Politics is messy. Usually, it's just people arguing over taxes or healthcare, but every once in a while, a story comes along that feels like a spy novel. You've probably heard the phrase The Plot Against the President tossed around in heated Facebook threads or on cable news.
It's a heavy title.
Basically, it refers to the explosive claim that high-ranking officials within the U.S. government—what some call the "Deep State"—coordinated to undermine Donald Trump's presidency before it even started. This isn't just a random internet rumor, though. It’s the central thesis of a massive bestselling book by investigative journalist Lee Smith and a subsequent documentary directed by Amanda Milius.
They argue that the "Russia Collusion" narrative wasn't a legitimate investigation, but a weaponized political operation.
What Really Happened With the Investigation?
To understand the core of The Plot Against the President, you have to look at the timeline of 2016. While the public was focused on rallies and debates, a much quieter battle was happening in the halls of the FBI and the Department of Justice.
The book focuses heavily on the role of Congressman Devin Nunes.
At the time, Nunes was the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He started noticing things that didn’t add up. Specifically, he focused on how the FBI obtained warrants to spy on Trump campaign associates, like Carter Page. The "smoking gun" for Nunes and Lee Smith was the Steele Dossier.
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This was a collection of raw intelligence reports compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele.
Here is the kicker: the dossier was funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the DNC through a law firm called Perkins Coie and a research firm named Fusion GPS. Lee Smith argues that the FBI used this "unverified" and "salacious" document to convince a secret FISA court to authorize surveillance.
The FBI didn't mention who paid for the dossier in the initial application. They just called it "politically motivated" in a footnote. Nunes argued this was a massive deception. He released a now-famous four-page memo in early 2018 detailing these alleged abuses. Critics called the memo a "nothing burger." But later, an Inspector General report by Michael Horowitz actually confirmed there were 17 "significant errors or omissions" in those surveillance applications.
The Players Behind the Scenes
This wasn't a one-man show. The narrative identifies a specific "coterie" of people who allegedly drove the operation. Names you probably remember from the news cycle: James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, and Lisa Page.
Strzok and Page were particularly infamous because of their text messages.
They were having an affair, but they were also texting about an "insurance policy" in case Trump won. For Lee Smith, this was proof of bias at the highest levels of law enforcement. The book paints a picture of a permanent bureaucracy that felt Trump was a threat to the established order.
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They weren't just investigating him. They were trying to stop him.
Honestly, the complexity of these connections is what makes the story so polarizing. On one side, you have people who see a heroic effort by Nunes to expose corruption. On the other, you have those who believe the investigation into Russian interference was necessary and that Nunes was just trying to protect the President by distracting from the facts.
Why the Media's Role Matters
One of the most interesting parts of The Plot Against the President is how it treats the press. Lee Smith doesn't just blame the FBI. He blames the media.
He calls it a "media-intelligence complex."
The strategy was simple: leak a classified detail to a reporter, wait for the story to be published, and then use that news report as "corroboration" for the original intelligence. It’s a feedback loop. This created a sense of constant crisis that shadowed the White House for years.
Even if you don't buy into the full "coup" theory, the way classified information was used as a political weapon is objectively wild.
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Fact vs. Fiction: Sorting Through the Noise
It's easy to get lost in the jargon of FISA, unmasking, and counterintelligence. But the heart of the matter is trust.
Did the government play fair?
The book argues they didn't. It suggests that the 2016 election triggered a sort of nervous breakdown in Washington, leading officials to break the very rules they were supposed to uphold. However, it's also important to acknowledge that the Mueller Report did find that Russia interfered in the election in a "sweeping and systematic fashion."
The debate isn't whether Russia was involved. It's whether the Trump campaign conspired with them, and whether the government's response to that suspicion was legal.
Moving Past the Headlines
So, what are we supposed to do with all this information now? The story of The Plot Against the President isn't just about 2016. It’s about how much power we want our intelligence agencies to have.
If you want to dive deeper, don't just take one person's word for it. Here is how you can actually get the full picture for yourself:
- Read the Horowitz Report. This is the Department of Justice Inspector General’s report on FISA abuse. It’s long, but the executive summary is a goldmine of facts that both sides usually ignore.
- Compare the Memos. Look at the original Nunes Memo and then read the Democratic rebuttal (the Schiff Memo). Seeing them side-by-side shows you exactly how the same set of facts can be spun in two totally different directions.
- Watch the Documentary. It’s available on various streaming platforms. It gives a face to the names in the book and helps visualize the timeline of events.
- Check the Footnotes. When you read Lee Smith’s work, look at his sources. He relies heavily on declassified documents and congressional testimony. Verifying those sources is the best way to separate opinion from hard evidence.
Understanding this saga requires looking at the institutional failures rather than just the personalities. Whether you see a legitimate investigation or a coordinated plot, the reality is that the events described have fundamentally changed how Americans view the FBI and the Department of Justice. The best thing you can do is stay informed, look at the original documents, and maintain a healthy level of skepticism toward the "official" narratives from all sides.