Mitchell suffers a severe stroke during the rendezvous, leaving him in a coma. White House Chief of Staff Bob Alexander and Communications Director Alan Reed convince Dave to continue impersonating the president, telling him that Vice President Gary Nance is mentally unbalanced. Only Bob, Alan, the president's Secret Service detail (led by Duane), and the medical staff know of the switch. First Lady Ellen Mitchell leads a separate life, rarely seeing the president, in contrast to their public image of a closely knit couple.