Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, the reporters behind the new book Regime Change, have detailed the challenges of uncovering secrets from Donald Trump’s second term. The book, which explores Trump’s 2026 comeback blueprint, reveals a White House that is “very good at keeping secrets”, according to Haberman.
One of the most tightly guarded topics is Trump’s health. Haberman noted that the president perceives illness as weakness, and his advisers provide minimal information. “The number of people who actually know what is happening with his health … they’ve provided less and less information,” she said. The authors highlight that Trump’s health has been a “lockbox” since his first term, with no real updates since 2018.
The book describes Trump’s physical decline, including slurred speech, shuffling steps, and bruised hands, while his administration maintains secrecy. Swan explained that only a tiny group of people run the government, making inside reporting extremely difficult. “It’s really fucking hard,” he said, dismissing Trump’s claims of transparency as “complete nonsense”.
Regime Change also covers the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and the secretive negotiations leading to the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran. Swan revealed that even senior officials in the State Department and Pentagon were kept in the dark about the document’s terms. The book details Trump’s decisions to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities and join Israel in air assaults, decisions made by a small inner circle.
The authors worked tirelessly to pry loose these secrets, with Swan admitting, “We nearly killed ourselves.” Despite the administration’s secrecy, Trump himself often provides material, such as comparing himself to historical figures like Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte. The book concludes with an interview where Trump made these claims, underscoring his self-image as a transformative leader.
