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Regime Change: The phenomenal bestseller making global headlines
A riveting, intimate and revelatory account of the most radical and consequential US presidency of our time
From the two reporters who have covered him more closely than perhaps anyone else over the past decade comes this definitive portrait of Donald Trump in the White House. Regime Change covers the first year of Trump’s second presidency – a term liberated from every constraint that defined his first. The generals who once told him ‘no’ are gone, and the lawyers who remain have learned to pick their battles. His administration has flouted court orders and he has claimed powers that Congress once checked. What remains is a President willing to take enormous risks that have upended global markets and toppled heads of state; an imperial President operating almost entirely on instinct alone.
Based on hundreds of interviews and unprecedented reporting from deep within the administration’s most closely guarded rooms, Regime Change takes the reader inside the Situation Room and into the secret Oval Office deliberations that have launched a new war in the Middle East and seen Trump seal the border, surge National Guard troops into cities, and send immigration agents into deadly clashes with protestors. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan bring us behind the scenes of a presidency that has transformed the culture, turned the Justice Department into an agent of retribution against the President’s enemies and the office itself into a brazen vehicle for profit. They reveal a second term propelled by a historical irony that Trump himself has come to that the indictments, the convictions, the assassination attempts and four years of exile made him not weaker but far more powerful, more vengeful and more willing to gamble than any President in modern history.
This is the story of how Trump has used that power, who has tried to stop him, and why nearly all of them have failed. It is also the story of something American journalists are more accustomed to chronicling in distant capitals than in their a President who has fundamentally altered the nature of the office he holds – and, with it, how the rest of the world understands American power. It is an account of Regime Change right here in America – a landmark real-time history of a modern presidency like no other.
From the two reporters who have covered him more closely than perhaps anyone else over the past decade comes this definitive portrait of Donald Trump in the White House. Regime Change covers the first year of Trump’s second presidency – a term liberated from every constraint that defined his first. The generals who once told him ‘no’ are gone, and the lawyers who remain have learned to pick their battles. His administration has flouted court orders and he has claimed powers that Congress once checked. What remains is a President willing to take enormous risks that have upended global markets and toppled heads of state; an imperial President operating almost entirely on instinct alone.
Based on hundreds of interviews and unprecedented reporting from deep within the administration’s most closely guarded rooms, Regime Change takes the reader inside the Situation Room and into the secret Oval Office deliberations that have launched a new war in the Middle East and seen Trump seal the border, surge National Guard troops into cities, and send immigration agents into deadly clashes with protestors. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan bring us behind the scenes of a presidency that has transformed the culture, turned the Justice Department into an agent of retribution against the President’s enemies and the office itself into a brazen vehicle for profit. They reveal a second term propelled by a historical irony that Trump himself has come to that the indictments, the convictions, the assassination attempts and four years of exile made him not weaker but far more powerful, more vengeful and more willing to gamble than any President in modern history.
This is the story of how Trump has used that power, who has tried to stop him, and why nearly all of them have failed. It is also the story of something American journalists are more accustomed to chronicling in distant capitals than in their a President who has fundamentally altered the nature of the office he holds – and, with it, how the rest of the world understands American power. It is an account of Regime Change right here in America – a landmark real-time history of a modern presidency like no other.
496 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2026
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June 24, 2026
Regime Change left me shaking my head, chapter after chapter. Haberman and Swan paint a picture of an administration driven by impulse, secrecy, and a remarkably small inner circle, where critical decisions with global consequences were often made without key officials even in the room.
The sections covering Trump's health and day-to-day functioning were just as striking. Reports of hearing difficulties, visible physical ailments, fatigue, falling asleep during meetings, and an increasing tendency to drift off topic paint the portrait of an aging president whose closest advisers often seemed more concerned with managing appearances than confronting uncomfortable realities.
The junk food wrappers casually discarded on the floor of the presidential residence, along with white house sterling silver that somehow made it into the trash, are just too on brand for this president.
What stuck with me most was the disconnect between public messaging and behind-the-scenes reality. The reporting on war planning, the obsession with optics over substance, and the accounts of an increasingly insulated president operating on instinct make for a deeply unsettling read.
The sections covering Trump's health and day-to-day functioning were just as striking. Reports of hearing difficulties, visible physical ailments, fatigue, falling asleep during meetings, and an increasing tendency to drift off topic paint the portrait of an aging president whose closest advisers often seemed more concerned with managing appearances than confronting uncomfortable realities.
The junk food wrappers casually discarded on the floor of the presidential residence, along with white house sterling silver that somehow made it into the trash, are just too on brand for this president.
What stuck with me most was the disconnect between public messaging and behind-the-scenes reality. The reporting on war planning, the obsession with optics over substance, and the accounts of an increasingly insulated president operating on instinct make for a deeply unsettling read.
June 25, 2026
After you've read this, you're left with the hope that there is karma, and that it will be a bitch...
June 25, 2026
I was already familiar with a lot of the broad strokes of this due to my compulsive daily NYT habit but some of the details in here are truly wild (the slavishly devoted staffer who sits in a corner ready to google random shit for trump and print it because he cant use a computer who also leaves random love notes for him? Truly, what the fuck is wrong with some people). The chaos, incompetence, and malice are astonishing even after 10 straight years of it (and this is worse than the first Trump term). It is impossible to hate these people enough. Especially Stephen Miller and JD Vance :)
June 29, 2026
Just a couple of notes here. First, if you closely follow the news, there is little in this book that will be new to you. Despite the blitz that its authors have been doing of all the news shows, there are really few to no startling new revelations here. The book’s chief virtue is not breaking new headlines, but organizing the information about Trump’s second term into a comprehensive narrative.
Secondly, this is not pleasure reading. The actions of the Trump regime are a nonstop, daily assault upon decency, democracy, and norms of acceptable, ethical conduct. Reading this book forces a reliving of these assaults that is not unlike triggering of severe PTSD. It is not a pleasant experience. Be warned.
Secondly, this is not pleasure reading. The actions of the Trump regime are a nonstop, daily assault upon decency, democracy, and norms of acceptable, ethical conduct. Reading this book forces a reliving of these assaults that is not unlike triggering of severe PTSD. It is not a pleasant experience. Be warned.
July 8, 2026
Trump was the first modern President to govern as though the international system simply did not exist. His predecessors, even the most hawkish among them, had operated within a web of treaties, institutions, and norms - NATO, the United Nations, The World Trade Organisation - that shaped and constrained how American power was exercised. Trump did not merely buck against these constraints, as other Presidents had; he ignored them entirely, and in doing so demonstrated that they had no mechanism to stop him.
I've seen various reviews state that this book isn't saying anything new to those who follow the news and politics, and that might indeed be the case for American readers. But many of us outside of the US are just as appalled and interested, and don't get the everyday churn of news stories, only the bigger the events. For us, this book is both a fascinating inside view of the Trump 'court' with its obsequious hangers-on; and a necessary summary of exactly how much has been smashed, destroyed and overturned in such a short time.
With over sixty pages of notes, sources and references, as well as a granular two hundred page index, this is factual journalism that focuses on what happened, without much analysis. It runs up to the war on Iran so is almost contemporary. Chapters are organised in four sections: Whirlwind, Retribution, The Enemy Within and Plunder, which probably speak for themselves.
There are places where I wanted to know how a story finished: we learn about the persecution of Letitia James; the attacks on Harvard and the Smithsonian and the story is left dangling - did Trump just forget about them and move on or did the journalists not go back to the story?
Overall, this is a portrait of tempestuous, volatile, unpredictable and capricious power, unrestrained by the people surrounding and cowed by it, and coming from an ego both monstrous and as needy as a child.
June 27, 2026
Maggie Haberman is known as one of the preeminent Trump experts and I’ve been following her work for the NYT over the two Trump presidencies. What she and Jonathon Swan do in this book is quite remarkable.
I’ve been a political junkie since I was literally nine years old and Barack Obama and John McCain were facing off, so it is fair to say I’ve read quite a few political books! And I think it is fair to say that some of them are quite horrible to get through. However, this one was SO well done. I felt like I was literally in the room where it happened. The conversations were riveting, and the pacing was quick.
This book essentially covers the first year of the Trump presidency. What was wild to me was how much I had forgotten in just a year and a half! There has been SO much.
I’m sure my conservative friends would probably disagree with me, but I actually felt like this book was very fair to Trump. They interviewed him at the end of the book and he didn’t really disagree with any of the stories, more tone than anything. But, I even felt like they gave Trump flowers for things that I might not have.
I think what’s heartbreaking about this book is that the argument at its core is that we would have been better off if Donald had won in 2020. During the four years of anger and resentment that he had before assuming office again, he essentially lost all guard rails and found people who would not say no to him. While the 2016 Trump presidency was its own kind of sh** show, it doesn’t really compare in what has occurred since. I’m not an idiot, and I believe every president has some level of corruption. Like yes, the Hunter Biden stuff is very fishy. But wow, the level of corruption in this current White House is staggering. Anyway, this is something I’ve actually thought about a lot the last nearly two years. There’s a part of me that wishes we could have just gotten them done in two consecutive terms.
