Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan's 'Regime Change' Exposes Trump's Imperial Presidency

New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan have released 'Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,' a book based on over 1,000 interviews with people in and around Trump's second administration. The book details Trump's obsession with gilt accessories, which he personally affixed to walls with superglue, and his inquiries about a triumphal arch in Washington adorned with a statue of himself. Trump drew vindication from a document comparing him to Joseph Stalin, Genghis Khan, Adolf Hitler, and Attila the Hun, later revealed to be written by Gary Player's former caddy. Trump called the book 'mostly made up, fake news, largely fiction' and insulted Haberman as 'Magot Hagerman... a third-rate writer and fourth-rate intellect.' In an interview with Monocle's The Foreign Desk, Haberman and Swan discussed Trump's weaponization of the federal government against media, civil society, universities, and law firms. Swan noted that Trump uses every lever to squeeze organizations he opposes, but The New York Times remains independent. Haberman described Trump's anger over coverage and his use of DOJ subpoenas against reporters. The book aims to provide context and depth beyond daily coverage, which often treats Trump as a cartoon character. Trump agreed to an interview for the book, during which he showed the authors the document comparing him to historical dictators, and was relaxed despite having attacked Haberman on Truth Social days earlier.