Jonathan Swan
New York Times reporter and co-author of Regime Change
Jonathan Swan (New York Times reporter and co-author of Regime Change) has appeared as a guest on 1 episode in TMT. Topics they speak about most include Jeffrey Epstein, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In their words
Positions and remarks grouped by topic, each with the exact quote and where it was said.
Jeffrey Epstein
Swan identified the Epstein controversy last summer as the start of Trump's political decline.
“Last summer is when Trump's political fortunes really started to decline”
Pod Save America: Pool Me Twice, Shame On You (Jun 23, 2026) · Listen from 1:27:48
Swan said Trump's senior staff initially underestimated the political salience of the Epstein files.
“early on senior people on his team underestimated the political salience of this issue”
Pod Save America: Pool Me Twice, Shame On You (Jun 23, 2026) · Listen from 1:26:35
Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump
Swan reported that the 'historian' document comparing Trump to history's most powerful rulers was written by a golf caddy.
“It was Gary Player, the golfer's former caddy”
Pod Save America: Pool Me Twice, Shame On You (Jun 23, 2026) · Listen from 1:05:19
Swan argued Trump now cares less about polls and sees himself as a Napoleonic historic figure.
“He views himself and is trying to create this for himself as a capital G great man of history, as a sort of Napoleonic figure”
Pod Save America: Pool Me Twice, Shame On You (Jun 23, 2026) · Listen from 1:06:15
Russian invasion of Ukraine
Swan said senior Trump officials, including Witkoff, share a contempt for subject-matter expertise.
“There is a commonality at the most senior levels of Trump world, which is a contempt for subject matter expertise and subject matter experts”
Pod Save America: Pool Me Twice, Shame On You (Jun 23, 2026) · Listen from 1:34:56
Political corruption in the United States
Swan said reporters likely know only a small fraction of the administration's corruption.
“impossible to cover because I truly think we only know 1%, maybe 5% of what's going on”
Pod Save America: Pool Me Twice, Shame On You (Jun 23, 2026) · Listen from 1:13:45
Donald J. Trump Presidential Library
Swan recounted Trump saying in the Oval Office that he tolerates Lutnick because of a $25 million library donation.
“the only reason I put up with Howard's bullshit is he gave me $25 million”
Pod Save America: Pool Me Twice, Shame On You (Jun 23, 2026) · Listen from 1:14:22
Appearances
Pool Me Twice, Shame On YouPod Save America · Jun 23, 2026 · 1 h 39 min
Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor discuss Iran talks, Trump's Reflecting Pool fiasco, the Qatari jet, and Bill Pulte; Tommy interviews Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan about Regime Change.
Discussed in
Cage Match Inside the White HousePod Save America · Jun 12, 2026 · 1 h 41 min
Jon Favreau and Alex Wagner discuss Trump's Iran deal claims, inflation remarks, White House infighting and the Epstein saga, then Ron Brownstein analyzes the 2026 midterm map.
Often appears with
- Jon Favreau · 1 shared episode
- Tommy Vietor · 1 shared episode
- Jon Lovett · 1 shared episode
- Maggie Haberman · 1 shared episode