What’s also fascinating is how far Trump has wandered from his original campaign promises of affordability and no new wars. I mean, president’s famously don’t keep their promises (read my lips, no new taxes anyone lol) But, to seem to just totally cast aside what got you into your position of power… It’s fascinating to hear about the frustration of JD as he tries to figure out how he will navigate trying to hold the Trump coalition together. In a lot of ways, it feels very similar to what Kamala faced in trying to run her own campaign while also being tethered to the Biden administration. There’s a reason that it’s notoriously difficult for a VP to win after their initial administration is in office.
I just visited DC and it was fascinating to hear there for this little piece of history, I saw the algae reflecting pool, drove past the JFK Center right before and after the Donald Trump lettering got taken off due to its court order, saw Trump’s face plastered onto federal buildings, and saw the huge claw for the wrestling match. Because I was just there, it was super interesting to listen to this book and hear some of these things referenced.
As always, political books aren’t for everyone. There are things I choose not to read as I know that they will frustrate me. If this book is going to frustrate you, then don’t pick it up. I personally think it’s an impressively put together piece of history but I have friends who will disagree with that.
I’ve been a political junkie since I was literally nine years old and Barack Obama and John McCain were facing off, so it is fair to say I’ve read quite a few political books! And I think it is fair to say that some of them are quite horrible to get through. However, this one was SO well done. I felt like I was literally in the room where it happened. The conversations were riveting, and the pacing was quick.
This book essentially covers the first year of the Trump presidency. What was wild to me was how much I had forgotten in just a year and a half! There has been SO much.
I’m sure my conservative friends would probably disagree with me, but I actually felt like this book was very fair to Trump. They interviewed him at the end of the book and he didn’t really disagree with any of the stories, more tone than anything. But, I even felt like they gave Trump flowers for things that I might not have.
I think what’s heartbreaking about this book is that the argument at its core is that we would have been better off if Donald had won in 2020. During the four years of anger and resentment that he had before assuming office again, he essentially lost all guard rails and found people who would not say no to him. While the 2016 Trump presidency was its own kind of sh** show, it doesn’t really compare in what has occurred since. I’m not an idiot, and I believe every president has some level of corruption. Like yes, the Hunter Biden stuff is very fishy. But wow, the level of corruption in this current White House is staggering. Anyway, this is something I’ve actually thought about a lot the last nearly two years. There’s a part of me that wishes we could have just gotten them done in two consecutive terms.
What’s also fascinating is how far Trump has wandered from his original campaign promises of affordability and no new wars. I mean, president’s famously don’t keep their promises (read my lips, no new taxes anyone lol) But, to seem to just totally cast aside what got you into your position of power… It’s fascinating to hear about the frustration of JD as he tries to figure out how he will navigate trying to hold the Trump coalition together. In a lot of ways, it feels very similar to what Kamala faced in trying to run her own campaign while also being tethered to the Biden administration. There’s a reason that it’s notoriously difficult for a VP to win after their initial administration is in office.
I just visited DC and it was fascinating to hear there for this little piece of history, I saw the algae reflecting pool, drove past the JFK Center right before and after the Donald Trump lettering got taken off due to its court order, saw Trump’s face plastered onto federal buildings, and saw the huge claw for the wrestling match. Because I was just there, it was super interesting to listen to this book and hear some of these things referenced.
As always, political books aren’t for everyone. There are things I choose not to read as I know that they will frustrate me. If this book is going to frustrate you, then don’t pick it up. I personally think it’s an impressively put together piece of history but I have friends who will disagree with that.
June 24, 2026
Didn’t really add much to what’s publicly known if you’ve been paying attention. One wonders why these reporters need to sit on the “news” for a year just so they can recap what we all lived through. Ugh.
June 28, 2026
The book opens with the most transparent explanation of research I can imagine any journalists writing—more than 1,000 interviews and the categories of people interviewed, derivations of direct quotes, explanation of background without sources, and reasons for paraphrasing. This is necessary because otherwise the fly-on-the-wall reporting detail in this book would be almost fantastical. But I believe these two writers have done something spectacular and true:
They have written a balanced, detailed, dramatic story with characters, with such clarity that it almost defies the chaotic times they are recounting. They give us a full picture of the USA's immigration problems as background to the growth of our current brutal immigration enforcement. They fill out people I've heard dismissed as "unqualified" for their jobs in such a way that I found myself liking a few of them (notably, Steve Witkoff). In short, the reporting feels unbiased.
This book is like driving a clear path with the most eloquent tour guides you can imagine explaining what we are seeing through Trump's reign of chaos, where one second, serious negotiations can be taking place, and in the next second Trump is seriously proposing, "We'll just own Gaza!" (92) and expecting everyone to applaud the idea. The authors' commitment to telling the truth, avoiding easy tropes, makes what's shocking even more so. And sometimes funny—for instance, the silent battle between Donald and Melania regarding him stealing her things to redecorate his bedroom; the astounding description of his room from its era as a bankers box storage repository to his habit of littering the floor with food wrappers and ice cream tubs and sometimes throwing out priceless White House silverware along with food detritus. In addition, the detail about the ballroom added a possible motive for Trump's demolition:
When we look at the demolition now, are we seeing a private war and retribution?
Many of us (I include myself) have seen certain issues in very simple terms. In a section (Part II) titled "Retribution," the buckling of big law firms, media companies, and universities who've given in to Trump's demands and threats is clarified. The book deftly spells out the thinking of those who've buckled and exactly how many fronts they were being attacked on—the broad stroke explanation here being, if you are convinced you might win the battle in court but die in the process (your institution will be forced out of business), do you capitulate? Understanding both sides makes these issues more excruciating to contemplate, and I'm grateful to the authors for spelling things out so clearly.
In the same section, the unequivocal inanity, without any complexity, of the likes of internet provocateur Laura Loomer prancing into the Oval Office and succeeding in the elimination of government personnel on her unfounded accusations is truly shocking. There is a growing sense of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party here, and the pacing of the revelations is dramatically perfect.
And the final chapter of "Retribution" tells how Trump went from an adversary of AI to a champion after he demanded and received a government stake in Intel, a private company. What? So googled to see where else he has done this. From Google AI:
For people who are terrified that those on the left want communism, let the record show that Trump is practicing communism—insisting on owning private companies.
Under a section titled "Plunder," there is a discussion about cryptocurrency, which all the Trumps are invested in up to their eyeballs. But like a lot of material on this subject, it blurs or ignores what crypto actually is. Trump originally called it a "scam" until he realized how much money there was to be made and he trusted that his sons understand enough about it to take care of that.
I wish the authors had done research about crypto and exposed it for the real scam it is. My sole education is from the documentary Everyone Is Lying to You About Money, but I think I understand it well enough to be alarmed at how involved our government, and by that I mean Trump et al., are in it. The usual pattern with crypto is that those who run it make a killing and those who invest lose.
If I had to make a generalization about Trump from this book, he is without ethics and prone to do what he wants and cavalierly "see what happens." This applies to everything from knocking down a building to healthcare to murdering fishermen without evidence that they are running drugs to going to war to shooting people exercising their first amendment rights. On some level, people are not real to him. Since he's historically seen soldiers who volunteer and die as "suckers and losers," he apparently considers them to be disposable. And this term, he is functioning with very few people who can or will act as guardrails.
There is a difference between newspaper articles, even a long series of them, and a book. This is a detailed historical record of what is playing out in front of us; some of it is so current and such common knowledge that you can skim it. Nevertheless, the book is valuable as a historical document and will be even more valuable to historians in the future (or, if you haven't been paying attention and want to get current, it provides a way to catch up).
I've seen criticisms about employed journalists doing double-duty by writing a book that could be published (and read for the cost of a subscription) by their employer, The New York Times. This book is a book and demands the long form. It is worth paying for.
They have written a balanced, detailed, dramatic story with characters, with such clarity that it almost defies the chaotic times they are recounting. They give us a full picture of the USA's immigration problems as background to the growth of our current brutal immigration enforcement. They fill out people I've heard dismissed as "unqualified" for their jobs in such a way that I found myself liking a few of them (notably, Steve Witkoff). In short, the reporting feels unbiased.
This book is like driving a clear path with the most eloquent tour guides you can imagine explaining what we are seeing through Trump's reign of chaos, where one second, serious negotiations can be taking place, and in the next second Trump is seriously proposing, "We'll just own Gaza!" (92) and expecting everyone to applaud the idea. The authors' commitment to telling the truth, avoiding easy tropes, makes what's shocking even more so. And sometimes funny—for instance, the silent battle between Donald and Melania regarding him stealing her things to redecorate his bedroom; the astounding description of his room from its era as a bankers box storage repository to his habit of littering the floor with food wrappers and ice cream tubs and sometimes throwing out priceless White House silverware along with food detritus. In addition, the detail about the ballroom added a possible motive for Trump's demolition:
Mrs. Trump, who preferred a quiet environment with minimal disturbances and objected to living in a construction zone, had repeatedly expressed concern about the size and location of the ballroom. (98)
When we look at the demolition now, are we seeing a private war and retribution?
