Maggie Haberman: Trump’s ‘Unreality Bubble’ Meets the Midterms | The Mishal Husain Show
Few journalists have watched Donald Trump as closely or for as long as Maggie Haberman.
The New York Times reporter first encountered him as a tabloid fixture in the 1990s and has since chronicled his ascent to the White House, the period between his presidencies and the transformation of the office itself.
Her book, “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,” written with Jonathan Swan, examines the Republican’s second term through the first weeks of the US-Israel war with Iran.
In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Haberman looks ahead to the US midterm elections. She discusses Trump’s “unreality bubble,” his attitude to the war, his complex relationship with Vice President JD Vance and why she sees a “black hole” ahead.
00:00 Introduction from Mishal Husain
03:22 Trump’s early interest in US politics
08:50 Six weeks to the midterms
11:04 Who’s in Trump’s inner circle?
12:51 Trump and JD Vance
14:43 Trump calls Maggie ‘maggot’
20:12 Beyond the midterms
22:50 Has Trump changed America? ’
24:44 US and Iran
30:34 Visiting Trump in the White House
35:58 “The book nearly killed us”
Read Mishal’s notes and reflections on this conversation https://www.bloomberg.com/mishal
Watch Mishal’s interview with Tucker Carlson
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26 Comments
A bunch of Stockholm Syndrome victims Haberman included. None of this is normal.
Uhm… you DO realise this is the second time Trump got elected.. and he did so with one of the better Presidents in quite a while sandwiched between his two terms. Worse, in his first term, he got in with a minority of the popular vote because of how the actual voting system works (the president is NOT elected by popular vote – rather by the electoral college, at the state level) – but in his second term he DID get a majority of the popular vote. Let that sink in.
Are we likely to get an exact copy of Trump? Probably not, but the next one could be MUCH worse and so far, clearly, none of the guardrails that are supposed to prevent this are working. Case in point, even if the GOP take a beating in November – it's almost impossible for the Dems to get 66% of both the House and the Senate – which means Trump cannot be impeached and convicted, and there's almost no way to override Trump when he vetoes any bill that tries to change things.
But history has shown over and over, be wary of people who say "this could never happen again" because they are not only almost always wrong, they lull people into a false sense of security – which makes it easier for it TO happen again.
Pretty sure they hope to find another Trump. Not impossible but likely not soon either.
Another Trump is not only possible but infinitely more likely now that it has already happened and happened so spectacularly. One of the big contributing factors this time around and next time (if the republic survives the first) is sure to be the fact that We the People are dumb enough to think that it can't happen here.
Sorry cruel,corrupt and chaotic maga, we, the reasonable, compassionate and kind majority will end this madness soon and give your worthless hate machine the harshest introduction to the gravel reject road imaginable. You haven’t worn us down, only made our sense of resolve stronger than it has ever been. To our immigrants, hang on we are coming and you will be safe.
Another Trump is unlikely? Another Trump is inevitable. You need to think about what drives history – deep state competition and elite overproduction. Together they created MAGA and Trump, and together they are making the federal government unfit for any purpose. And that was the purpose!
The Supreme Court needs to reverse, the immunity, ASAP! Great work Maggie!
Mishal Husain interviewing Trump, that I would love to see. She would destroy him.
To restore American dignity, Trump needs to be humiliated this midterm, and in 2029 his monuments demolished, his orders rescinded, and himself sued to recover the bribes he accumulated in office. The USA needs a political reset and reconstruction.
Trump’s election is not simply a fluke but a manifestation of deeper failures, particularly of education, in this country. Germany has consciously worked hard to prevent resurgence of its WWII nationalism and has been largely successful. The strong political showing of the far right AFD in Saxony-Anhalt demonstrates such ideas are always simmering below the surface amongst more folk than suspected.. and so with the U.S.A.
Pretending that The people would learn from their mistakes as how we got where we are right now.
There will always be another wolf in sheep's clothing.
Stephen Miller is the next Trump and he will be 10x worse…and he will become POTUS
Donald Trump is the inevitable product of a broken US democratic process. You will absolutely see more versions of the Trump phenomenon, whether to the right or the left of the political spectrum… UNLESS you find a remedy for the vulnerabilities that Trump exploited in your country's democratic process. The Trump phenomenon should have been impossible if the American democratic system was properly designed.
It's really helpful seeing the human being behind the passionless, matter-of-fact reporting.
The American political and legal system is rotten. SCOTUS, electoral college, gerrymandering, big money donors, citizens united are all rotten. Trump will happen again if America does not stop the rot, permanently.
Worst is to come: JDV
I'm sad that I can only hit the like button once.
One thing is for sure, we'll never regard the US the same way again. At least Russians have some kind of excuse – they don't get much choice when they get their news. But the fact that one-third+ of Americans choose to listen to Fox News and Breitbart propaganda and not switch off is mind-blowing. Says everything about the US education system.
YEAH RIGHT!!!! TRUMP IS A TRUE REFLECTION OF HALF OF AMERICA!!! WE ARE A VERY SICK SOCIETY ELECTING ANTICHRIST TRUMP!!! 💔🇺🇸
Lol if you don’t think another trump is possible you are delusional. We are seeing around the world right wing authoritarian people getting elected into office. I’m sure in 5-10 years time more of his family will run for office again
If there's one thing Trump has demonstrated it's that the US can completely overturn decades of policy, alliances and agreements overnight. There's nothing to stop it happening again. The US needs a constitution overhaul to ensure that there is at least a debate over major policy rather than just the will of a single senile geriatric.
I realize Maggie is an erudite and accomplished political reporter but I predict the midterms will be a status quo. The Republicans retain the House and Senate..If they lose they will win in a landslide the 2028 general election. After the abysmal job the Democrat Socialists oops the Democrats are sure to do!
America is in a spinning downfall.
Trump"s support might could easily be a negative. Vance"s opposition to the Iran war may well serve him well.
You underestimate the ability of Americans to vote against their own best interests.