March 10, 1981. An insane and obsessive young man named John Hinckley Jr. attempts to kill U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition, Reagan's life hangs in the balance as two young surgeons battle to save him. But only those behind the scenes in the corridors of power konw that this is more than a fight to save one man. With the Soviet Union poised to invade Poland and the possibility of a total nuclear war looming, someone must take control of the impending crisis. And as a bitter power struggle begins, the government of teh most powerful nation in on Earth is sliding into chaos.