Many of us (I include myself) have seen certain issues in very simple terms. In a section (Part II) titled "Retribution," the buckling of big law firms, media companies, and universities who've given in to Trump's demands and threats is clarified. The book deftly spells out the thinking of those who've buckled and exactly how many fronts they were being attacked on—the broad stroke explanation here being, if you are convinced you might win the battle in court but die in the process (your institution will be forced out of business), do you capitulate? Understanding both sides makes these issues more excruciating to contemplate, and I'm grateful to the authors for spelling things out so clearly.
In the same section, the unequivocal inanity, without any complexity, of the likes of internet provocateur Laura Loomer prancing into the Oval Office and succeeding in the elimination of government personnel on her unfounded accusations is truly shocking. There is a growing sense of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party here, and the pacing of the revelations is dramatically perfect.
And the final chapter of "Retribution" tells how Trump went from an adversary of AI to a champion after he demanded and received a government stake in Intel, a private company. What? So googled to see where else he has done this. From Google AI:
"Trump’s administration has aggressively pursued an industrial policy demanding direct equity stakes, profit-sharing, or "golden shares" in private companies deemed essential to national security and critical supply chains. This spans multiple sectors, with some of the most prominent companies including: Intel: The administration took a near 10% equity stake in the semiconductor giant in exchange for billions in federal CHIPS Act funding. Artificial Intelligence: The White House has held exploratory talks with OpenAI and Anthropic regarding direct government equity stakes, as part of a broader push to distribute the economic advantages of AI. Critical Minerals & Metals: The government acquired direct financial interests in several mining and energy operations, including a 15% stake in rare earth producer MP Materials, as well as stakes in Lithium Americas Corp. and Trilogy Metals Inc.."
For people who are terrified that those on the left want communism, let the record show that Trump is practicing communism—insisting on owning private companies.
Under a section titled "Plunder," there is a discussion about cryptocurrency, which all the Trumps are invested in up to their eyeballs. But like a lot of material on this subject, it blurs or ignores what crypto actually is. Trump originally called it a "scam" until he realized how much money there was to be made and he trusted that his sons understand enough about it to take care of that.
I wish the authors had done research about crypto and exposed it for the real scam it is. My sole education is from the documentary Everyone Is Lying to You About Money, but I think I understand it well enough to be alarmed at how involved our government, and by that I mean Trump et al., are in it. The usual pattern with crypto is that those who run it make a killing and those who invest lose.
If I had to make a generalization about Trump from this book, he is without ethics and prone to do what he wants and cavalierly "see what happens." This applies to everything from knocking down a building to healthcare to murdering fishermen without evidence that they are running drugs to going to war to shooting people exercising their first amendment rights. On some level, people are not real to him. Since he's historically seen soldiers who volunteer and die as "suckers and losers," he apparently considers them to be disposable. And this term, he is functioning with very few people who can or will act as guardrails.
There is a difference between newspaper articles, even a long series of them, and a book. This is a detailed historical record of what is playing out in front of us; some of it is so current and such common knowledge that you can skim it. Nevertheless, the book is valuable as a historical document and will be even more valuable to historians in the future (or, if you haven't been paying attention and want to get current, it provides a way to catch up).
I've seen criticisms about employed journalists doing double-duty by writing a book that could be published (and read for the cost of a subscription) by their employer, The New York Times. This book is a book and demands the long form. It is worth paying for.
June 28, 2026
The book’s epilogue concludes in part with this quote from Trump himself “‘Remember this,’ he said. ‘I know your book will be critical, but remember this: People are tired of your bullshit. Always criticizing.’” To the far-right any criticism, no matter how slight, is always greeted with self righteous condemnation: ‘How dare they! We would never do such a thing!’ even as they regularly say and do far-far worse things. The book’s title and promotion seemed to indicate that this would be a scorching critique of the second Trump administration and yet, it really isn’t. Indeed, far more surprising than any of its revelations (the most shocking largely revealed in the preceding few months) is how understanding, even sympathetic the authors are towards Trump. They describe his foreign policy towards Iran thus:
“[Trump] regarded the regime in Tehran as a uniquely dangerous adversary and was willing to take great risks to hinder its ability to wage regional wars and to acquire a nuke.”
This is not a condemnation of the Iran incursion per se. “Great risks” in context simply means not assembling a larger coalition and the short notice of the strikes.
Elsewhere in the book the authors take a smug ‘well, both sides!’ tack: “He [Stephen Miller in this case] was not basing his crackdown entirely on a hallucination; data showed there had been a recent uptick in left-wing violence, including an elevenfold increase in physical violence against ICE officers in 2025 compared with 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security.” Considering that ICE saw an expanded presence in 2025 this is not really saying anything.
It’s during the portion discussing the Assassination of Charlie Kirk that the book steers into truly ridiculous pearl-clutching that also illustrates the primary failing of this book.
“The chilling clips of Kirk’s shooting were suddenly everywhere. Such gruesome violence would never have made it to air in the era of broadcast news and heavily regulated public airwaves.”
My dad was ten years old when he watched Lee Harvey Oswald get shot on live television. The Zapruder Film would be serialized in Life Magazine and eventually shown uncut by Geraldo Rivera. Eddie Adams’ 1968 photograph “Saigon Execution” would win a Pulitzer. That same year also saw widely circulated photos of the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.
When I was ten years old I saw video of United Airlines Flight 175 strike the South Tower multiple times a day for over a year. When I was 13 you could rather easily find the video of the execution of Saddam Hussein.
Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row” begins “They’re selling postcards of the hanging.” referring to widely available images of lynchings. Emmett Till’s mutilated body would be seen worldwide. The picture of the mushroom cloud over Nagasaki shown in classrooms without a second thought illustrates the moment where thousands of people were incinerated.
So, no. We are not living in some exclusive era of ‘media barbarism’ compared to a kinder, gentler past. The authors seem baffled by Trump because they view him as an aberration from American political norms when he is at most the logical next step of the neoliberal revolution.
“[Trump] regarded the regime in Tehran as a uniquely dangerous adversary and was willing to take great risks to hinder its ability to wage regional wars and to acquire a nuke.”
This is not a condemnation of the Iran incursion per se. “Great risks” in context simply means not assembling a larger coalition and the short notice of the strikes.
Elsewhere in the book the authors take a smug ‘well, both sides!’ tack: “He [Stephen Miller in this case] was not basing his crackdown entirely on a hallucination; data showed there had been a recent uptick in left-wing violence, including an elevenfold increase in physical violence against ICE officers in 2025 compared with 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security.” Considering that ICE saw an expanded presence in 2025 this is not really saying anything.
It’s during the portion discussing the Assassination of Charlie Kirk that the book steers into truly ridiculous pearl-clutching that also illustrates the primary failing of this book.
“The chilling clips of Kirk’s shooting were suddenly everywhere. Such gruesome violence would never have made it to air in the era of broadcast news and heavily regulated public airwaves.”
My dad was ten years old when he watched Lee Harvey Oswald get shot on live television. The Zapruder Film would be serialized in Life Magazine and eventually shown uncut by Geraldo Rivera. Eddie Adams’ 1968 photograph “Saigon Execution” would win a Pulitzer. That same year also saw widely circulated photos of the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.
When I was ten years old I saw video of United Airlines Flight 175 strike the South Tower multiple times a day for over a year. When I was 13 you could rather easily find the video of the execution of Saddam Hussein.
Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row” begins “They’re selling postcards of the hanging.” referring to widely available images of lynchings. Emmett Till’s mutilated body would be seen worldwide. The picture of the mushroom cloud over Nagasaki shown in classrooms without a second thought illustrates the moment where thousands of people were incinerated.
So, no. We are not living in some exclusive era of ‘media barbarism’ compared to a kinder, gentler past. The authors seem baffled by Trump because they view him as an aberration from American political norms when he is at most the logical next step of the neoliberal revolution.
June 27, 2026
5 stars for people who don’t pay much attention. 4 stars for those of us who are plugged into the news.
July 4, 2026
Oh boy. Felt I had to read this after seeing the authors' interviews, and was riveted. Those who have watched with alarm the daily ravages of the current administration will probably find nothing new in the content, but when put all together and read as a piece, the inflammation only burns brighter. Times I felt I had to put it down and catch my breath, particularly at the venom of certain people, the ignorance of others, and the cruelty at the very top, wielded by a person with no other interests but their own. This appears to be a work in progress since there are things referenced that have been in the recent news, unresolved and continuing to develop.
July 17, 2026
Having devoured countless books examining Donald Trump and both of his presidencies, I was eager to read Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan’s latest work. Regime Change is riveting, intimate, and deeply unsettling—a meticulously reported account of what the authors portray as the most radical and consequential presidency in modern American history. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with those inside Trump’s orbit, Haberman and Swan expose an administration driven less by governing than by loyalty, grievance, and raw instinct. It is an absorbing book that repeatedly reminded me just how much upheaval has been packed into such a short span of time.
From the two reporters who have covered Trump more closely than perhaps anyone over the past decade comes what feels like the definitive portrait of his return to power. The book chronicles the first year of Trump’s second presidency, one no longer restrained by many of the institutional checks that complicated his first term. Senior officials willing to challenge him are largely gone, replaced by figures who understand that survival depends on knowing when not to object. Haberman and Swan take readers inside the Situation Room, into Oval Office deliberations, and behind closed doors where consequential decisions are made with breathtaking speed and startling informality. Their reporting paints the picture of a presidency that has tested constitutional boundaries, concentrated executive power, and reshaped America’s standing both at home and abroad.
