Overview
- The authors Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman published Regime Change on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, after previewing its central claims on MS NOW the night before.
- They report that a very small group — described as “five or six people and Donald Trump” — has driven major decisions inside the White House rather than full cabinet teams or technical experts.
- The book recounts a February 26 high‑level meeting tied to U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and says the Treasury secretary, Energy secretary and the director of national intelligence were not included one day before the operation, which could leave planners without needed input on oil markets and intelligence.
- Swan and Haberman name attendees they say were in the war‑planning room, including Vice President JD Vance, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House counsel David Warrington and others.
- The narrative traces how a loyal cohort led by Susie Wiles rebuilt Trump’s operation after 2020, and it is based on hundreds of interviews; the administration has not publicly confirmed the book’s specific reconstructions and media outlets have been widely amplifying the claims.