Let's Start a Coup!

May 01 2024 585
Let's Start a Coup! Podcast artwork

What would you do if a secret cabal of the nation’s most powerful people asked you to overthrow the President? Weirdly enough – it’s not a hypothetical. It almost happened to FDR in the 1930s, were it not for a very intense, very problematic Marine named Major General Smedley Butler.    Join Ben Bowlin, Alex French, and a cast of historical characters brought to life by Joe Kinosian for a darkly comedic – and terrifying –​ retelling of one of the weirdest forgotten schemes in American history.

RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


The Buffet Table

May 01 2024 16 mins  
This week, we present a smattering of stories you might have missed. If you've inhaled all these, email us — [email protected] — and we'll recommend something else worth your time. Operation Lunar EclipseApple • Spotify • iHeart Boat TripApple • Spotify • iHeart The PledgeApple • Spotify • iHeart Old Man on CampusApple • Spotify • iHeart Seed WarsApp

Signs of Life: Revisiting Martha's Vineyard Sign Language

Apr 24 2024 33 mins  
Martha's Vineyard once was a place you could gossip with neighbors, shop for supplies, or play a cutthroat game of cards — all without saying a word. That's because it had a thriving Deaf community. Residents, Deaf and hearing alike, communicated with a unique version of sign language that predates ASL. But it's mostly forgotten today. Today we dig into Martha’s Vineyard Sign

Ep 6 – The Real Coup

Apr 03 2023 39 mins  
The Congressional investigation is, surprise, a farce. Those in office – heavily influenced by their powerful donors – seem determined to prevent any genuine attempt at investigating Smedley’s evidence. The press, controlled by the same forces, dismisses his claims as the paranoid ramblings of an old, no longer relevant relic of a bygone age. Yet the nation is listening. The

Ep 5 – Ham on Half

Mar 27 2023 33 mins  
As the conspiracy to overthrow the United States government rushes from idea to action, Major General Smedley Butler draws a line in the sand. From what he can tell, the country’s most powerful people have both the money and the political will to betray their own nation. And he knows the plotters' mercenary army could outnumber U.S. forces. Smedley orders a pizza and then blows t

Ep 4 – All Smedleys Considered

Mar 20 2023 34 mins  
Alex and Ben have done their best to be fair and objective in their exploration of the coup, but one Marine objects. In this week’s episode, Smedley Butler (played by Joe Kinosian) takes the mic to tell the story from his perspective. Looking back on his career as a hard-nosed death-dealer for Big Business, Smedley wonders: What led him to this point? Where will he go next?See om

Ep 3 – Let’s Get Illuminaughty

Mar 13 2023 31 mins  
You may say time machines don’t exist… but this week iHeart sends Ben and Alex back to the 1930’s for a gut-busting, guided tour of the dark, smoky rooms where a clandestine crew of ultra-wealthy schemers concocted the Business Plot. Our hosts consult with a cavalcade of sketchy historical figures, leading Ben and Alex to begin connecting the dots of the grand conspiracy.See

Ep 2 – A Man Most Méchant

Mar 06 2023 40 mins  
While history books and Hollywood like their stories in simple black and white, real life is much more complicated. So, what made Major General Butler the ideal candidate to lead a coup? In this week’s episode – against Smedley’s wishes – Ben and Alex dive into the Major General’s dark backstory to explore why the bankers believed he was the man they were looking for.See

Let's Start a Coup! Ep 1 – A Basket Full of Fascists

Feb 27 2023 40 mins  
Nowadays, most people can agree that fascism is, well, a bad thing. But back in the 1930s, life absolutely sucked for most Americans, and fascism still had a sort of new car smell. Wall Street bankers were convinced they could take their country back from the clutches of ‘class traitors’ like Roosevelt, sink the New Deal and put the United States on a better – meaning more pr

Introducing: Let's Start A Coup!

Feb 21 2023 1 mins  
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.