Our favorite fake presidents from movies and TV
Whether fighting aliens or saving future Americans from stupidity, these fictional commanders-in-chief give us something to believe in

The Week staff nominate their favorite fictional leaders of the free world. Whether nobly fighting for bipartisanship in Congress or saving the world from aliens, these costumed and quaffed presidents of the silver and small screens have entertained and maybe even inspired us (likely to watch more movies and TV shows) over the years.
Watch iconic speeches from our favorite fictional presidents:
President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman) in Independence Day:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
President James Dale (Jack Nicholson) in Mars Attacks:
President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews) in Idiocracy:
President Andrew Shepard (Michael Douglas) in The American President:
President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet (Martin Sheen) in The West Wing:
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Listen to more of The Week's podcasts:
* Your weekly streaming recommendation: The War Room
* This week I learned why people in old movies talk weird, and more
-
'What is this Hungarian model they so admire?'
Instant Opinion 'Opinion, comment and editorials of the day'
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 1, 2025
Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - trade wars, tax deadlines, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The ETA: how new UK travel rules may affect you
The Explainer Full roll-out of Britain's new travel scheme is designed to be easy, but some have already faced problems
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published