West Wing Cast Spreads Word Sheen Supports Biden, Not Kennedy

WASHINGTON — Nearly 18 years after “The West Wing” went off the air, President Josiah Bartlet is still making Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman handle sticky situations for him.

The latest example of life imitating art occurred Thursday, when Martin Sheen, the now 82-year-old actor who played Bartlet on the much-beloved NBC series, asked Bradley Whitford, the actor who played Lyman, to spread the word at an upcoming California fundraiser, that neither Sheen nor Whitford would be throwing their support behind independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr.

“There’s a story going around saying that Martin Sheen is supporting Robert Kennedy Jr. for president. The story is incorrect,” Whitford said in a post on X Thursday afternoon.

“Martin asked us to post this on his behalf. ‘I wholeheartedly support President Joe Biden and the Democratic ticket in 2024. Sincerely, Martin Sheen.’”

Within minutes, other members of the supporting cast of the show, including Mary McCormick and Josh Malina, were also spreading the word.

The kerfuffle apparently stemmed from invites sent out by a PAC supporting the candidate, for a gala celebrating Kennedy’s 70th birthday. It largely drowned out an announcement the Kennedy campaign had collected enough signatures to appear on the 2024 president ballot in Utah, the first state in which he’s reached that milestone,

According to published accounts, Sheen, Mike Tyson and Dionne Warwick were all reportedly going to attend the event as “well-wishers.”

Warwick, incidentally, has also disavowed the event, posting on X, “This is absolutely ridiculous. If you are going to lie in my name, at least lie about something cool.”

The RFK campaign has responded to the controversy by saying that the fundraiser is a PAC-organized event and the campaign has had nothing whatsoever to do with the event, and has no knowledge of who is attending.

As for the PAC, Silent Majority 4 RFK Jr., its spokesperson said it would not have included Sheen on its list of attendees had it not received confirmation he was attending. The PAC maintains it was told by Sheen’s publicists at the Creative Artists Agency that the actor “would be delighted to attend.”

Representatives at the agency could not immediately be reached for clarification of the matter.

On Friday afternoon, the PAC sent The Well News an expanded statement that said:

“Given his portrayal of RFK, inviting Mr. Sheen to the 70th Birthday Celebration for Robert Kennedy Jr. seemed particularly fitting. His past role not only demonstrates his artistic connection to the Kennedy family but also adds a layer of historical and cultural significance to the event. Mr. Sheen’s attendance was confirmed in writing by his representative, and we would not have included Mr. Sheen in the guest list had we not received that confirmation.

“Our organization takes great care in ensuring the accuracy of information regarding our events. It is our policy to confirm the participation of a guest before making any public announcements,” the statement continued.

“This event is a birthday celebration and at no point did we suggest or imply that Mr. Sheen’s attendance was an endorsement of any political candidate. The comments from Mr. Sheen’s former castmates, who were not invited, seem to stem from a misunderstanding of the nature and guest list of our event,” it said.

Fans of “The West Wing” will remember that President Bartlet, a Democrat and a Catholic, was portrayed as an admirer of President John F. Kennedy. Sheen also played John Kennedy in the miniseries “Kennedy,” and New York Sen. Robert Kennedy in “The Missiles of October.”

Robert Kennedy Jr. is the third of 11 children of Robert and Ethel Kennedy. A former environmental attorney, he is now best known for his ardent anti-vaccine stance.

Utah State Elections Director Ryan Cowley confirmed on Thursday that Kennedy had submitted the required number of signatures to qualify for ballot access in the state; at the moment, however, the Kennedy campaign has not said when he will officially file for candidacy.

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