New Trump Tell-All Book Details His Issues With the Ellisons, His Interest in Sydney Sweeney and How Dr. Phil Helped ICE
Dozens of books are sure to result from the staggering events of Donald Trump‘s second term, from the president’s unprecedented grip on the media to the spectacle of America’s tech leaders kissing his ring and the constant challenges to civil liberties. One of the first major ones out of the gate is “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,” from New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman and Times investigative reporter Jonathan Swan.
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The book “draws on extensive interviews conducted on the condition of anonymity to recount internal discussions and sensitive issues,” said the New York Times, which has come under some criticism for not immediately publishing any fresh revelations instead of waiting for the book to be published. But even more than revealing secrets, it’s the sheer accumulation of unprecedented events that makes it a notable work: Trump’s obsession with currying favor with the likes of Rupert Murdoch, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg (“X, Facebook, Apple, TikTok, and Google had all bent the knee,” the book notes); the frantic White House scramble to head off fallout from the Epstein files, and the unusual positioning of the American president as some kind of uber-meme informed by the imagery of action movies and wrestling.
Here are some of the book’s revealing moments pertaining to the media and entertainment:
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Trump installed Steven Cheung as White House Communications Director, fascinated with his forbidding persona. Mel Gibson agreed:
“No less an authority than the actor Mel Gibson had taken note of the comms chief’s attributes. Approaching Cheung at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in 2023, the star of Mad Max and Lethal Weapon had told him, ‘God, you have a great look. You look like you could be a villain in a movie.’ Trump was often fixated on male beauty; his appraisal of a job seeker’s handsomeness could be a prerequisite for the most highly visible administration posts—but he liked his enforcers to look like enforcers. Similarly, he would say Cheung was his Luca Brasi — a reference to Don Vito Corleone’s ruthless hit man in the Mafia classic ‘The Godfather.’ He would privately describe Cheung as ‘like the more violent version of Kim Jong Un,’ and in conversations with aides Trump would say that Cheung reminded him of Xi Jinping: ‘No games.’
Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino modeled his aggressive image on Jack Nicholson in “The Border,” while Dr. Phil helped add to the “public spectacle” of ICE enforcement:
“The opening battle in the conflict between the Trump administration and the nation’s major cities would not come in Washington, D.C., however, but in Los Angeles. Early on Friday, June 6, federal officials launched a series of raids to hunt for illegal immigrants in Los Angeles. Masked agents swarmed Home Depot parking lots, car washes, and a clothing company in the downtown Los Angeles Fashion District, among other worksites. The effort would soon be taken over by Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino. Short in stature, Bovino was inspired to do his job by the 1982 Jack Nicholson crime thriller ‘The Border.’ He had carefully honed an aggressive image, taunting his critics on social media and holding an assault rifle in an online profile picture. His swagger was on full display during the L.A. mission. ‘We’re not going to hit one location, we’re going to hit as many as we can,’ Bovino told the Associated Press. ‘All over — all over — the Los Angeles region, we’re going to turn and burn to that next target and the next and the next and the next, and we’re not going to stop. We’re not going to stop until there’s not a problem here.’ Television personality Dr. Phil McGraw had embedded with one of the ICE units, underscoring the premium the administration put on the public spectacle of enforcement.”
Early on, Trump complained about David Ellison, who had donated to the Joe Biden campaign. That seemed to change as he later characterized both David and Larry Ellison as “big supporters.”
“CBS was owned by Paramount Global, the entertainment conglomerate mired in debt and run by media scion Shari Redstone. In July 2024, she had announced a merger with Skydance Media, a production company owned by David Ellison, son of the multibillionaire tech executive Larry Ellison. While Trump liked Larry, who was one of his own political donors, he would grouse about the son, who had donated nearly $1 million to support Joe Biden’s reelection. Paramount’s own parent company needed the FCC to approve its merger with Skydance, a deal that would bring Redstone more than $500 million. This was a concern that floated in the background; no federal approval meant no deal.”
The White House had already ordered the “Donald J. Trump” letters for the Kennedy Center before the board had even approved the name change.
“The White House quietly ordered the large letters ‘DONALD J. TRUMP’ to be added to the facade well before the board had even rubber-stamped the authorization to rename the building. Since Trump had taken control, scores of artists had canceled engagements and many more had announced they would refuse to perform in protest. By early November, programming was in trouble and ticket sales had plummeted to catastrophically low levels not seen since the Covid pandemic.”
Trump didn’t believe that Jeff Bezos couldn’t control the Washington Post’s coverage, and Bezos told Trump it was his “worst investment” at a dinner.
“At first, Trump hadn’t believed Bezos when the billionaire told him that he couldn’t control the Post’s coverage. As proof, Bezos told Trump that the newspaper’s reporters would write negative stories about him, too. ‘He said they write stories about him. And I didn’t believe him the first time, first term. And I hated him for it,’ Trump recalled. ‘And then I believed him.’ At their dinner after the 2024 election, Bezos described the newspaper that had once brought down a President as his worst financial investment. ‘The people there are terrible,’ he told Trump, complaining about the business side of a storied newsroom he had hoped to make profitable. ‘They don’t listen. My other companies, they listen.’
As Trump grew closer to Bezos, he was impressed by at least one notable name at the Amazon mogul’s wedding.
“Everyone was at your wedding, Trump marveled. How was it? It was great, Bezos replied. When the conversation turned to the guest list and Bezos mentioned that the actress Sydney Sweeney had attended, the President’s interest deepened. ‘Ooooh,’ Trump said.”
Trump tried to raise the settlement amount for the George Stephanopoulos ABC libel case to as high as $60 million, despite a settlement as low as $3 million being agreed on at one point.
“In early December 2024, the President-elect’s advisors and Disney had agreed on the framework of a settlement: $3 million to a charity for military veterans that the two sides would have to agree on. Trump also wanted a personal apology from the anchor. Stephanopoulos did not apologize, but he soon had what was deemed a ‘cordial’ meeting with the president-elect at Trump Tower, and the situation seemed to have been resolved. But days later, the Trump team began trying to change the terms. Boris Epshteyn had told associates the President could get a vastly higher sum from Disney — $60 million, if not more. Suddenly Trump was no longer interested in the deal he had previously agreed to… By the end of the mediation session, Trump appeared to accept he had hit his limit, and the deal was entered with the court. It would be $15 million, put in escrow for an eventual Trump presidential library account, plus $1 million for Trump’s legal fees, which had been covered for years by donors to his political action committee.”
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
