Jill Biden welcomes ‘The West Wing’ cast to celebrate show’s 25th anniversary

(WASHINGTON) — First lady Jill Biden welcomed the cast of “The West Wing” to the White House Friday, in celebration of the television show’s 25th anniversary.

“Your work inspired so many to step forward and serve our country, maybe even some of the people here today working in Congress, at nonprofits, or on political campaigns, or at the White House,” the first lady said, calling that effect the “power of storytelling.”

“The West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin explained how they would occasionally hear about someone who was inspired to enter public service because of the show.

“That’s something that 25 years ago this week, none of us could have foreseen or even dared to hope for,” he said.

He also referred to Biden withdrawing from the presidential race in July as a “’West Wing’ moment.”

“Over the years, I’ve noticed that during times of peak political tension, pundits will warn us not to expect a ‘West Wing’ moment. They mean not to expect a selfless act of statesmanship, not to expect anyone to put country first,” Sorkin said. “But the fact is, ‘West Wing’ moments do happen, and Dr. Biden, we saw proof of that on the morning of July 21.”

Sorkin was also joined at Friday’s event by the show’s cast members, including actor Martin Sheen, who referred to his character of President Jed Bartlet as a “wonderful character that changed [his] life.”

“The West Wing” debuted on Sept. 22, 1999 and ran for seven seasons. The political drama’s many accolades include 26 Emmy Awards out of 95 nominations, as well as two Golden Globe Awards and two consecutive Peabody Awards.

Bradley Whitford, who played White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the show, was absent from Friday’s event but expressed his regret in a lengthy social media post for missing it, as well as Monday’s Emmy Awards, during which “The West Wing” stars Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Dulé Hill, Janel Moloney and Richard Schiff present the Emmy for Best Drama Series.

“I’m in Budapest on another White House set pretending to work for another administration. (I know. I need to work on my range),” Whitford quipped on X.

“So what’s next? To celebrate our anniversary, I hope you will check your voter registration and make a plan to vote!!!” he concluded.