When Regime Change came out last June, it received a lot of attention as an above average political book about current events. Particularly noteworthy was the apparent access of the authors to either transcripts or tapes of meetings in the White House’s Situation Room concerning current political issues, such as the Epstein files.
The book serves to remind readers of unpleasant episodes and developments of Trump’s second term as President (likely readers of this book will for the most part agree with this characterization). There are so numerous that many of us tend to forget quite a few of them as new outrages are piled on. Consequently, the book makes for discouraging reading. For me, it was not a page-turner, there being only so much of this I can take at a single sitting.
While the book adds a great deal of detail, the events and actions described will not be unfamiliar to most who make it through this book. Many of these details are interesting; some, such as the seating arrangements in the Situation Room, are not, but they are apparently there to confirm that the authors have impeccable source material. In addition, this type of detail may serve as a warning that participants in these meetings should think twice before trying to deny what the authors report.
On one particular point, I wish the authors had gone into more detail. One of the principal characters in this narrative besides the President is Stephen Miller, but little is said about his background and how he came to his right-wing and nativist views. He was brought up as a Reform Jew in southern California, and apparently was a contrarian in what one assumes was a mostly liberal community. While in high school, he met David Horowitz, who initially was a leftist journalist and editor of Ramparts magazine and then eventually migrated to the far right. Horowitz became a mentor to Miller and helped him to secure political positions in Washington, D.C. Miller worked for Representative Michele Bachman and Senator Jeff Sessions before finally working for Trump. From all signs, including the stories contained in this book, he has played a significant role in influencing or, at least, reinforcing many of Trump’s policy ideas. While it is understandable that this book, which is about Trump and is long enough, does not dwell on Miller’s background. However, I think Miller, who has managed to survive working for Trump, a feat in itself, and his relationship with Trump will prove to be a significant, though far from the only, aspect of any future analysis of this Administration.
The authors do not do much analyzing or interpreting of the significance of all the disturbing material they have assembled. The book’s main importance will likely not be its current readership or its impact on current politics. Those who read the book in its entirety are likely to be mainly those who follow current events closely and do not need to be persuaded to have a negative opinion of the Trump Administration. However, as source material for future writers, historians, and political analysts who will be trying to make sense of the current incredible period, this book will be invaluable.