What emerges is not merely a politician enjoying a second chance but a man whose ego appears inseparable from the office itself. Haberman and Swan depict Trump as someone obsessed with personal loyalty, perpetual adulation, and settling scores. The portrait is that of a leader who views criticism as betrayal, rewards sycophancy above competence, and mistakes personal validation for effective governance. His frequent digressions, fixation on perceived slights, and inability to relinquish even trivial disputes create an image that is as exhausting as it is alarming. Rather than elevating American leadership, the book argues that he has reduced geopolitics to an extension of his own personal grievances, leaving the presidency looking smaller than the man occupying it.
The supporting cast offers little reassurance. Many of those elevated to positions of enormous responsibility appear chosen not for expertise but for unwavering loyalty and a willingness to wage Trump’s personal battles. Haberman and Swan describe an administration where vengeance often seems as important as governing, where enemies are catalogued before policies are crafted, and where institutions become tools for retribution rather than public service. Whether discussing the Justice Department, foreign policy, or military action, the recurring impression is one of an administration more interested in crushing opponents than solving problems. If this is governance, it is governance stripped of humility and restraint.
The authors never pretend to occupy some mythical position of perfect neutrality, nor should they. Instead, they allow exhaustive reporting, firsthand accounts, and extensive sourcing to build their case chapter by chapter. Their structure is clear, their pacing relentless, and their evidence difficult to dismiss. Readers looking for a flattering portrait of Trump will find none here. Those seeking an extensively documented examination of power exercised with few apparent guardrails will find one of the year’s most compelling political books.
Whether one agrees with every conclusion is almost beside the point. Regime Change presents a presidency that appears increasingly transactional, vindictive, and unconcerned with long-standing democratic norms. I finished the book more convinced than ever that Trump’s greatest political talent is convincing millions that chaos is strength and grievance is leadership. History will ultimately render its own verdict, but if Haberman and Swan’s reporting proves accurate, it will not be a flattering one. The more troubling question is whether the Republican Party intends to keep rewarding this style of politics or eventually rediscover that governing requires something more substantial than perpetual outrage and personal loyalty.
Kudos, Madam Haberman and Mr. Swan, for yet another piece that shows I am not out to lunch with my sentiments.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
From the two reporters who have covered Trump more closely than perhaps anyone over the past decade comes what feels like the definitive portrait of his return to power. The book chronicles the first year of Trump’s second presidency, one no longer restrained by many of the institutional checks that complicated his first term. Senior officials willing to challenge him are largely gone, replaced by figures who understand that survival depends on knowing when not to object. Haberman and Swan take readers inside the Situation Room, into Oval Office deliberations, and behind closed doors where consequential decisions are made with breathtaking speed and startling informality. Their reporting paints the picture of a presidency that has tested constitutional boundaries, concentrated executive power, and reshaped America’s standing both at home and abroad.
What emerges is not merely a politician enjoying a second chance but a man whose ego appears inseparable from the office itself. Haberman and Swan depict Trump as someone obsessed with personal loyalty, perpetual adulation, and settling scores. The portrait is that of a leader who views criticism as betrayal, rewards sycophancy above competence, and mistakes personal validation for effective governance. His frequent digressions, fixation on perceived slights, and inability to relinquish even trivial disputes create an image that is as exhausting as it is alarming. Rather than elevating American leadership, the book argues that he has reduced geopolitics to an extension of his own personal grievances, leaving the presidency looking smaller than the man occupying it.
The supporting cast offers little reassurance. Many of those elevated to positions of enormous responsibility appear chosen not for expertise but for unwavering loyalty and a willingness to wage Trump’s personal battles. Haberman and Swan describe an administration where vengeance often seems as important as governing, where enemies are catalogued before policies are crafted, and where institutions become tools for retribution rather than public service. Whether discussing the Justice Department, foreign policy, or military action, the recurring impression is one of an administration more interested in crushing opponents than solving problems. If this is governance, it is governance stripped of humility and restraint.
The authors never pretend to occupy some mythical position of perfect neutrality, nor should they. Instead, they allow exhaustive reporting, firsthand accounts, and extensive sourcing to build their case chapter by chapter. Their structure is clear, their pacing relentless, and their evidence difficult to dismiss. Readers looking for a flattering portrait of Trump will find none here. Those seeking an extensively documented examination of power exercised with few apparent guardrails will find one of the year’s most compelling political books.
Whether one agrees with every conclusion is almost beside the point. Regime Change presents a presidency that appears increasingly transactional, vindictive, and unconcerned with long-standing democratic norms. I finished the book more convinced than ever that Trump’s greatest political talent is convincing millions that chaos is strength and grievance is leadership. History will ultimately render its own verdict, but if Haberman and Swan’s reporting proves accurate, it will not be a flattering one. The more troubling question is whether the Republican Party intends to keep rewarding this style of politics or eventually rediscover that governing requires something more substantial than perpetual outrage and personal loyalty.
Kudos, Madam Haberman and Mr. Swan, for yet another piece that shows I am not out to lunch with my sentiments.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
July 1, 2026
Haberman and Swan’s "Regime Change" is a chilling, must-read autopsy of the American democratic facade, revealing a second term where the supposed "checks and balances" were reduced to mere relics. In this "imperial presidency," the USA long-standing illusion of democracy was systematically broken openly as Trump treated the government systems as his personal law firm and Congress as his collection of "staffers". Leading this regime of zealots was Stephen Miller using a ruthless agenda that used "emergency declarations" to bulldoze through legal guardrails and international norms. From the world-wide contempt received by attempting brute force on the global stage to a domestic campaign of retribution against perceived enemies, the fact-based sources paint a picture of an administration that governed as if the old order simply was never needed. By replacing professional expertise with true loyalists and transforming federal agencies into weapons of personal power, Trump didn't just bend the system. He wilfully smashes it like a privileged, uneducated, man-child that he is. This book is a first draft of this period of their history that serves as a factual wake-up call regarding the fragility of their always feudal system pretending to be a republic when faced with a leader who possesses an absence of shame as he creates his truly rebranded, and what the world should refer to as, Un-united Empire of America. (UEA)
July 3, 2026
10 years from now, many of us will wonder how it is that we did nothing or said nothing while a man destroyed the greatest democracy in global history. We’ll say he had good economic policies. We’ll say he overturned Roe. We’ll say the democrats were corrupt too. But we will have answering to do, because this man is destroying a country and dismantling a system it took a 2.5 centuries to build.
If you don’t like to read headlines because it’s “too sad” or avoid the news because the constant media cycle is (validly) too nauseating, then consider reading this. While incredibly unpleasant, it is VERY FAIR. It doesn’t call this man many of the things that a reasonable person might. It points out many of his strengths. It also points to the fact that the overhauling (Regime Change) of longstanding processes and history only happens through the knee bending and weak leadership exhibited by the sycophants who remain at his side.
One day, I this book will be either (1) a warning sign at the behest of a magnificent U-turn in our country, or (2) a letter to a nation searching for its soul before it was entirely gone. May it be the first.
Happy 250
If you don’t like to read headlines because it’s “too sad” or avoid the news because the constant media cycle is (validly) too nauseating, then consider reading this. While incredibly unpleasant, it is VERY FAIR. It doesn’t call this man many of the things that a reasonable person might. It points out many of his strengths. It also points to the fact that the overhauling (Regime Change) of longstanding processes and history only happens through the knee bending and weak leadership exhibited by the sycophants who remain at his side.
One day, I this book will be either (1) a warning sign at the behest of a magnificent U-turn in our country, or (2) a letter to a nation searching for its soul before it was entirely gone. May it be the first.
Happy 250
July 2, 2026
When Donald Trump announced his goals to justify his war on Iran he described it as an “excursion” and regime change was on the top of his list. Fast forward three months and it appears the United States defeated Iran militarily but lost the geo-strategic battle as Tehran has emerged victorious as it now controls the Gulf of Hormuz and can negatively impact the world economy at will, something that did not exist before Trump’s “excursion.” Further, Iran’s theocratic regime remains intact, the government maintains its missile capabilities and retains thousands of drones. It is clear from the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding that the United States has lost the peace. It appears Trump has grown tired of the war and needs to put it behind him because of the upcoming mid-term elections. As a result, he has agreed to lift oil sanctions on Iran, allow Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz, promised billions of dollars in rebuilding funds a.k.a. reparations, and the release frozen Iranian assets. In addition, nothing has been agreed to pertaining to Iran’s nuclear assets. One must ask, how did this situation come to fruition so quickly? Many of the answers to these questions and other aspects of the Trump administration’s policies can be found in New York Times’ journalists, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan’s new book, REGIME CHANGE: INSIDE THE IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY OF DONALD TRUMP.
