Parrot, probably the African Grey. Because you can talk. Being a talking bird with a heck of a vocabulary asking to get a message to the president is probably going to get the White House social media office’s attention, and maybe then the president.
OP said you retain your own intelligence, so I don't see why a parrot would be any better than any animal with lips and vocal chords that could theoretically support humanlike speech.
I'd become a loving purring cat and would look for a household that would treat me like I treat my cats right now. They're the 1% of the animal kingdom, might as well get the animal life I won't ever get as a human. Not even trying once to do the president quest.
I'd be the President's dog. And then I'd just need to get their attention at that point, so I'll keep biting his secret service agents until finally they start to wonder what's up. It shouldn't take more than 3 or 4 bites for people to realize I'm trying to send a message, right?
Couldn't you just draw in the sand with a stick? I think if there's an ape who's fluent in English handwriting that would make it to the news pretty fast.
Dog. Go around being surprisingly helpful to people, become famous, visit President, write message very clumsily with a pencil in my mouth, sell rights to movie, profit.
My country's president is clearly heading towards dementia. I'd be a crow, they can just speak, so I'd simply fly to him and tell him. He'd probably believe me, no questions asked.
I'm turning into a red panda, forgetting all about the president, and living my best life: eating fruit, lazing about, getting tons of cuddles for being cute and smart 🙂
Plot twist: You don't live in a zoo or as a pet. You are in the wild forests of South West China that are being logged. You run for your life as your habitat is being destroyed.
Whatever primate would have enough hand coordination to write, and/or use sign language. "We found a monkey that can communicate in perfect English, and is asking to speak to the President" is bound to make big headlines.
There's the trick. Chose a small country, where the president is less busy and not as well guarded. I'd turn into an iceland pony. Scratch a message into the ground and the president will be around shortly; nice photo op for the tourists. There's enough people there who speak english. Alternatively, Ireland would be a good pick if you want to be sure they speak english.
I’d think any kind of endangered animal, to ensure I’m not killed for sport or something, but also big enough to not be anythings food. Elephant maybe or bear? From there, it’s easy, since I’d be able to kinda write as both of those, start writing messages. If I’m in the wild, go to a camp area or trail humans use a lot, leave messages everywhere until someone records me writing them. At that point, I’m sure some kind of government scientist would want to know why and how I know English. Then tell them I want to talk to the president as I’m actually an alien.
Do I turn back that moment? If so this is gonna be awkward, but I also just turned from an animal to a human… so maybe it would add to my alien story.
I'd be a Maned Wolf in and walk up to José Mujica, president of Uruguay and tell him my message. Can I talk or do I have to scratch it into the ground or something?
I'm endangered so seems like they might not shoot me on sight and José seems like the kind of president that might hear out an animal.
Dragon. I think at that point any message I give him is going to be heard so I'm gonna take my sweet time and once I get a bit more bored I'm gonna fly over the WH roaring "hey Joe, it's genocide!".
velociraptor, go to park, write my message in the dirt and addess it to the president, wait for news coverage to start.
pretty sure some president will hear about the literate velociraptor quick