Line #51 Characters/HouseOfCardsUSWhiteHouse


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13
14	'''Season 4 spoilers follow. You have been warned.'''
15
16	Click [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUS here]] to go back to the main characters page.
17
18	!The White House
19
20	[[foldercontrol]]
21
22	!The Walkers
23
24	[[folder:Walker]]
25	!!Former President Garrett Walker
26	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/walker_garret_7405.jpg]]
27	!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/MichaelGill
28
29	->'''T'''he m'''o'''st '''p'''owerful man in the free worl'''d'''... or s'''o''' the saying '''g'''oes.
30
31	45th President of the United States, former Governor of Colorado. He trusts Frank as a close advisor and lieutenant while constantly allowing his administration to falter due to Frank's machinations.
32	----
33	* BenevolentBoss: Walker is considerate and pleasant toward his subordinates. It's a shame he's so easily manipulated by those subordinates.
34	* ButtMonkey: His presidency consists of one crisis after another and his marriage is also severely damaged.
35	* TheBusCameBack: After exiting the story at the end of season 2, Walker gets a few short but extremely important scenes in seasons 4 and 5. At the end of season 4, Tom Hammerschmidt interviews him about Frank's manipulation of his downfall, and in season 5 his testimony eventually leads to [[spoiler:Frank resigning from his presidency]].
36	* TheChainsOfCommanding: Frank makes sure the chains are as heavy as possible and that the President gradually tumbles under the weight.
37	* TheDitherer: Which is why it's so easy for Frank to manipulate him, well at least when Raymond Tusk is far away.
38	* TheDogBitesBack: He manages to get a small measure of revenge on Frank in Season 4 when he goes on record about Frank's manipulation of the trade crisis and his own personal innocence in the money laundering scheme. Combined with Remy Denton and Jackie Sharp's testimony, Walker may get to see Frank suffer his own disgraceful exit from the White House.
39	* {{Expy}}: He bears some similarities to John Hickenlooper, the real life Colorado governor and later senator and a similarly moderate Democrat, who made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination in 2020.
40	* 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 Hammerschmidt.
41	* GoodIsDumb: The least morally dubious politician on the show, and is being constantly manipulated by Tusk and later Underwood.
42	* HopeSpot: Gets one near the end of Season 2, when he 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.
43	* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Well, party instead of country, but Walker is 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.
44	* ThePardon: It's mentioned in Season 3 that Underwood pardoned Walker after becoming president.
45	* ToxicFriendInfluence: Becomes a victim of this from both Frank Underwood and Raymond Tusk in Season 2, 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.
46	* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: A whole lot of trouble, to put it mildly, could have been avoided if he had simply kept his word and appointed Frank as his Secretary of State. Then again, considering it's [[AmbitionIsEvil Frank]], perhaps not.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Tricia]]
50	!!Former First Lady Patricia "Tricia" Walker
51	!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/JoannaGoing
52
53	The wife of President Garrett Walker and First Lady of the United States. She befriends Claire during Season 2, supporting her legislative moves, while also dealing with marital stress.
54	----
55	* GoodIsDumb: She has this in common with her husband. Tricia wants to do the right thing at all times, but is manipulated rather easily by Claire.
56	* UnwittingPawn: Of Claire Underwood.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	!Vice President
60
61	[[folder:Jim Matthews]]
62	!!Vice President James 'Jim' Matthews
63	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/DanZiskie
64
65	->''"I don't have a fucking shred of real influence."''
66
67	The Vice President of the United States, a former Governor of Pennsylvania.
68	----
69	* GrumpyOldMan: Matthews is rather bitter and short-tempered in office, although he's polite and friendly to his constituents.
70	* KickedUpstairs: How he views his vice-presidency. Matthews hates being away from his home state, which he feels a strong connection to.
71	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Probably the most direct and blatant example in the series, of then-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.
72	* ReassignedToAntarctica: By winning race for governorship of Pennsylvania. He was rather happy with that, since he had come to loathe his vice presidency, as he had grown to consider it equal to being KickedUpstairs.
73	* ThrowTheDogABone: In a show where most characters get screwed over some way or another, Matthews ends up exactly where he wants to be in the end.
74	* VicePresidentWho: Matthews feels he's ineffectual and Walker locks him out of the loop, and he dislikes Walker immensely. Likewise, Walker considers Matthews to be a pain in the ass and only used him to get voters.
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	!Other Staff Members
78
79	[[folder:Linda]]
80	!!Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez
81	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vasquez_linda_4251.jpg]]
82	!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Sakina Jaffrey
83
84	->Toug'''h'''er th'''a'''n '''r'''awhi'''d'''e and me'''a'''n a'''s''' a '''s'''nake.
85
86	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.
87	----
88	* TheConsigliere: To President Walker.
89	* 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.
90	* 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.
91	* KnowWhenToFoldEm: She resigns in Season 2, after she realized she can no longer compete with Frank in the White House.
92	* 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.
93	* 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.
94	* 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.
95	[[/folder]]
96
97	[[folder:Christina]]
98	!!Christina Gallagher
99	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gallagher_christina_6424.jpg]]
100	[[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."'']]
101	!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/KristenConnolly
102
103	->C'''a'''n lovi'''n'''g the ri'''g'''ht man b'''e''' al'''l''' wrong?
104
105	A headstrong congressional staffer involved in a secret relationship with Peter Russo, before becoming personal assistant to Walker.
106	----
107	* 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.
108	* 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.
109	* 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.
110	* MoralityPet: For Peter Russo.
111	* NiceGirl: She's one of the most morally upright characters and this is reflected in her general demeanor.
112	* PuppyDogEyes: Christina has a big shining pair of 'em, which is quite helpful when dealing with Russo.
113	* 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.
114	* UnwittingPawn: Claire Underwood uses her as one to help crumble the President's marriage.

Context Characters / HouseOfCardsUSWhiteHouse