Nick Naylor is the charismatic spokesman for Big Tobacco, leveraging dubious "research" from the organization he serves as vice-president, the Academy of Tobacco Studies, which claims no connection exists between tobacco and lung disease. Alongside his friends, Bobby Jay Bliss, a firearms lobbyist, and Polly Bailey, a lobbyist for alcohol, Naylor casually refers to their trio as the "Merchants of Death" or "The MOD Squad" during their weekly meetings. As anti-smoking campaigns gain traction and fewer young people take up the habit, Naylor receives an assignment from his boss, BR, to secure cigarette product placements in upcoming films in Los Angeles. He decides to take his young son, Joey, along for some quality bonding time.
The following day, Naylor meets with Lorne Lutch, the former Marlboro Man turned anti-smoking advocate. As his son observes, Naylor manages to persuade Lutch to accept a suitcase filled with cash to remain silent about tobacco. Meanwhile, Senator Finistirre, one of Naylor's most vocal adversaries, pushes for a bill that would mandate a skull and crossbones poison warning on cigarette packaging. Just before Naylor is set to testify against the bill, he is kidnapped by a secretive group and subjected to nicotine patches. When he regains consciousness in a hospital, he discovers that while his impressive nicotine tolerance saved him, he has now become hypersensitive to it and can never smoke again.
Complicating matters, Naylor finds himself embroiled with a young reporter named Heather Holloway, who seduces him into disclosing confidential details about his life and career. Her subsequent exposé paints him in a negative light, accusing him of corrupting his son with his unethical ways, leading to significant PR damage that costs him his job. Naylor, undeterred, admits to the affair during a press conference and vows to vindicate those named in Holloway's article.
When he finally appears before the Senate committee, Naylor openly acknowledges the dangers of smoking but argues that the public is already well-informed enough to avoid additional warning labels. He champions the idea of personal responsibility, stating that if tobacco companies are held liable for smoking-related deaths, then perhaps Vermont, known for its cheese production, should bear some blame for cholesterol-related fatalities.
In a surprising turn, BR offers him his old position again, but Naylor declines, noting that Big Tobacco is settling liability claims. He also reveals that Heather has suffered a fall from grace after being dismissed from her job and is now covering the weather as a cub reporter. Embracing his son's budding interest in debate, Naylor opens a private lobbying firm. The MOD Squad continues to meet, integrating new members that advocate for fast-food, oil, and biohazard industries. Naylor has since established Naylor Strategic Relations, advising mobile industry representatives worried about claims linking cellphones to brain cancer. He aptly remarks, > “Michael Jordan plays ball. Charles Manson kills people. I talk. Everyone has a talent."
