Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump
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Background
Authorial Context: Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan
Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan are two of the most experienced American political journalists covering Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Haberman, a New York native, began her career at the New York Post before working for the New York Daily News and Politico. She joined The New York Times in 2015 and became one of its principal reporters on Trump, covering his 2016 campaign, first presidency, 2020 campaign, post-presidential political activity, and return to the White House. She has covered six presidential elections and has received the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting as part of a Times team examining Trump advisers and their connections to Russia. In 2022, she published Confidence Man, a detailed account of Trump’s political career and first presidency.
Swan, an Australian-born journalist, began his career in Australian newspapers before moving to the United States in 2014. He joined the newly established Axios and became a national political reporter specializing in Trump, the White House, and Republican politics. During the 2016 campaign and Trump’s first administration, Swan developed a reputation for obtaining information from senior Republican and White House sources and for breaking major stories about the administration. His 2020 interview with Trump, in which he challenged the president’s presentation of pandemic statistics, became one of the most widely discussed political interviews of that election year and earned him an Emmy.
The careers of Haberman and Swan give them complementary perspectives on the second Trump administration. Haberman brings long-term knowledge of Trump himself, his political network, and the institutions surrounding him. Swan brings extensive experience reporting from inside Trump’s political operation and from conversations with Republican officials and administration figures. By the time Regime Change appeared, both had spent roughly a decade reporting on Trump’s political rise, first presidency, defeat in 2020, return to national power, and second administration. Their access, accumulated sources, and familiarity with Trump’s methods place them unusually close to the political developments they describe, meaning that they are well placed to cover the stories that appear in Regime Change.
Historical Context: The 2026 War in Iran
The 2026 war between the United States, Israel, and Iran grew out of longstanding disputes over Iran’s nuclear program, its regional military influence, and the security relationship between Iran and Israel. Tensions had intensified during the preceding years as Iran was reported to have expanded uranium enrichment and as Israel confronted Iranian-backed groups across the Middle East. Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January 2025, promising to pursue American interests abroad while avoiding another prolonged Middle Eastern war. By early 2026, however, negotiations and pressure on Iran had failed to produce an agreement acceptable to Washington and Jerusalem.
On February 28, 2026, Israel and the US launched a major military operation against Iran. The initial strikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, military infrastructure, missile capabilities, and senior officials. Trump presented the operation as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to weaken its capacity to threaten Israel and American forces in the region. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against Israel and American military positions and facilities in the Middle East. The conflict rapidly expanded beyond the initial exchange of strikes.
The American decision marked a major shift from Trump’s earlier emphasis on avoiding extended military engagements. The administration initially appeared to expect a short campaign, but Iranian retaliation, attacks involving regional allies and armed groups, and the importance of the Strait of Hormuz prolonged the conflict. Hormuz became especially important because it carries a substantial portion of the world’s oil and gas shipments. Restrictions and attacks affecting shipping therefore produced international economic consequences as well as military ones.
By the time of Regime Change’s publication (and the writing of this guide), the war remains unresolved. The US has continued military operations and economic pressure against Iran, while Iran retains the ability to retaliate and disrupt regional shipping. The conflict has become an important test of Trump’s foreign-policy approach and has introduced significant military, economic, and political pressures for his administration.
Political Context: January 6 and the 2020 Election
The January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol followed two months of conflict over the 2020 presidential election. Joe Biden had defeated Donald Trump in the Electoral College and the popular vote, but Trump refused to concede and repeatedly asserted that the election had been stolen. Courts, state election officials, and election-security officials rejected claims that widespread fraud had changed the result. Trump and his allies nevertheless continued efforts to challenge results in several states and to persuade Republican officials and members of Congress to obstruct or delay certification.
On January 6, Congress met to count the electoral votes and formally certify Biden’s victory. Trump addressed supporters at a rally near the White House and urged them to march toward the Capitol. A crowd subsequently breached police barriers, entered the Capitol, disrupted the congressional proceedings, and forced lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence to evacuate or seek shelter. The attack interrupted the constitutional process for several hours. Congress reconvened that evening and completed the certification early on January 7. The Library of Congress described the attack as an attempt to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 electoral vote.
Trump initially responded publicly by repeating claims about election fraud while telling the crowd to leave the Capitol. Later, he issued a video message asking supporters to go home while continuing to describe the election as stolen. The attack produced a sharp reaction across Washington. Some Republicans who had supported objections to the electoral count withdrew their objections, while others continued to challenge the results. The House of Representatives subsequently voted to impeach Trump for a second time, charging him with incitement of insurrection. The Senate trial ended with acquittal.
The attack produced extensive criminal investigations and prosecutions. The Justice Department described January 6 as an attack on the peaceful transfer of presidential power, and federal prosecutors pursued hundreds of cases against participants. The House Select Committee investigating January 6 released its final report in December 2022. The events also became a continuing dividing line within the Republican Party, with disputes over election denial, Trump’s responsibility for January 6, and the legitimacy of the 2020 election continuing to shape American politics and Trump’s political movement.
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