New York Times investigative reporter Jonathan Swan told Newsmax on Monday that President Donald Trump's ability to unite competing factions of the Republican Party in 2024 was a "political miracle" that could prove difficult for any GOP candidate to replicate in 2028.
Speaking on "Ed Henry The Big Take," Swan discussed his new book, "Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump," co-authored with fellow New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman.
Swan said the book argues that many of the Republican Party's major ideological disputes remained unresolved during the 2024 campaign because Trump's political appeal allowed him to bridge divisions that otherwise might have fractured the party.
"One thing we write about in the book, which I think is really important and probably undercovered, is in 2024 in the Republican primaries, none of the big disputes in the party on policy or ideology really got resolved," Swan said.
"The reason they didn't get resolved is because you had a figure of, again, we write a version of this in the book, historic charisma with Donald Trump, an ability to basically paper over all these differences."
Swan said Trump uniquely brought together Republicans with sharply different views on foreign policy, citing the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson.
"It's only with a figure like Donald Trump that you can have someone like Lindsey Graham and a Tucker Carlson, both enthusiastically campaigning for him, as they did in 2024, both saying, 'I'm for Trump.' It's hard to imagine somebody replicating that," he said.
"People underestimate how difficult that was, the coalition that Trump put together in 2024. One of his advisers described it to me as a political miracle," Swan continued.
"I tend to agree. I think it really was. And Trump's unique capacities was what created that."
Swan said Graham's recent death removed one of Trump's most effective political allies and coalition builders.
"He was a very good coalition builder. Lindsey Graham would work with others who shared his more hawkish views," he said.
"And they would, you know, talk to the president at different times."
Swan said Graham's influence extended beyond his close relationship with Trump.
"He was so effective at not just talking to Trump, who loved Lindsey Graham, saw him almost as a — I think he said on one interview — a member of the family," Swan said. "They really did have this very affectionate relationship."
Calling Graham's death "a huge loss," Swan said it would be felt "for the Senate, but also for Republicans who have a more hawkish perspective on foreign policy."
Trump criticized "Regime Change" in a Truth Social post Saturday, calling it "garbage" and urging supporters not to buy the book.
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