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Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump
17 hours, 7 minutes
A riveting, intimate, and revelatory account of the most radical and consequential 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 claimed powers that Congress once checked. What remains is a President willing to take enormous risks that have toppled heads of state and taken the country to war again in the Middle East; 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 remade the global trading system and launched military operations that have shocked the world, and 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. Haberman and Swan 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.
A riveting, intimate, and revelatory account of the most radical and consequential 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 claimed powers that Congress once checked. What remains is a President willing to take enormous risks that have toppled heads of state and taken the country to war again in the Middle East; 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 remade the global trading system and launched military operations that have shocked the world, and 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. Haberman and Swan 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.
Audiobook
First published June 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
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 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 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 27, 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 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 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.
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
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.
June 26, 2026
An inside look over this past year with exhaustive detail but it flowed so well.
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.
June 27, 2026
This was not a cheap shot about Trump it.
The writers presented facts and left the reader to make judgements .
So whether you are left leaning or right leaning this is as close to unbiased as it gets
Most of the details have already been presented in some other form of news .
The writers presented facts and left the reader to make judgements .
So whether you are left leaning or right leaning this is as close to unbiased as it gets
Most of the details have already been presented in some other form of news .
June 24, 2026
Crafted from a multitude of “on background” comments from people in and near the administration, the authors give us an insider’s view of the relentless events of this administration’s first year. A lot of people won’t want to relive it, but it’s hard to look away.
June 27, 2026
Excellently written, detailed, and an important work in detailing the first two years of Trump's presidency. This is what journalism should look like. Objective, truthful, and the authors do a proper job leaving the reader to form their own opinion.
If you're a regular reader of The New York Times, several chapters in this book will read very familiarly. As a result, there are portions of this book that have been public knowledge in full for some time now.
Despite this, the book does an excellent job chronicling Trump's attitudes, ever shifting, as he transitioned from President, non-president, and then President again. The understandings and observations in this book help the reader get a strong sense of how things are carried out in the day to day operations of Trump's presidency (for better or worse).
Perhaps most importantly, this book is not just about Donald Trump. The book does an excellent job shedding light on the thoughts and actions of important actors in the Trump admin including Stephen Miller, JD Vance, Susie Wiles and countless others.
Well worth the read and an essential for staying informed, even if not every chapter offers a new revelation.
If you're a regular reader of The New York Times, several chapters in this book will read very familiarly. As a result, there are portions of this book that have been public knowledge in full for some time now.
Despite this, the book does an excellent job chronicling Trump's attitudes, ever shifting, as he transitioned from President, non-president, and then President again. The understandings and observations in this book help the reader get a strong sense of how things are carried out in the day to day operations of Trump's presidency (for better or worse).
Perhaps most importantly, this book is not just about Donald Trump. The book does an excellent job shedding light on the thoughts and actions of important actors in the Trump admin including Stephen Miller, JD Vance, Susie Wiles and countless others.
Well worth the read and an essential for staying informed, even if not every chapter offers a new revelation.
June 27, 2026
A uniquely crafted historical overview of events between 2023 and March 2026, with a non-linear structure which uses milestones of the second term to present and contextualize key members of the President’s inner circle, from their origins to the paths that put them where they are now. The anecdotes and details presented are shockingly intimate, in a way that makes you play an internal game of “Guess Who?” to narrow down the very small number of potential leakers.
An early outlining of how the admin handles public perception intrigued me, as it seems to illuminate almost every piece of spectacle we’ve seen to date. “There was no better counter for a screw-up than an outrage.” So many episodes of outrage caused by bumbling human screw-ups. So many avoidable screw-ups that caused distracting outrage. And through it all, it doesn’t stop. It’s a perpetual-motion machine, constantly sustaining itself. The only thing you can do is use the context you’ve gained to pay more attention to what’s coming next.
An early outlining of how the admin handles public perception intrigued me, as it seems to illuminate almost every piece of spectacle we’ve seen to date. “There was no better counter for a screw-up than an outrage.” So many episodes of outrage caused by bumbling human screw-ups. So many avoidable screw-ups that caused distracting outrage. And through it all, it doesn’t stop. It’s a perpetual-motion machine, constantly sustaining itself. The only thing you can do is use the context you’ve gained to pay more attention to what’s coming next.
June 25, 2026
I'm a huge fan of Jonathan Swan...Maggie Haberman not so much (although she's an excellent reporter). It goes against my better judgment when reporters withhold information from their primary work vehicle (the New York Times). That being the case, everyone is out to get their piece of the coin. The book is well sourced and bulletproof it appears (apparently there are recordings of conversations with the Vice President leading an Epstein strategy session in the Situation Room). Many of the blood curling stories have made it into the mainstream press already but one of the most telling vignettes was one from Gary Palmer's caddy turned historian who put Donald in the company of some of history's most ruthless dictators. The reporting overall is first-class compared to the pathetic meanderings and falsehoods Jake Tapper put out about Biden. Not readily apparent who the leakers are in this administration but if I had to guess, I'd put my finger on Wiles and Biondi.
June 27, 2026
When I had cable TV I really liked watching Maggie Haberman's interviews on CNN.
This book, while very well written, did not provide me with a lot of new information about Trump's first year in his 2nd term. What is did do was lay out ALL of the ways this administration is moving away from a democratic, rules based government that used to be checked by congress and the senate to one that is solely at the whim of the president. Trump just does everything by edict and all of his illegal decisions just keep adding up. No one is willing or able to stand up to him and that is mostly because members of the house and senate do not want to lose their powerful and financially advantageous positions.