From the book’s title one would gather the narrative focuses on Iran, but that is just one component as the authors focus on the Epstein Files, Trump’s revenge tour against perceived enemies, immigration policy and the actions of ICE, foreign influence, the enriching of the Trump family, corruption, and the overriding concept of loyalty which dominates any relationship with Trump and his administration. The authors also engage in analyzing why Trump behaves as he does. From the outset they argue that Trump has always created his own reality and then proceeds to force others to submit to his version of events. Trump lies constantly and absurdly; but what began as fantasies often blurred and morphed into a reality of his own making. With increasing frequency, and the help of sycophants, Trump spoken word is truth. Trumps adamant refusal to accept reality laid the foundation for his comeback in 2024. His obsession over the election of 2020, his ability to draw many into his mindset that the election was stolen, and that January 6th rioters were patriots out for a “Sunday stroll” dominate his world view and if you do not succumb to the gestalt you are not allowed into his world and administration.
Regime change is normally associated with foreign countries. However, based on the use of executive power what we are now experiencing in our country is regime change when one examines administration policies and actions, and Trump’s rule by his “gut.” The monograph is very concerning in that it is well researched and sourced. One could not imagine the types of events, personalities, and actions that are described, but they are part of our political fabric and policies that makes one wonder what the future holds.
In reading REGIME CHANGE it is difficult to discern which event or policies are the most disconcerting. But what is most important is the issue of accuracy. To this point there has been little push back from Trump administration supporters concerning the narrative. There are the usual criticisms focusing on personal attacks against the authors but little if any questioning of the substance of what the authors present. The most important criticism voiced by Tunku Varadarajan in his June 26, 2026, review of the book in the Wall Street Journal states that “the book relies largely on sources who spoke exclusively on ‘deep background,’ journalism jargon for the pinky-swear promise of eternal anonymity. We’re asked to trust the writers but have no means to verify their disclosures, some of these purportedly from the very heart of the presidency.” If this criticism is accurate why has no one questioned the core of what has been uncovered? Further, based on the record of honesty associated with the Trump administration who should we believe?
The book itself is a cornucopia of the last 365 days. If you are a news junky like I am I was pretty aware of most of what the book discusses. What I wasn’t cognizant of were the deep sourcing taking the reader inside meetings, arguments, and written components of the topics at hand. This is where the Trump administrations actions become unsettling which is due in large part by Trump himself but also the characters around him who have been given power. Chief among them is Stephen Miller who has risen to be Deputy Chief of Staff for policy and the keeper of all executive orders, placing him in charge of domestic policy. He has become the most powerful White House staffer in modern history. He is laser focused on cutting through the traditional bureaucratic obstacles in the federal government to push through Trump’s agenda. He has recruited lawyers who stretch the law to illegalities to implement Trump’s wishes – clean out the federal work force from “Trump haters.” Miller was in charge of the flurry of executive orders at the outset of the administration by overwhelming the opposition as to their number be it ending birthright citizenship or pausing funding of federal agencies. In the realm of immigration, Miller has set daily quotas to round up and deport people to the tune of 3000 per day. The promise was that only criminals would be seized and deported, but to reach the one million per year that Miller sought regular people, some of whom are citizens and others who are here legally have been rounded up by ICE. It was clear racial profiling was used which went along with Miller’s view of race and wanting to facilitate the creation of a white republic. The authors delve into Greg Bovino, Dan Bongino, Tom Homan, Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi and others who have facilitated this process.
Another character portrait which is beyond the pale centers on Elon Musk who spent $300 million to get Trump elected in 2024. He created DOGE, the Department of Governmental Efficiency and began to gut the federal work force and certain programs. With little knowledge of the labyrinthine federal system, nor how the budget functioned, with even less interest in the Constitution, he sought to reengineer the government as he imagined. He usurped the powers of Congress; impounded billions already appropriated and overrode cabinet members. A case in point was getting rid of USAID, the heart of American soft power overseas which probably caused the death of thousands by slashing funding for medicines and other aspects of disease control. Further he even blocked funding for an ISIS prison that held over 300 terrorists.
The list of characters associated with the implementation of Trump’s agenda is long and disheartening especially on the domestic front with the use of ICE, and the deployment of the military to try and occupy certain cities – all of which are heavily minority and democratic. The first test case was Los Angeles, then Chicago, Washington, DC, and of course the fiasco that resulted in the death of two American citizens in Minneapolis.
The authors present the rationale for other programs including the unleashing of tariff wars as Trump maintains the 1950s belief that doing so would bring back manufacturing to the United States. Trump’s tariff policy rekindled the horrors of the Hawley-Smoot tariffs of 1930 which greatly contributed to the Great Depression but free trade once the hallmark of the Republicans just melted away. It began a trade war with our allies, a process that would also include Trump’s agenda to rely less on traditional allies, break up NATO, and force them to recalibrate any reliance on Washington. This also had a negative effect on the economy as by increasing tariffs the result is an increase in the cost of consumer goods resulting in higher inflation. Trump blames inflation on the Biden administration, or he rationalizes that it would only be a short time problem as tariffs would produce great revenues to offset the pain for the consumer.
Haberman and Swan’s discussion of Trump’s domestic agenda are disturbing enough but his foreign policy has been a disaster. According to Trump he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. His kowtowing to Vladimir Putin is part of the historical record. His treatment of Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been abhorrent particularly the scene in the Oval office in February 2025 as Trump tried to force the Uranian president to give into all of Putin’s demands. The treatment of NATO allies is well known as is Trump’s obsession with obtaining Greenland and the obnoxious tactics pursued. But it is the current situation in Iran and how we went to war which is most disturbing.
It is clear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Neteyahu was able to convince Trump to go along with the plan to attack Iran. The June 2025 Israel attacks in Lebanon and Iran showed Trump what success could look like and since he always wants to be associated with a winner, so he joined Israel in going after Iran’s hidden nuclear capabilities. After the success against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro Trump thought he could decapitate Iran’s leadership, and a new regime would give into his whims. We all know how that turned out with Iran controlling the Gulf of Hormuz and Trump succumbing with his Memorandum of Understanding, a strategic victory for Iran, though a military victory for the United States.
Apart from domestic and foreign policies Haberman and Swan’s research into the accumulation of Trump family wealth and those of the presidents friends are unprecedented. Deals for Jared Kushner, Steve Wycoff and his son, Erick and Donald Jr. have brought in billions from drone contracts, crypto deals, and other projects. Donations based on coercion of Corporate CEOs have brought in billions to Trump’s political actions committees to fund some of his outlandish desires reflecting the fear Trump has instilled. Yesterday, in fact it was announced that Trump had earned over $2 billion of personal wealth during his first term. The media has been no exception as Trump wants to remake how news is reported. If that is not enough Trump wants to change how we view our history – the author’s discussion of the Smithsonian is a case in point.
The scariest section of the book is entitled “Retribution” in which the authors recount how Trump has gone after anyone he feels criticized him in the past. If you did not agree with the 2020 election conspiracy or the categorization of the January 6th participant there was a target on your back. Law firms, former Homeland Security or FBI officials, universities, newscasters, nighttime comedians, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, John Bolton, John Brennan, James Comey and his daughter, and Federal reserve Chair, Jerome Powell all fit this criteria as do a host of others.
One would think that the MAGA world would never oppose any action or inaction taken by Trump, but the Epstein Files finally created an opposition which to this day has not gone away. The work of Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche to block the release of the files is well known and the authors sprinkle in greater detail. Especially intriguing is the chronicling of the Situation Room meetings to develop a strategy to deal with the Epstein files that included Vice President Vance, Susie Wiles, and many other important figures.
The depth of detail in Haberman and Swan’s narrative amazes. From their description of Trump as an interior decorator with his gold touches, to Trump’s annoyance at Vice President Vance’s position on Iran (maybe that is why he was put in charge of negotiations to end the war!) to reactions to the killing of Charlie Kirk, to how Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and others ingratiated themselves with Trump, to a myriad of other examples the authors take the reader inside an unimaginable world. Significantly, Vance and Miller wanted to use the murder of Charlie Kirk as an excuse to go after anyone they perceived to be enemies of the administration. Thery issued a National Security Presidential Memo/NSPM-7 which was designed to label all leftist elements in American politics as a terrorist threat arguing that most violent acts were committed by leftists while the facts reflect it was the American right which was most responsible.
The authors provide many keen observations in the run up to the attack on Iran. They focus on the debates within the administration as to what action should be taken. The focus on CIA Head John Ratcliffe and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine are most disconcerting. Ratcliffe warned Trump that Netanyahu’s presentation to justify war and his objectives did not pass the smell test, and others described them as “bullshit.” The Israeli Prime Minister had his own agenda separate from the United States and was able to convince Trump of a quick and relatively easy victory. Cain warned Trump that war would heavily deplete America’s weapons and munitions stockpiles presenting the cost of an Iranian drone v. US missiles as a case in point. This would lead to Defense Secretary Pete Hesgeth’s repeated lies about America’s inventory once a ceasefire was agreed to. The authors unequivocably state that at no point during the deliberations that resulted in war did Caine tell Trump that war with Iran was a terrible idea, “though some of Caine’s colleagues believed that was exactly what he thought.” In the end, as per usual, Trump went with his “gut” and did what he wanted expecting a second Venezuela result.
One could never write a Hollywood script to describe a presidency that people would believe if it were based on this book. However, until someone proves that what these authors have written is false we as a nation have a president who puts himself, his legacy, his wealth, and his “gut” feelings ahead of the needs of the American people.
