Episode Details

What if a decorated Marine was quietly approached to front a plan to pressure Franklin D. Roosevelt out of power? In this episode, we dig into the Business Plot, the alleged 1933 coup attempt, the veterans’ movement, the money, the testimony, and why the McCormack–Dickstein Committee couldn’t quite let the story die. Listen now to understand one of the strangest challenges to American democracy before it disappears into history.

In this episode, we dig into the **Business Plot**, the alleged 1933–1934 coup attempt to push **Franklin D. Roosevelt** from power. We follow **Smedley Butler’s** sworn testimony, the rumored use of a veterans’ movement, and the congressional investigation that left the story hanging between warning sign and historical mystery.

• How the Business Plot fit into New Deal-era politics
• Why Smedley Butler became the key witness
• What the McCormack–Dickstein Committee actually found
• Why newspapers split over the story
• What this episode says about elite power and democracy

**Chapters**
The Cold Open: A War Hero Gets Recruited
The Alleged Plan to Oust FDR
Inside the McCormack–Dickstein Committee
Media Skepticism and Public Doubt
Why the Business Plot Still Matters

**Related resources**
[Listen to more history episodes](#)
[Read Butler’s testimony overview](#)
[Business Plot on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Plot)
[Connecticut History on Gerald MacGuire](https://connecticuthistory.org/gerald-macguire-and-the-plot-to-overthrow-franklin-roosevelt)

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