Episode 7: The King’s Man | The Kingmakers
Aug 25, 2026 · 1h 3m
Summary
This episode explores how conservative strategists, led by Russell Vought, developed Project 2025 to consolidate executive power for Donald Trump’s second term. It details their reaction to Obama’s executive actions and their efforts to dismantle the "deep state" through Schedule F and the unitary executive theory. The narrative traces the evolution from Trump’s chaotic first term to a coordinated plan using a shadow government and pre-drafted executive orders to rapidly transform the federal bureaucracy.
Topics discussed
Sponsors and introduction to Master Plan
Russell Vought's plan to crush the deep state
The Heritage Foundation's Mandate for Leadership
Obama's executive actions and conservative backlash
Russell Vought's rise and Trump's 2016 campaign
Vought at OMB and expanding executive power
Impoundment, Ukraine aid, and Trump's impeachment
Post-2020 exile and the deep state narrative
Project 2025 and Schedule F implementation
Unitary executive theory and Trump's 2024 victory
Trump's second term actions and future implications
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