From the book’s title one would gather the narrative focuses on Iran, but that is just one component as the authors focus on the Epstein Files, Trump’s revenge tour against perceived enemies, immigration policy and the actions of ICE, foreign influence, the enriching of the Trump family, corruption, and the overriding concept of loyalty which dominates any relationship with Trump and his administration. The authors also engage in analyzing why Trump behaves as he does. From the outset they argue that Trump has always created his own reality and then proceeds to force others to submit to his version of events. Trump lies constantly and absurdly; but what began as fantasies often blurred and morphed into a reality of his own making. With increasing frequency, and the help of sycophants, Trump spoken word is truth. Trumps adamant refusal to accept reality laid the foundation for his comeback in 2024. His obsession over the election of 2020, his ability to draw many into his mindset that the election was stolen, and that January 6th rioters were patriots out for a “Sunday stroll” dominate his world view and if you do not succumb to the gestalt you are not allowed into his world and administration.
Regime change is normally associated with foreign countries. However, based on the use of executive power what we are now experiencing in our country is regime change when one examines administration policies and actions, and Trump’s rule by his “gut.” The monograph is very concerning in that it is well researched and sourced. One could not imagine the types of events, personalities, and actions that are described, but they are part of our political fabric and policies that makes one wonder what the future holds.
In reading REGIME CHANGE it is difficult to discern which event or policies are the most disconcerting. But what is most important is the issue of accuracy. To this point there has been little push back from Trump administration supporters concerning the narrative. There are the usual criticisms focusing on personal attacks against the authors but little if any questioning of the substance of what the authors present. The most important criticism voiced by Tunku Varadarajan in his June 26, 2026, review of the book in the Wall Street Journal states that “the book relies largely on sources who spoke exclusively on ‘deep background,’ journalism jargon for the pinky-swear promise of eternal anonymity. We’re asked to trust the writers but have no means to verify their disclosures, some of these purportedly from the very heart of the presidency.” If this criticism is accurate why has no one questioned the core of what has been uncovered? Further, based on the record of honesty associated with the Trump administration who should we believe?
The book itself is a cornucopia of the last 365 days. If you are a news junky like I am I was pretty aware of most of what the book discusses. What I wasn’t cognizant of were the deep sourcing taking the reader inside meetings, arguments, and written components of the topics at hand. This is where the Trump administrations actions become unsettling which is due in large part by Trump himself but also the characters around him who have been given power. Chief among them is Stephen Miller who has risen to be Deputy Chief of Staff for policy and the keeper of all executive orders, placing him in charge of domestic policy. He has become the most powerful White House staffer in modern history. He is laser focused on cutting through the traditional bureaucratic obstacles in the federal government to push through Trump’s agenda. He has recruited lawyers who stretch the law to illegalities to implement Trump’s wishes – clean out the federal work force from “Trump haters.” Miller was in charge of the flurry of executive orders at the outset of the administration by overwhelming the opposition as to their number be it ending birthright citizenship or pausing funding of federal agencies. In the realm of immigration, Miller has set daily quotas to round up and deport people to the tune of 3000 per day. The promise was that only criminals would be seized and deported, but to reach the one million per year that Miller sought regular people, some of whom are citizens and others who are here legally have been rounded up by ICE. It was clear racial profiling was used which went along with Miller’s view of race and wanting to facilitate the creation of a white republic. The authors delve into Greg Bovino, Dan Bongino, Tom Homan, Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi and others who have facilitated this process.
Another character portrait which is beyond the pale centers on Elon Musk who spent $300 million to get Trump elected in 2024. He created DOGE, the Department of Governmental Efficiency and began to gut the federal work force and certain programs. With little knowledge of the labyrinthine federal system, nor how the budget functioned, with even less interest in the Constitution, he sought to reengineer the government as he imagined. He usurped the powers of Congress; impounded billions already appropriated and overrode cabinet members. A case in point was getting rid of USAID, the heart of American soft power overseas which probably caused the death of thousands by slashing funding for medicines and other aspects of disease control. Further he even blocked funding for an ISIS prison that held over 300 terrorists.
The list of characters associated with the implementation of Trump’s agenda is long and disheartening especially on the domestic front with the use of ICE, and the deployment of the military to try and occupy certain cities – all of which are heavily minority and democratic. The first test case was Los Angeles, then Chicago, Washington, DC, and of course the fiasco that resulted in the death of two American citizens in Minneapolis.
The authors present the rationale for other programs including the unleashing of tariff wars as Trump maintains the 1950s belief that doing so would bring back manufacturing to the United States. Trump’s tariff policy rekindled the horrors of the Hawley-Smoot tariffs of 1930 which greatly contributed to the Great Depression but free trade once the hallmark of the Republicans just melted away. It began a trade war with our allies, a process that would also include Trump’s agenda to rely less on traditional allies, break up NATO, and force them to recalibrate any reliance on Washington. This also had a negative effect on the economy as by increasing tariffs the result is an increase in the cost of consumer goods resulting in higher inflation. Trump blames inflation on the Biden administration, or he rationalizes that it would only be a short time problem as tariffs would produce great revenues to offset the pain for the consumer.
Haberman and Swan’s discussion of Trump’s domestic agenda are disturbing enough but his foreign policy has been a disaster. According to Trump he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. His kowtowing to Vladimir Putin is part of the historical record. His treatment of Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been abhorrent particularly the scene in the Oval office in February 2025 as Trump tried to force the Uranian president to give into all of Putin’s demands. The treatment of NATO allies is well known as is Trump’s obsession with obtaining Greenland and the obnoxious tactics pursued. But it is the current situation in Iran and how we went to war which is most disturbing.
It is clear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Neteyahu was able to convince Trump to go along with the plan to attack Iran. The June 2025 Israel attacks in Lebanon and Iran showed Trump what success could look like and since he always wants to be associated with a winner, so he joined Israel in going after Iran’s hidden nuclear capabilities. After the success against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro Trump thought he could decapitate Iran’s leadership, and a new regime would give into his whims. We all know how that turned out with Iran controlling the Gulf of Hormuz and Trump succumbing with his Memorandum of Understanding, a strategic victory for Iran, though a military victory for the United States.
Apart from domestic and foreign policies Haberman and Swan’s research into the accumulation of Trump family wealth and those of the presidents friends are unprecedented. Deals for Jared Kushner, Steve Wycoff and his son, Erick and Donald Jr. have brought in billions from drone contracts, crypto deals, and other projects. Donations based on coercion of Corporate CEOs have brought in billions to Trump’s political actions committees to fund some of his outlandish desires reflecting the fear Trump has instilled. Yesterday, in fact it was announced that Trump had earned over $2 billion of personal wealth during his first term. The media has been no exception as Trump wants to remake how news is reported. If that is not enough Trump wants to change how we view our history – the author’s discussion of the Smithsonian is a case in point.
The scariest section of the book is entitled “Retribution” in which the authors recount how Trump has gone after anyone he feels criticized him in the past. If you did not agree with the 2020 election conspiracy or the categorization of the January 6th participant there was a target on your back. Law firms, former Homeland Security or FBI officials, universities, newscasters, nighttime comedians, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, John Bolton, John Brennan, James Comey and his daughter, and Federal reserve Chair, Jerome Powell all fit this criteria as do a host of others.
One would think that the MAGA world would never oppose any action or inaction taken by Trump, but the Epstein Files finally created an opposition which to this day has not gone away. The work of Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche to block the release of the files is well known and the authors sprinkle in greater detail. Especially intriguing is the chronicling of the Situation Room meetings to develop a strategy to deal with the Epstein files that included Vice President Vance, Susie Wiles, and many other important figures.
The depth of detail in Haberman and Swan’s narrative amazes. From their description of Trump as an interior decorator with his gold touches, to Trump’s annoyance at Vice President Vance’s position on Iran (maybe that is why he was put in charge of negotiations to end the war!) to reactions to the killing of Charlie Kirk, to how Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and others ingratiated themselves with Trump, to a myriad of other examples the authors take the reader inside an unimaginable world. Significantly, Vance and Miller wanted to use the murder of Charlie Kirk as an excuse to go after anyone they perceived to be enemies of the administration. Thery issued a National Security Presidential Memo/NSPM-7 which was designed to label all leftist elements in American politics as a terrorist threat arguing that most violent acts were committed by leftists while the facts reflect it was the American right which was most responsible.
The authors provide many keen observations in the run up to the attack on Iran. They focus on the debates within the administration as to what action should be taken. The focus on CIA Head John Ratcliffe and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine are most disconcerting. Ratcliffe warned Trump that Netanyahu’s presentation to justify war and his objectives did not pass the smell test, and others described them as “bullshit.” The Israeli Prime Minister had his own agenda separate from the United States and was able to convince Trump of a quick and relatively easy victory. Cain warned Trump that war would heavily deplete America’s weapons and munitions stockpiles presenting the cost of an Iranian drone v. US missiles as a case in point. This would lead to Defense Secretary Pete Hesgeth’s repeated lies about America’s inventory once a ceasefire was agreed to. The authors unequivocably state that at no point during the deliberations that resulted in war did Caine tell Trump that war with Iran was a terrible idea, “though some of Caine’s colleagues believed that was exactly what he thought.” In the end, as per usual, Trump went with his “gut” and did what he wanted expecting a second Venezuela result.
