President Bartlet's Sweatshirt

Worn during a late-night stroll across the White House portico, serving as a catalyst for protocol changes.

1 appearances

Purpose

Casual personal clothing intended for comfort and informal wear.

Significance

Functions as a visual cue of presidential normalcy that instantly converts into an operational trigger: the sweatshirt's informality prompts Secret Service attention, reframes a private moment as a security concern, and foreshadows the institutional tightening that follows.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

1 moments

S1E2 · Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

Portico Walk — 'Eagle's By' (Casuality Meets Protocol)

The sweatshirt functions as a character signifier — an informal costume that foregrounds Bartlet's domestic, off-duty self. Its casualness catalyzes the security response by making the President appear intentionally ordinary, thereby drawing attention to the protective protocol.

Before: Worn by the President, relaxed and unremarkable in appearance.

After: Unchanged physically; its narrative effect shifts from private clothing to a visible cue that triggers institutional vigilance.

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