By TRH World Desk
Trump Questioned India Tariff Numbers, New Book Regime Change Reveals Explosive White House Debate
New Delhi, June 24, 2026 — A new book by veteran New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan offers a dramatic account of internal White House discussions that shaped US President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, including repeated references to India’s trade barriers and heated exchanges with senior officials.
In Regime Change, released this week, the authors portray a White House where Trump frequently challenged official trade data and pushed advisers to justify aggressive tariff measures. The book is based on hundreds of interviews and extensive reporting from inside the administration.
One excerpt describes a tense March 26 (2025) meeting on tariff strategy. According to the authors, Trump demanded “real numbers” on how much countries such as China and India tariff American goods. “The President reportedly dismissed official figures presented by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, insisting that the actual numbers were much higher,” wrote the authors in the book.
The book recounts Trump saying that China imposed tariffs of “150 to 200 percent” and that India’s tariff rate stood at “175 percent,” figures that prompted a dispute among officials. Lutnick reportedly argued that the administration was relying on data from the Office of the United States Trade Representative, while Trump remained unconvinced.
Another striking episode involves a meeting with leading technology executives and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. Trump and his advisers pressed semiconductor industry leaders on why more manufacturing was not taking place in the United States.
According to the excerpt, Trump warned that companies unwilling to manufacture in America could face tariffs as high as 100 percent. Executives responded that rebuilding domestic production would require an entire supply-chain ecosystem, not merely new factories.
The book also highlights concerns within the administration about moving too quickly on semiconductor tariffs. Lutnick is portrayed as privately urging business leaders to persuade Trump against abrupt action that could hurt American companies still dependent on overseas suppliers.
Musk, who participated in the discussion, reportedly raised concerns about China’s growing influence in artificial intelligence and semiconductor technology, asking how the United States could avoid being disadvantaged in the AI chip race.
The revelations come as trade policy, tariffs and technology competition remain central issues in US economic and geopolitical strategy. The book argues that Trump’s second presidency has been marked by an increasingly centralized decision-making process and a willingness to pursue disruptive economic policies with global consequences.
Regime Change: The Trump Book That Even Trump Was Waiting For — With Dread
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