One could never write a Hollywood script to describe a presidency that people would believe if it were based on this book. However, until someone proves that what these authors have written is false we as a nation have a president who puts himself, his legacy, his wealth, and his “gut” feelings ahead of the needs of the American people.
Read
July 15, 2026I'm not going to give the book a rating, because really, what's the point?
What can I say about this book that hasn’t been said already? As others have noted, most of what’s in “Regime Change” has been reported before. The parts that are new — the Epstein meeting in the Situation Room, for example — are noteworthy, certainly, but they’re basically of a piece with what we already know about the Trump presidency. It’s well-written, of course, and doubtlessly “important.”
That said, I felt a kind of masochistic frisson the whole time I was reading it, like the non-stop pounding of a painful headache. (Why was I doing this to myself, I was asked again and again.) "Regime Change" is a recitation of the venality, cruelty, incompetence, lies, self-dealing, in-fighting, irrationality, etc., we saw in the first year of Trump II and ever since. I grew numb after a while reading how: Trump had next to no idea of what Musk and DOGE were doing and only began to pay attention when Congressional Republicans called the White House to complain (Musk apparently didn’t know what he was doing either, or why); how important decisions and pronouncements were often not the result of thoughtful analysis but the evidence-free things Laura Loomer told him or what he saw Maria Bartiromo said on Fox; how Trump didn't know what his tariffs were doing (“At one point during the tumult, the President asked where the U.S. tariff level on China stood. When he was told it was 145 percent, he had responded, ‘Holy shit.’ “); how virtually every communication that comes from the White House is designed to go viral, “to provoke more than to persuade, and engineered for the maximum chance to go viral and fire up the Trump base”; how he regularly ignored the experts and inconvenient facts, particularly with regards to Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and how quickly we'd go through our armaments; how the White House would proudly talk about how a well-regarded historian described Trump as the most powerful leader in world history, only for it to turn out the historian was no historian at all but golf pro Gary Player’s caddy. And really, how much more evidence is needed to demonstrate what a shit Stephen Miller is.
Rather than attempt to capture key points of what the book covers, let me share a few passages.
• Trump had always endeavored to author his own reality and then force others around him to submit to his version of events. Trump lied, of course, endlessly and preposterously; but what started as fantasies often blurred and morphed into a reality of his making. With jarring frequency, and the help of his devotees, Trump spoke his worlds into existence.
• “[Trump’s complete lack of concern for consistency] creates enormous flexibility for himself, thinking nothing of reversing himself entirely and lying brazenly to get out of a tight spot. In this sense, his complete absence of shame—historically unusual among American Presidents—has been a political superpower.”
• “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” [Trump] announced. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings. Level it out.” “Legitimately nutso,” one senior aide said later. “But very on brand.” (As the authors note, this came out of nowhere: “No discussions had taken place with the Pentagon or State Department, No working groups had been convened. The Defense Department had not generated projections regarding how many troops it would take to remove 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and handle the wreckage. No cost projections existed.”)
• Trump’s concept of the global economy and America’s place in it was encased in the amber of his youth, and it remained largely uninfluenced by the dramatic changes in the decades since. In his mind, America should always be the manufacturing behemoth it had once been, consuming mostly what it produced and dictating terms to the world for the rest.
“He has a better sense of his executive authority than anybody else we’ve ever dealt with,” said one executive who attended the meeting. “Now, I would never want a Democrat to have that same sense of executive authority. But this guy fucking does.”
• A senior administration official vented privately that U.S. policy on any given issue amounted to “whatever Donald Trump said last on that subject. “And then it will change in twenty-four hours, or in two hours, or in one hour, or in one minute,” the official said.
• When members of the 2024 Republican platform committee arrived at the convention in Milwaukee expecting the usual collaborative process, they were ambushed: their phones confiscated, debate and amendments forbidden, and Trump’s own draft of the GOP platform presented to them as the final text. They were not allowed to change a word.
• …the evident pleasure [Trump] took in the company of Mao, Hitler, and Stalin, masters of state control through murder, torture, and detention, and Napoleon—and the untroubled ease with which he accepted a place among men who had reshaped the world through conquest and fear. He drew no distinction between those who built and those who destroyed, between those who liberated and those who enslaved. What mattered was that they had had huge power—and that he had more.
I’ll stop here. I suppose I’m glad I read “Regime Change” — I do feel an obligation to keep up with what’s happening — but as I write this on July 15th I feel mounting dread and anger at the fact that Trump will address the nation tonight and is expected to say that his intelligence offices have found evidence that the 2020 election was rigged, particularly the Georgia senatorial contest. I will be furious when I read about the speech tomorrow. Then I will, I fear, feel another wave of anger and despair at how the media covers it — not as the outrageous and dangerous lies that they are but as “unsubstantiated” or “controversial” assertions.
What can I say about this book that hasn’t been said already? As others have noted, most of what’s in “Regime Change” has been reported before. The parts that are new — the Epstein meeting in the Situation Room, for example — are noteworthy, certainly, but they’re basically of a piece with what we already know about the Trump presidency. It’s well-written, of course, and doubtlessly “important.”
That said, I felt a kind of masochistic frisson the whole time I was reading it, like the non-stop pounding of a painful headache. (Why was I doing this to myself, I was asked again and again.) "Regime Change" is a recitation of the venality, cruelty, incompetence, lies, self-dealing, in-fighting, irrationality, etc., we saw in the first year of Trump II and ever since. I grew numb after a while reading how: Trump had next to no idea of what Musk and DOGE were doing and only began to pay attention when Congressional Republicans called the White House to complain (Musk apparently didn’t know what he was doing either, or why); how important decisions and pronouncements were often not the result of thoughtful analysis but the evidence-free things Laura Loomer told him or what he saw Maria Bartiromo said on Fox; how Trump didn't know what his tariffs were doing (“At one point during the tumult, the President asked where the U.S. tariff level on China stood. When he was told it was 145 percent, he had responded, ‘Holy shit.’ “); how virtually every communication that comes from the White House is designed to go viral, “to provoke more than to persuade, and engineered for the maximum chance to go viral and fire up the Trump base”; how he regularly ignored the experts and inconvenient facts, particularly with regards to Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and how quickly we'd go through our armaments; how the White House would proudly talk about how a well-regarded historian described Trump as the most powerful leader in world history, only for it to turn out the historian was no historian at all but golf pro Gary Player’s caddy. And really, how much more evidence is needed to demonstrate what a shit Stephen Miller is.
Rather than attempt to capture key points of what the book covers, let me share a few passages.
• Trump had always endeavored to author his own reality and then force others around him to submit to his version of events. Trump lied, of course, endlessly and preposterously; but what started as fantasies often blurred and morphed into a reality of his making. With jarring frequency, and the help of his devotees, Trump spoke his worlds into existence.
• “[Trump’s complete lack of concern for consistency] creates enormous flexibility for himself, thinking nothing of reversing himself entirely and lying brazenly to get out of a tight spot. In this sense, his complete absence of shame—historically unusual among American Presidents—has been a political superpower.”
• “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” [Trump] announced. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings. Level it out.” “Legitimately nutso,” one senior aide said later. “But very on brand.” (As the authors note, this came out of nowhere: “No discussions had taken place with the Pentagon or State Department, No working groups had been convened. The Defense Department had not generated projections regarding how many troops it would take to remove 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and handle the wreckage. No cost projections existed.”)
• Trump’s concept of the global economy and America’s place in it was encased in the amber of his youth, and it remained largely uninfluenced by the dramatic changes in the decades since. In his mind, America should always be the manufacturing behemoth it had once been, consuming mostly what it produced and dictating terms to the world for the rest.
“He has a better sense of his executive authority than anybody else we’ve ever dealt with,” said one executive who attended the meeting. “Now, I would never want a Democrat to have that same sense of executive authority. But this guy fucking does.”
• A senior administration official vented privately that U.S. policy on any given issue amounted to “whatever Donald Trump said last on that subject. “And then it will change in twenty-four hours, or in two hours, or in one hour, or in one minute,” the official said.
• When members of the 2024 Republican platform committee arrived at the convention in Milwaukee expecting the usual collaborative process, they were ambushed: their phones confiscated, debate and amendments forbidden, and Trump’s own draft of the GOP platform presented to them as the final text. They were not allowed to change a word.
• …the evident pleasure [Trump] took in the company of Mao, Hitler, and Stalin, masters of state control through murder, torture, and detention, and Napoleon—and the untroubled ease with which he accepted a place among men who had reshaped the world through conquest and fear. He drew no distinction between those who built and those who destroyed, between those who liberated and those who enslaved. What mattered was that they had had huge power—and that he had more.
I’ll stop here. I suppose I’m glad I read “Regime Change” — I do feel an obligation to keep up with what’s happening — but as I write this on July 15th I feel mounting dread and anger at the fact that Trump will address the nation tonight and is expected to say that his intelligence offices have found evidence that the 2020 election was rigged, particularly the Georgia senatorial contest. I will be furious when I read about the speech tomorrow. Then I will, I fear, feel another wave of anger and despair at how the media covers it — not as the outrageous and dangerous lies that they are but as “unsubstantiated” or “controversial” assertions.
