Trump enjoyed comparisons of his power to that of Mao and Genghis Khan. [View all]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/us/politics/trump-regime-change-book-haberman-swan.html

A President Using Super Glue and Irked About Epstein: Takeaways From a New Trump Book
The book by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan of The New York Times, “Regime Change,” reveals a host of details and surprising exchanges as President Trump pushed to drastically expand his power.
By Tim Balk
June 18, 2026

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Trump enjoyed comparisons of his power to that of Mao and Genghis Khan.

In an interview that Ms. Haberman and Mr. Swan conducted with Mr. Trump for the book, the president, who had started the war with Iran two weeks earlier, reflected on his power.

The president listed a series of powerful figures from history, drawn from a two-page document that an acquaintance had given him, and then explained why he thought their power paled in comparison to his, since they lacked global reach.

Rattling off names including Alexander the Great and William the Conqueror, the president noted, “They didn’t have airplanes,” according to the book.

He continued, reciting more names: Napoleon, Hitler, Mao, Stalin. Those leaders, Mr. Trump told the authors, “maintained power through fear.”

“Who would ever do a thing like that?” Mr. Trump asked, according to the book. “Right?”

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