When Vice President Hurst feels threatened that Secretary of State McCord is vying to be the next president, she attempts to set Elizabeth up for failure by promising that Americans will continue to be able to adopt Russian orphans, despite the potential ban by Russia's president. Also, Elizabeth and Henry find out Stevie is dating Dmitri after he is followed by a Russian assassin.

Elizabeth seeks creative solutions when the president of Sri Lanka's psychic convinces him to not move forward with a trade agreement with the U.S. Also, Alison grapples with guilt for missing the warning signs after her college roommate attempts suicide, and Henry makes an abrupt career decision.