Master Plan Episode 1: After The Fall | The Kingmakers
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Mar 16, 2026 A deep dive into Nixon's power plays, from withholding congressional funds to imposing tariffs without approval. Secret bombings in Cambodia and Pentagon cover ups fuel nationwide protests and legal fights. The story traces congressional pushback, reforms and the later rebirth of an expansive executive. It previews debates over presidential immunity and the Vesting Clause.
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Nixon Held Up Missouri's Road Money
- Nixon withheld congressionally appropriated highway funds to enforce his spending agenda, leaving projects like I-44 in Missouri unfinished.
- The podcast compares it to an online order paid for but never delivered, illustrating presidential impoundment's concrete local harms.
Nixon Claimed Royal Budget Authority
- Nixon publicly proclaimed his impoundment authority, arguing he could withhold $8.7 billion to balance the budget, provoking bipartisan outrage in Congress.
- The episode uses Senator Ted Kennedy's 'royal view' quote to show contemporaneous condemnation.
Cambodia Bombing Revealed Executive War Expansion
- Nixon secretly expanded the Vietnam War into Cambodia without new congressional authorization, demonstrating executive war-making beyond Article I.
- The revelation (Operation Menu) and subsequent protests (including Kent State) show how unilateral military actions sparked major backlash.