Garrett Walker didn't stand a chance. Honestly, when you rewatch the early seasons of House of Cards, it’s almost painful to see how systematically Frank Underwood dismantles a man who was, by most accounts, a decent person. Not a great president, maybe, but a human one.
Most people remember Garrett Walker as the "gullible" guy. The one who got played. But if you look closer at the mechanics of his downfall, it wasn't just about him being naive. It was about a specific brand of political isolation that Frank spent years perfecting.
The Secretary of State Snub: Where It All Started
In the very first episode, Walker makes the fatal mistake of reneging on his promise to make Frank Underwood Secretary of State. He does this because his inner circle—specifically Linda Vasquez and billionaire Raymond Tusk—convinces him that Frank is too valuable in the House.
They thought they were being smart. In reality, they were just handing Frank a motive.
Walker's presidency was built on a foundation of "clean" politics, which is essentially a death sentence in the House of Cards universe. He relied heavily on external validation. If Tusk said "jump," Walker asked how high. If Frank offered a shoulder to cry on, Walker leaned in.
This total reliance on a small circle of advisors made him a soft target. He wasn't a "swamp" creature like Frank; he was a billionaire-backed executive who thought D.C. ran like a boardroom. It doesn't.
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The Tusk and Underwood Tug-of-War
Season 2 is essentially a masterclass in how to ruin a man's life by proxy. The conflict between Raymond Tusk and Frank Underwood wasn't just about trade with China or energy policy. It was a battle for the President’s ear.
Poor Walker was stuck in the middle.
On one side, you had Tusk, a man who had known Walker for decades and felt entitled to dictate national policy. On the other, you had Frank, the Vice President who was pretending to be the only person Walker could truly trust.
Basically, Frank’s goal was to make Walker feel like he was losing his mind. He orchestrated:
- The China Trade Crisis: Frank intentionally sabotaged negotiations to make Walker look incompetent and Tusk look greedy.
- The Marriage Scandal: This was the low blow. By nudging the Walkers toward a specific therapist, the Underwoods gained access to the President’s most private vulnerabilities—including the fact that he was taking medication for depression and marital strife.
- The Money Laundering Scheme: This was the knockout punch. Frank linked the illegal campaign contributions from Chinese billionaire Xander Feng (funneled through Tusk’s casinos) directly to the White House.
That Typewriter Letter: The Final Nail
The most controversial moment for fans is usually the finale of Season 2. Walker knows Frank has been betraying him. He’s furious. He cuts him off.
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Then Frank writes that letter.
He uses an old typewriter to make it feel authentic, "confessing" his supposed loyalty and offering himself up as a sacrificial lamb. It’s a total lie. But for Walker, who was drowning in a sea of subpoenas and falling approval ratings, it felt like a lifeline.
He believed it. He withdrew the deal he had made with the Special Prosecutor to pin everything on Frank.
And in that moment, he signed his own political death warrant.
Why Walker’s Failure Still Matters
There’s a common critique that Walker was "too dumb" to be president. That’s a bit of a reach. The show’s actor, Michel Gill, has often pointed out in interviews that Walker won a landslide victory. You don't do that by being a total idiot.
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The real tragedy of President Walker is that he represents the "normal" politician. He’s the guy who wants to do the work but doesn't have the stomach for the bloodsport.
When Special Prosecutor Heather Dunbar started digging, Walker’s public support plummeted into the single digits. He was more unpopular than Nixon. His own party, led by a backstabbing Jackie Sharp, was ready to impeach him just to save their own seats in the midterms.
He resigned because he was isolated. No friends, no allies, and a Vice President who was literally waiting for the ink to dry on the resignation letter so he could take the oath.
Lessons for the Rewatch
If you’re going back through the series, pay attention to how Walker’s posture changes. In Season 1, he’s confident. By the end of Season 2, he looks like a ghost.
What you can do next:
- Watch Season 2, Episode 13 again but focus entirely on the background characters. See how everyone from the Chief of Staff to the party whips is already treating Frank like the President before Walker even resigns.
- Compare Walker to Donald Blythe. It’s interesting to see how the show portrays "decent" men in power. Neither of them can survive the Underwood era because they lack the "will to power" that Nietzsche—and Frank—obsess over.
- Look for the "bridge" metaphor. The bridge project that Frank uses to manipulate the China deal is a perfect symbol for Walker’s presidency: a massive, expensive structure that ultimately led nowhere and collapsed under the weight of corruption.
Walker wasn't the villain. He was just the obstacle. And in Frank Underwood’s Washington, obstacles don't last long.