Scoop: "Regime Change" sells 500,000 — on track for nonfiction bestseller of '26

Axios Axios

"https://www.axios.com/2026/06/23/haberman-swan-regime-change-trump-second-term" target="_blank">Regime Change," the juicy exposé on President Trump's second term by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, has passed the publishing milestone of 500,000 units sold (hardcover, audio, e-book) in just one month.

  • Publishing sources tell me the blockbuster is on track to be the bestselling nonfiction book of 2026.

    Simon & Schuster has ordered a seventh printing, bringing the total hardcovers in print to 460,000.

  • "Reports of the death of the nonfiction book have been greatly exaggerated," said https://javelindc.com/teammates/matt-latimer/" target="_blank">Matt Latimer of the Javelin agency, which represents Haberman.

But this is a rare feat. "This doesn't necessarily mean that Trump books are back," said https://javelindc.com/teammates/keith/" target="_blank">Keith Urbahn, Latimer's co-founder at Javelin. "It's still uphill sledding for political books."

  • "This book is different," he added. "Maggie and Swan pierced the veil of a White House that has been pretty locked down on scoops and scenes. 'Regime Change' is a unicorn of publishing.

    It goes well beyond political circles to people who are hungry for a narrative and frame to make sense of Trump 2.0.

    Even Trump and his team aren't disputing the facts."

Zoom in: The book has been No. 1 on the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/hardcover-nonfiction/" target="_blank">nonfiction bestseller list for three weeks running.

  • "Regime Change" has also been No. 1 in Canada, Australia and the Netherlands, and No. 2 in the UK.

The big picture: Just two months ago, a Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/business/media/dad-books-are-a-dying-breed-d9a28b49?st=1kAerh&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink" target="_blank">article declared that "Dad Books" — including books about politics and current affairs, as well as biographies and histories — "are a dying breed."

  • The proximate causes: audiobooks, Substack newsletters, Netflix documentaries, YouTube videos and podcasts.

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Regime-Change/Maggie-Haberman/9781668067246" target="_blank">Upcoming author appearances.

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