I don't rely on U.S. media to get my information. I am Canadian so turn to CBC and BBC mostly for truth in what is really going on in the U.S. Scary stuff for sure. The amount of corruption and pursuit of personal wealth is unbelievable.
This book, while very well written, did not provide me with a lot of new information about Trump's first year in his 2nd term. What is did do was lay out ALL of the ways this administration is moving away from a democratic, rules based government that used to be checked by congress and the senate to one that is solely at the whim of the president. Trump just does everything by edict and all of his illegal decisions just keep adding up. No one is willing or able to stand up to him and that is mostly because members of the house and senate do not want to lose their powerful and financially advantageous positions.
I don't rely on U.S. media to get my information. I am Canadian so turn to CBC and BBC mostly for truth in what is really going on in the U.S. Scary stuff for sure. The amount of corruption and pursuit of personal wealth is unbelievable.
June 26, 2026
While the book covers a few aspects of happenings, this is almost like listening to good clips of news that hit news podcasters over the last 18 months- think Medias Touch, IHIP News, Harry Litman -etc. . I found nothing new of real interest within these pages. I also was quite disappointed that this book was promoted as having extra facts that we didn't know about this Trump term
.
I gave it a 3 out of 5 because the writing itself was competent. I also enjoyed the narrator, which is good.
However, there isn't a single surprising thing inside here. Listen or don't. Maybe it will be a good reference for the future generations of people who might not have the real story easily accessible elsewhere.
.
I gave it a 3 out of 5 because the writing itself was competent. I also enjoyed the narrator, which is good.
However, there isn't a single surprising thing inside here. Listen or don't. Maybe it will be a good reference for the future generations of people who might not have the real story easily accessible elsewhere.
June 27, 2026
Very thorough. Well researched. Well written. Captivating.
Maggie & Jonathan,
Thank you for your service to the American public.
You were in battle for a long time to obtain this information and make it available. You had to endure a great deal to bring us this information. We appreciate this.
Many of us still see you journalists as one of the last bastions that are still trying to protect freedom of speech. You are our current day gladiators who continue to put on your armor each day to find and report truth and what we need to know.
It is a difficult job. But please be aware that we appreciate you and admire your courage. We are still standing, in part, because of people like you who won't stop and won't let us fail.
Thank you.
Beth
Maggie & Jonathan,
Thank you for your service to the American public.
You were in battle for a long time to obtain this information and make it available. You had to endure a great deal to bring us this information. We appreciate this.
Many of us still see you journalists as one of the last bastions that are still trying to protect freedom of speech. You are our current day gladiators who continue to put on your armor each day to find and report truth and what we need to know.
It is a difficult job. But please be aware that we appreciate you and admire your courage. We are still standing, in part, because of people like you who won't stop and won't let us fail.
Thank you.
Beth
June 28, 2026
This book provides an excellent overview/summary of the second Trump administration to this point. Yes, it doesn't provide much new information, as other reviewers have pointed out; however, it does gather the information in one place and allows the reader to take in just how much has occurred over the last two years. The book also allows the reader to gain deeper insight into the conversations and processes (or lack thereof) behind the administration's actions. This level of detail is not always possible to provide in a brief newspaper story, and it loses its impact when it comes out a little bit at a time.
June 24, 2026
Solid, comprehensive and imho great at profiling different personalities around the president. I am not sure I learned something I did not know after following the news closely - at the same time I am quite confident that this might serve as a testament to one of the wildest political eras in world history.
June 25, 2026
The quotes were interesting but they still stayed firmly centrist, going so far as to actually argue antifa is a real organization despite a half decade of that being blatantly untrue. While there is some new information most of this book is just providing backdrop for the circus that we are all being forced to watch.
June 28, 2026
We have all seen what is happening in Trump's second term but what is happening behind closed doors is truly terrifying. People in the Administration know many times what he's doing is wrong but even when they speak up a little they still let him make the final decision, even when they know it's wrong. Haberman and Swann have given us an eye opening read.
June 25, 2026
At a time when the world is experiencing a crisis in democratic institutions I was hoping for more than death grip on the obvious "reporting" by alleged "journalists"
These two should collaborate with Jake Tapper.
These two should collaborate with Jake Tapper.
June 26, 2026
pretty good as far as political non-fiction books go. i don't have any profound insights to share about it, was a pretty easy read that i felt left me with a better understanding of what's been going on behind the scenes this term
June 27, 2026
Outstanding book and high quality reporting and sourcing. It was absolutely insane to see just how much happened in such a short span of time and get the behind the scenes conversations. Frankly, I feel even more disturbed by hearing his perspective and priorities. Highly recommend.
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.
Read
June 28, 2026Not a whole lot new information added to political sickos who have watched this administration's every move. But does add a lot of colors to the stories that were publicly covered. Read it as reality TV to appreciate how *delicious the cabinet infightings are.
June 25, 2026
This is an excellent account of what corruption does and all those that pay to play for power and money. This administration will go down in history as the worst in American history.
June 26, 2026
You guys sat on this shit for a year to make money? Goddamn. I hate this timeline.
June 26, 2026
Inside analysis of the hourly chaos in Washington DC.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews