New book claims Trump expanded executive power and corruption
A new book alleges that Donald Trump has permanently changed the US presidency by expanding executive power and increasing corruption.
Narrative Synthesis
Neutral news article compiled by integrating coverage details from all reporting stations.
A new book by Pulitzer Prize winning author Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, titled "Regime Change," alleges that Donald Trump has fundamentally altered the US presidency by vastly expanding executive power and normalising corruption. The book argues that Trump's second term, beginning in 2025, represented a massive escalation in the use of presidential authority, moving beyond the typical transfer of power between parties. Haberman described it as a form of regime change within the United States, something the country is unused to covering.
The authors contend that Trump's shamelessness and his iron grip over the Republican Party have allowed him to push the boundaries of executive power further than any recent predecessor. While the expansion of presidential power has been a gradual trend over decades, Trump is said to have thrown accelerant on the process. The book also highlights a new level of corruption, with Trump enriching friends and family through ventures such as meme coins and hotels, effectively turning US foreign policy into a branch of personal enrichment. This normalisation of corruption is seen by some commentators as a more worrying development than the so called imperial presidency.
However, the permanence of these changes is questioned. Some analysts note that Trump's presidency may not succeed in the long run, pointing to opinion polls ahead of the midterms and the economic consequences of the Iran situation. The fact that both the House and Senate are currently in Republican hands has meant no effective check on his actions, but that could change in November. The book's authors and commentators suggest that the American electorate, historically adaptable, may pivot if Trump's policies fail to deliver on the economy. There is also a view that Democrats and more moderate Republicans need to find a candidate who can reform the system, much as Bill Clinton did in the 1990s.
Despite the criticism, the book acknowledges that Trump has been right on some issues, such as pushing back against woke ideology, securing the southern border, and liberalising permitting for data centres. This mixed record makes it harder to dismiss his presidency as wholly negative. The central question remains whether the changes he has wrought will outlast his time in office, or whether the system will correct itself.
On screen
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Key Claims
Factual or political claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC Two |
|---|---|
| Maggie Haberman's book 'Regime Change' argues that Trump's second term represents a massive expansion of executive power and normalized corruption, enriching his family and friends. |
Channel Perspectives
Editorial focus, emphasis angles, and key quotes from each reporting news station.
The channel focused on an in depth interview with co author Maggie Haberman, followed by a panel discussion with historian Mary Beard and other commentators. The tone was analytical and concerned, exploring the long term implications of Trump's expansion of executive power and corruption. The discussion also drew parallels with UK politics, comparing Trump's decisive action to the perceived inaction of the previous UK prime minister. The segment balanced the book's alarming claims with counterpoints about Trump's potential failures and the resilience of American democracy.
- “This was an entirely different type of US presidency, a massive, massive escalation in expansion of executive power.”
- “I think the biggest effect that Trump has had on the presidency is the corruption. The normalization, if this is taken forward, if it's allowed to take place where he's enriched his friends and family with these meme coins, these hotels going up around the world, U.S. foreign policy is a branch of personal enrichment, that is the norm that I'm more worried about than the imperial presidency.”
- “I suspect a very intelligent electorate in my view will see that what Trump has proposed is not working.”
Bulletin Timeline
Chronological list of news reports tracked for this story.