in a secret relationship with Peter Russo, before becoming personal assistant to the President.

[[folder:Cathy Durant]]

[[folder:Walker]]

[[folder:Tricia]]

[[folder:Matthews]]

[[folder:Durant]]

[[folder:Kern]]

A Senator from Colorado and the President's original choice for the position of Secretary of State. [[spoiler: Made Secretary of Treasury by the newly-sworn in President Underwood at the end of Season 2]]

[[folder:Linda]]

[[folder:Christina]]

[[folder:Green]]