A new book by journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan offers C-suite executives a rare strategic map of how Donald Trump thinks, governs, and can be influenced — knowledge that is increasingly material to any business operating in the current policy environment. The book, "Regime Change," reportedly sparked a leak hunt inside the West Wing after its contents circulated.
The Great Man Theory: Trump's Singular Obsession
The "Great Man theory of history" holds that pivotal historical moments are shaped by extraordinary individuals rather than structural forces. Understanding that Trump has internalized this framework — and applies it to himself — is the first thing Swan wants CEOs to absorb.
Trump, Swan says, is not primarily motivated by winning the midterm elections, improving his domestic approval ratings, or even positioning Vice President Vance for a future run. His overriding goal is to be remembered as a Great Man of world history. For executives seeking access or alignment, the practical implication is direct: frame your pitch around how your company or proposal contributes to a lasting, monument-worthy legacy.
The Inner Circle: A Half-Dozen Loyalists Running a Parallel Operation
"Oligarchy," in a political context, refers to a small group exercising disproportionate power behind formal institutional structures. Swan's second lesson for CEOs is that Trump's public statements and his actual decision-making operate on separate tracks.
The real action, Swan reports, runs through a tight cluster of loyalists who sometimes convene in the Situation Room specifically to limit leaks on domestic plans. That group includes Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Stephen Miller, and chief of staff Susie Wiles. For any executive trying to read the policy signal from public noise, tracking the movements and statements of these five figures is more instructive than parsing Trump's public declarations.
Volatility as Strategy: Grand Gestures Ahead
Swan's third point functions as a forward-looking risk disclosure. Trump is not optimizing for incremental policy wins; he is searching for grand gestures commensurate with his self-image. Swan suggests executives should not be surprised if Trump pursues a sweeping deal with China to redraw spheres of global influence, or moves to expand U.S. territorial ambitions in the Western Hemisphere.
For corporate planners and risk committees, this framing reframes the volatility premium embedded in current markets. The unexpected headline is not a bug in Trump's approach — it is a feature.
The After-Dark Channel
Swan adds a practical, operational note that seasoned Washington hands already know: Trump remains reachable long after midnight and fields calls from a wide circle that includes reporters and business figures who have obtained his personal number. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is identified as one conduit for those who prefer a go-between. The implication for C-suite government-relations strategy is that access in this administration is less gated by formal scheduling than in most.