New Trump book will have readers playing the parlour game: who blabbed?

The new book Regime Change, written by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, offers a detailed account of the first year of Donald Trump’s second term. The authors conducted over one thousand interviews on deep background to piece together the inner workings of the current administration. This reporting provides a view into sensitive meetings, including those surrounding military operations and high-level strategy sessions.

Political observers are focused on the direct quotes and internal scenes described in the text. The book details specific, private comments from the president regarding world leaders and his own political appointees. One notable section focuses on his aggressive stance toward Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. These accounts rely on participants within the room providing information to the authors.

Beyond these internal conflicts, the book tracks broader policy goals like immigration enforcement and shifts in international relations. It covers episodes such as the gift of a gold-plated pager from Benjamin Netanyahu. The text highlights a recurring theme of retribution, which the authors identify as a primary focus of the administration’s agenda during this period.

While the reporting is dense, it leaves some questions unanswered. The authors provide limited insight into the president’s personal health, despite noting public instances of physical decline. The book serves as a historical document that records the internal dynamics of the government, though it remains a source of tension for those close to the president who are now tasked with identifying the sources of these leaks.