Obviously, I’m some kind of masochist. To date I’ve read and reviewed 25 books about Donald Trump. I’d sworn off subjecting myself to any others until Maggie Haberman’s account of Trump’s first year back in office. She’s been on point on Donald Trump for the New York Times for more than a decade. Her reporting has made headlines again and again. And so has that of her coauthor in their new book, Regime Change. Jonathan Swan also has a decade of reporting on Trump. They provide a bird’s-eye view of Trump’s presidency in 2025 and early 2026. There’s no earthshaking new disclosure here, but the effect is breathtaking nonetheless. By digging into Trump’s sociopathic behavior, through one crisis after another, nearly all of his own making, the effect is devastating. I’m afraid we may never recover from the damage he’s done.
Making America weak again
Qualified and knowledgeable observers have made the point again and again that Donald Trump has entrenched the most corrupt administration since Ulysses S. Grant’s a century and a half ago. But the bribery, extortion, self-dealing, and profiteering are the least of the problem. The more than 1,000 interviews Haberman and Swan conducted in preparing this book make that abundantly clear.
Each one of the priority policies of the Trump Administration is making the United States dramatically weaker. Alienating our allies and sharply reducing our stature in the world. Hobbling the economy with inflationary tariffs and a pointless war. Deepening the gulf between haves and have-nots and thus empowering a tiny oligarchy. Endangering our world leadership in science and technology. Undermining the democratic institutions that guarantee our freedoms. And reducing the diversity that ensures the vitality and innovative spirit that have always made America great.
Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan (2026) 496 pages ★★★★★
What it all means
From the book’s title to contents that make the point again and again, Haberman and Snow make clear that Trump’s second term in office does not represent a typical shift from Democratic to Republican. Rather, it’s offering a fundamentally different conception of the presidency itself. One that bears a greater resemblance to the strongman regimes of our major adversaries than to the governments of our democratic allies.
Unprecedented
If the so-called originalists on the Supreme Court had an ounce of intellectual integrity, they would recognize Trump’s grab for dictatorial power for exactly what it is: a repudiation of the Framers’ “original intent” to constrain the presidency through the separation of powers. Trump’s relegation of Congress to rubber-stampers and yes-men and his frequent refusal to heed judicial orders is entirely without precedent.
Kleptocratic
The only previous administration with any claim to rival Donald Trump’s second term for corruption is that of Ulysses S. Grant’s (1868-76). Numerous members of Grant’s Cabinet, staff, and family enriched themselves with millions of dollars gained through bribery or crooked legislative schemes. But those millions pale beside the billions Trump himself, his family, and prominent members of his government have gained in barely more than one year in office since January 20, 2025. Even adjusting for inflation and the much greater size of the US economy, the comparison is no comparison at all.
Suicidal
The Trump Administration is setting the nation on a suicidal course in multiple ways. Reversing necessary measures to slow climate change. Undermining the international order that protected our health, fostered good will toward us around the world, and boosted our economy through trade and tourism. And entering onto military adventures that alienate other nations, strengthen our adversaries, and endanger the primacy of the US dollar.
How it’s happening
During Trump’s first term, many of those in his Cabinet and staff acted to thwart his ugliest instincts. But after losing in 2020—and Donald Trump simply will not ever admit he’s lost—a string of indictments, convictions, assassination attempts, and vilification in the media have toughened his already thick skin. He’s now more powerful, more vengeful, and more willing to gamble. And the nay-sayers and independent voices of the first term are now gone. Surrounded by sycophants who enforce a cult of personality reminiscent of Joseph Stalin’s, bad news rarely reaches him. Only about half a dozen like-minded people take part in making major decisions. And a young woman who always whispers encouraging news and adoring reassurances in his ear, further insulates him from reality.
When Trump makes personnel choices, two criteria dominate. One, of course, is personal loyalty as determined by a candidate’s views on the insurrection on January 6, 2021 and the certification of Joe Biden’s victory a day later. The other is that candidates must “look the part.” Again and again, Trump notes that his choice for a key post “looks like he came from Central Casting.” He routinely favors candidates who are physically attractive.
Some observers explain all this by asserting that Trump is mentally ill. Others that he’s simply grown senile. And there are indications that both claims may be true. But what does it matter? The 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which is meant to address these problems, is unlikely ever to be activated. Because the self-seeking men and women in the Cabinet and on his staff understand that they can’t afford to see him gone from office. They would lose their command of policy and their access to the till.
About the authors
Maggie Haberman is a White House correspondent for The New York Times and a political analyst for CNN. She has been closely following Donald Trump for more than a decade, reporting on him ever since his first campaign for the presidency. This is her second book about him. In 2022, she published Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America.
Haberman was born in 1973 in New York City, the daughter of long-time Times reporter Clyde Haberman. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, who is also a reporter, and their three children.
Jonathan Swan is an Australian-American investigative journalist at The New York Times. In 2020, he conducted an interview with Donald Trump that gained widespread attention and acclaim. As a national political correspondent for Axios, Swan covered Trump’s first administration from 2017 to 2021. He joined the Times in 2023, where he has worked closely with Maggie Haberman ever since in covering Trump’s second administration.
Swan was born in Sydney in 1985. He worked as an investigative reporter in Australia before emigrating to the US in 2015. He’s married to a fellow reporter at Politico. They have two children. Swan has been an American citizen since 2024.
For related reading
Be sure to check out The top 7 books about Donald Trump and Top 10 nonfiction books about politics.
For links to other great reading, see:
- The five best novels about politics
- Top 20 popular books for understanding American history
- 12 great biographies
- 25 top nonfiction books about history
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