July 4, 2026
This will be my last Haberman book. The same issues I had with Confidence Man continue. If you paid any attention to current events during the last year, then this book is just a reminder. I didn't see any new information in this book except for there was more thought into Venezuelan leadership decisions than I'd realized. Iran is saved for the final chapter or two. I could see the value in reading this 20 years from now but unnecessary now unless you are just looking for a recap of the last year.
June 26, 2026
Nor much new here. I knew most of these facts already. Only for those who are not News Junkies.
June 28, 2026
Although I'm not a fan of withholding reporting for the sake of book sales, I was pumped for this, especially after reading the recently released stories by Haberman & Swan. Unfortunately, if you've been reading the news closely for the last few years, most of this book won't be novel information. There are, however, some moments where you get an exclusive glimpse behind the curtain at the embarrassing, incompetent, impulsive, intentionally cruel dumpster fire that we have in American leadership today. If you aren't a consistent reader of the news and need a solid primer that touches on the history of Trump 1 and what's happened so far in Trump 2, this is a compilation of fantastic journalism and profiles of key players. All I'm left asking is who the leakers are... I'd bet on Bongino, Bondi, and Wiles.
June 28, 2026
Not sure who this book is for. The people most likely to read a book by two New York Times writers are....New York Times readers. But this book has little that is new to people who follow politics closely. And the most interesting nuggets were already excerpted in the Times.
June 29, 2026
The first real inside look at the second Trump term
Unlike the first term, where insiders leaked details on a weekly, if not daily, basis and tell-all books were emerging consistently, the second Trump term has been remarkably tighter-lipped. This is the first real insider account of the second term, and it’s an indispensable read, filled with fascinating details gathered from thousands of interviews.
Until this book, I didn’t know that Elon Musk camped out in his DOGE-era office in a sleeping bag with his only brought-in belongings a gaming PC and monitor, nor did I know the reactions of other staffers to the “move fast and break things” ethos Musk brought to DOGE cuts, including a near-fist fight. I’d never heard how Benjamin Netanyahu gifted his way back into Trump’s good graces or the grisly, golden gift he presented Trump with. And I definitely had no idea Stephen Miller was so heavily involved in writing policy, going so far as to suggest he could grant oil CEOs the authority to bypass the laws of physics if it only meant they’d drill during the Trump term.
This account is by no means a hit piece; it’s just as prone to point out failings and oversights in the Obama and Biden administrations, such as Obama hiring Homan and deporting people en masse. The book’s subject focuses on the second Trump term, of course, so the criticism of other administrators is provided as context.
Altogether, this book is an essential read to better understand what’s going on and to better appreciate the key players of this second term, from billionaire real estate buddies brokering peace deals to a four-year-old sitting in on top-level meetings.
Unlike the first term, where insiders leaked details on a weekly, if not daily, basis and tell-all books were emerging consistently, the second Trump term has been remarkably tighter-lipped. This is the first real insider account of the second term, and it’s an indispensable read, filled with fascinating details gathered from thousands of interviews.
Until this book, I didn’t know that Elon Musk camped out in his DOGE-era office in a sleeping bag with his only brought-in belongings a gaming PC and monitor, nor did I know the reactions of other staffers to the “move fast and break things” ethos Musk brought to DOGE cuts, including a near-fist fight. I’d never heard how Benjamin Netanyahu gifted his way back into Trump’s good graces or the grisly, golden gift he presented Trump with. And I definitely had no idea Stephen Miller was so heavily involved in writing policy, going so far as to suggest he could grant oil CEOs the authority to bypass the laws of physics if it only meant they’d drill during the Trump term.
This account is by no means a hit piece; it’s just as prone to point out failings and oversights in the Obama and Biden administrations, such as Obama hiring Homan and deporting people en masse. The book’s subject focuses on the second Trump term, of course, so the criticism of other administrators is provided as context.
Altogether, this book is an essential read to better understand what’s going on and to better appreciate the key players of this second term, from billionaire real estate buddies brokering peace deals to a four-year-old sitting in on top-level meetings.
July 6, 2026
"A forensic look at how the unimaginable becomes the mundane."
Haberman and Swan’s Regime Change is less a traditional political chronicle and more a study in systemic erosion. The book brilliantly captures how reality gets bent when an administration operates entirely on instincts and a complete lack of shame.
What makes this reporting so poignant is how it visualizes the dismantling of institutional guardrails not with a sudden crash, but through a steady flood of self-dealing and carefully constructed illusions.
Listening to it is an exhausting, triggering, validating, and deeply sobering reminder that the greatest threat to a democracy is simply getting used to the noise. 😢
Haberman and Swan’s Regime Change is less a traditional political chronicle and more a study in systemic erosion. The book brilliantly captures how reality gets bent when an administration operates entirely on instincts and a complete lack of shame.
What makes this reporting so poignant is how it visualizes the dismantling of institutional guardrails not with a sudden crash, but through a steady flood of self-dealing and carefully constructed illusions.
Listening to it is an exhausting, triggering, validating, and deeply sobering reminder that the greatest threat to a democracy is simply getting used to the noise. 😢
July 7, 2026
Easily accessible writing styles, almost cheerfully narrating a tale of democratic destruction and social norm obliteration. Don’t spend your money on this and reward the authors though. Take it out from the library.
The reporting clippety-clops along but we learn nothing new for the authors have been on a book tour and have retold many of these stories already. If you’re going to write a book that you would like people to pay ($15-20 on kindle) for, why do you release the contents for free in interviews just as the book is dropping? It’s like a movie where you get the story from the trailer.
I would prefer the authors report on this democratic destruction in real time with headlines and succinct writing in the daily newspaper (NYT) instead of contorting themselves into “both sides” narrative pretzels with watered down wording in an article hidden on page 9. Why do we readers have to wait months for a book to come out when we should be getting news as it is occurring? Yes articles have been written, and the appendix takes up a full third of the book but I feel like I’ve just rewarded two people who routinely have engaged in normalizing this presidency. Especially Maggie Haberman.
Don’t buy this book if you believe we should be getting this from our NYT subscriptions in unadulterated and timely pieces.
The reporting clippety-clops along but we learn nothing new for the authors have been on a book tour and have retold many of these stories already. If you’re going to write a book that you would like people to pay ($15-20 on kindle) for, why do you release the contents for free in interviews just as the book is dropping? It’s like a movie where you get the story from the trailer.
I would prefer the authors report on this democratic destruction in real time with headlines and succinct writing in the daily newspaper (NYT) instead of contorting themselves into “both sides” narrative pretzels with watered down wording in an article hidden on page 9. Why do we readers have to wait months for a book to come out when we should be getting news as it is occurring? Yes articles have been written, and the appendix takes up a full third of the book but I feel like I’ve just rewarded two people who routinely have engaged in normalizing this presidency. Especially Maggie Haberman.
Don’t buy this book if you believe we should be getting this from our NYT subscriptions in unadulterated and timely pieces.
July 14, 2026
Just when you thought this administration couldn’t get any worse, it does. This book is a reminder of all of the chaos we have forgotten. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan are two of my favorite reporters. As a loyal NYT reader/listener, these stories aren’t new, but worth reading again for their detailed reporting
July 4, 2026
Strong reporting but never really moves beyond reporting into the realm of analysis. For this reason, I cannot give it a higher rating as most of what is reported is not new.
June 28, 2026
I listened to the audiobook. It wasn't easy because the level of corruption and sycophancy in the current administration is sickening. That being said I still believe most Americans believe in the core values of American democracy and want a government that works for the people, all people. Margaret Mead said it best. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." The midterms are coming.
July 8, 2026
4.5
Someday, this will be a textbook in some history class. Right now, all of them should be tried for treason.
Someday, this will be a textbook in some history class. Right now, all of them should be tried for treason.
July 9, 2026
This is a tedious book, but only because it is about a clearly tedious man. I was hoping for some grand narrative that explains how everything holds together. But everything holds together only because Trump thinks it at that particular moment--for now. I guess you can see how 500 pages of that gets tedious.
June 26, 2026
An inside look over this past year with exhaustive detail but it flowed so well.
July 4, 2026
This is a well-written and compelling book. Many of the events and issues it describes are infuriating, leaving the reader feeling both angry and powerless. It paints a disturbing picture of a president whose actions are reckless, incompetent and devoid of thoughtful leadership. As the saying goes ‘the emperor has no clothes’
My question is this: if the authors (who are journalists!) had access to so much of this information, why wasn’t more of it reported as these events were unfolding? Instead, it has been packaged into a book after the fact. While I appreciate the insights it provides, I couldn’t help wondering whether $$$$ came in the way of actually helping the country - extremely irresponsible! Looks like the US media and publishing industries are more interested in profiting from major events than informing the public when it matters most. Hopefully this won’t be the case for much longer!
My question is this: if the authors (who are journalists!) had access to so much of this information, why wasn’t more of it reported as these events were unfolding? Instead, it has been packaged into a book after the fact. While I appreciate the insights it provides, I couldn’t help wondering whether $$$$ came in the way of actually helping the country - extremely irresponsible! Looks like the US media and publishing industries are more interested in profiting from major events than informing the public when it matters most. Hopefully this won’t be the case for much longer!
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