David Palmer

David Palmer was the President of the United States from 2004 until 2008. He was the first African-American to be elected to that office. David Palmer was a United States Democratic Senator for Maryland who ran for President. He was elected after the assassination attempts made on him were foiled by Jack Bauer. Although he initially sought a second term, he bowed out of the race after the opposing candidate learned that David lied to the chief of police in order to protect his ex-wife, Sherry Palmer, who was under suspicion for involvement in a man's death.

Uncharacteristic for a politician, David Palmer has built his political career on integrity, honesty, commitment, and honor. He appears to genuinely care about the welfare of the American people.

Throughout the series, Palmer's role as president is often vital to the successful foiling of terrorist plots. Palmer is seen as a good leader who makes difficult decisions without much hesitation. On several occasions, his intervention as president and the execution of his presidential powers helped the Counter Terrorist Unit.

At the end of Season 3, after a presidential debate, he decided to cancel his re-election campaign. His opponent in the election, United States Republican Senator John Keeler, became president in Season 4. However, after Keeler was incapacitated when Air Force One was shot down by terrorists, Palmer was called in to advise the Acting President, Charles Logan, the former Vice President.

Day One
In the first season, Palmer was a viable candidate for the Democratic Party ticket for the presidency. His life was threatened during the course of Day 1. His politcal life was threatened on other fronts. His son, Keith, was shown to be a viable suspect in the murder of the man who raped his daughter. Palmer did an investigation, but found that telling the truth was preferable to covering it up with lies, and took a stand in favor of his son. However, he found out his wife, Sherry, was trying to manipulate him, both in that potential scandal, and the one Sherry tried to create. David was furious with Sherry, and divorced her.

David Palmer also confronted Jack Bauer in person over the events of the first 10 hours of 24. He was no-nonsense, demanding a private, unrecorded interview with Bauer. Palmer, believing that Bauer wanted payback for the deaths of his covert operations team, started by demanding Jack to tell him of the other people involved in tbe assassination attempt on his life. Jack said he was trying to protect Palmer's life, which ultimately led Palmer to realize he was wrong about Jack and his motives. Jack did lead the covert operation which ultimately cost Jack his team, but Jack had no knowledge of Senator Palmer and his authorization of the mission. Jack carried the guilt over the loss of his team into his personal life, leading to a separation from his wife, and and affair with Nina Myers. However, Jack ended the affair, and Senator Palmer realized that Jack had been through a bad day. He authorized Jack's reinstatement on Day 1.

Day Two
Over a year later, in Day 2, David Palmer is the President. He is alerted to the threat of a nuclear bomb detonating in the U.S. He also is informed that Bauer, now an inactive agent, has contacts with people who could lead them to the bomb. Jack ignored calls from CTU, but responded to the call from President Palmer. Jack became an active agent again and eventually caught the bomb and detonated it in a remote area.

Day Three
In Day 3, Palmer is faced with re-election. However, he is still the President, and is faced with many problems during the day. His lover, Anne is implicated in a scandal--although she is innocent, she leaves. Palmer's brother admits his affair with the wife of his biggest supporters, and Palmer is forced to choose life or death for Jack. Palmer chooses death, but eventually is informed of a huge terrorist threat where Jack had to go undercover. He doesn't like it, but his faith in Jack prevails. However, Palmer falters in the end. He brought Sherry Palmer back into his life to help. She does, but in the end David can't agree to her terms (i.e. re-marrying her). He ultimately resigns, again preferring his principles over everything else.

Day Four
In Day 4, Palmer is an ex-President. However, Mike Novick, a longtime friend, recommended he be brought in to assist the Acting President, Charles Logan, since the incumbent President Keeler was in a coma. Logan showed poor judgement abilities. He demanded the arrest of Jack Bauer, who led a raid on the Chinese Embassy to get a man who knew about the nuclear threat. When the raid failed, Logan called in Palmer. Palmer effectively led the events in the last part of day 4, but realized that Logan was a politican. He blamed Palmer when things went wrong, but took full credit when things went his way.

David Palmer is one of the few people who knows Jack Bauer is alive. He paid his debt to Jack by warning the Secret Service was going to kill him and the Chinese demanded the man who killed their ambassador.

Day Five
In Day 5, while writing his memoirs at his brother, Wayne Palmer's, penthouse apartement in Los Angeles, Palmer was shot through the neck by a sniper. He was instantly killed and the assassin was later tracked down by Jack Bauer, who killed the man in cold blood to avenge his long-time friend.

Family and Personal Life
Although not much is known about Palmer's family and personal life, he was married to Sherry Palmer, also an African-American, whom he divorced after losing trust in her. However, he maintained contact with her, using her as an informal special assistant during both Season 2 and Season 3's terrorism crises. He was horrified when she was killed by a woman Sherry had implicated in a murder. He also has a daughter named Nicole (a rape survivor) and a son named Keith, who was accused of murdering Nicole's rapist during his campaign for the presidency.

Around the time he was running for re-election, he dated his personal physician, Dr. Anne Packard, a divorcee. On the day of the first debate with his opponent, that debate was complicated when his opponent brought up charges that Packard had conspired with her husband to 'cook the books' at a pharmaceutical company they were previously involved with. She was innocent and Palmer supported her. She sometimes came between Palmer and his chief of staff and brother, Wayne, who disliked her. On that same day, Packard broke up with him because his life was too complicated for her to continue the relationship.

Day 1

 * 12:00am-1:00am