Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, the reporters behind the new book Regime Change, have detailed the extreme lengths they went to in order to pry loose secrets from Donald Trump's second-term administration, which they describe as "very good at keeping secrets." In an interview, Haberman highlighted Trump's health as a particularly guarded topic, noting that the president perceives illness as weakness and that his advisers are highly attuned to this. She stated that the number of people who know the true state of his health is minimal, and they provide less and less information, with the last real disclosure occurring in 2018. Haberman pointed out that the administration was not honest about Trump's COVID-19 illness in 2020, and it remains unclear if more significant health issues will be revealed before the end of his term.
Health Secrecy and Physical Signs
Trump's health is a prime example of the administration's secrecy, according to Haberman. As Trump slurs his words, shuffles down steps, and sleeps in meetings, with visible bruises and swelling, his every move is scrutinized. The book describes sleep-ins after social media all-nighters, documents hoarded in chaotic quarters, and a mania for remodeling, including the president trying to glue gold appliques over the fire in the Oval Office. Despite aides' reluctance to share information, Trump himself often divulges details. In a set-piece interview concluding Regime Change, Trump told the authors that a historian—later revealed to be golfer Gary Player's caddie—compared him to historical figures like Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and Hitler.
Challenges of Inside-the-Room Reporting
Swan explained that there has been little inside-the-room reporting since last year because it is "really fucking hard." He dismissed Trump's claim of being the most transparent president as nonsense, emphasizing the administration's effectiveness at keeping secrets. Some secrets, however, can be prised loose. Regime Change details Situation Room discussions about the Epstein scandal and the White House's worries about how such material was obtained. The reporters declined to reveal their sourcing but described the immense effort involved.
Iran War Decisions and Secrecy
Swan cited the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran, signed last week, as an example of extreme secrecy. He noted that almost no one inside the US government had seen the document until it was publicly announced, with only the tiniest inner circle aware of its contents. Senior officials in the state department and Pentagon were kept in the dark, and parts of the intelligence community monitored the talks as if they were a foreign government. The book reports on Trump's decisions to take the US to war with Iran, including bombing nuclear facilities last summer and joining Israel in an all-out air assault this year. Swan revealed that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright were not in the meetings leading up to the war and only learned about it the day before in the Situation Room.
Authors' Perspective and Book Focus
Haberman and Swan are uncomfortable with comparisons to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Regime Change serves as a first draft of history under the second Trump administration. Haberman said they "nearly killed themselves" during the book's production, aiming to capture something deeper than day-to-day reporting. The focus is on Trump's return, his unprecedented use of presidential power, and how he and a small group prepared for it. While this was "fairly effective" for a time, Haberman noted that it is now less so, as Trump remains deeply unpopular, Iran talks continue, and America is fractured. The president's attempts to plaster his name across the capital are mired in scandal.
Trump's New York Origins and Mania for Rebuilding
Swan is based in Washington DC, while Haberman is from New York City. Her experience reporting on Trump in New York, which formed the basis of her earlier book Confidence Man, was invaluable. She drew a parallel between Trump's current mania for rebuilding—such as the ballroom, arch, and reflecting pool—and his completion of the Wollman Rink in Central Park in 1986, which he has woven into his origin story. Haberman noted that Trump never got over having his name torn off buildings in New York during his first term. Regime Change is now available.
