A new book by New York Times reporters reveals that US President Donald Trump compared himself to some of history's most feared leaders, including Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Adolf Hitler. According to excerpts reported by CNN, Trump told the reporters that he had received a two-page document from "a historian" arguing that each of those leaders "had no global reach" while Trump's power was "not" local. The document, it turned out, was written not by a historian but by golfer Gary Player's longtime caddy, who had shared his assessment with Trump during a game of golf in Florida.
Trump on Fear and Power
"These leaders maintained power through fear," Trump said, according to the book. "Who would ever do a thing like that? Right?" The book also details Trump's hot-and-cold feelings about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump told an Israel skeptic in the early months of his administration that he didn't want "any part" of a Netanyahu war with Iran. He told another adviser that Netanyahu was a "con man." Reports have since added that Trump called Netanyahu "f****** crazy" and said he "has no f****** judgment."
Netanyahu and Iran War Plans
In a February White House Situation Room meeting, Netanyahu presented Israel's case for going to war with Iran, which Trump ultimately decided to back, according to the book. The book also writes about Trump's skepticism toward Ukraine and its leader, Volodymyr Zelensky. After a remarkable argument in the Oval Office between Trump, Zelensky, and Vice President JD Vance, Trump thought the confrontation was "better than The Apprentice," according to the book.
Trump's Vitriol Toward Cabinet
Trump's vitriol toward his own Cabinet has also been penned down. In April 2025, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was trying to convince Trump that tariffs couldn't put US automakers at a major disadvantage. Trump told Lutnick he "used to be tough" but had gotten "weak." "You used to be a killer, Howard," Trump said. "And now you've got your beautiful wife, and your big house, and you're just soft. And you're a p****."
Campaign Against Fed Chairman
The book details Trump's campaign to make Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's life miserable. During a July staff meeting, Trump said of Powell: "I want to bust his f****** balls. ... Can we stop construction? I just want to bust his f****** balls. F*** him." Trump's aides then devised a plan to appoint Trump allies to the National Capital Planning Commission to target the Federal Reserve building renovation.
Golden Pager Incident
During an Oval Office meeting with Trump, Elon Musk, and Tucker Carlson, Musk was "transfixed" by a golden pager that Netanyahu had gifted Trump in homage to Israel's 2024 exploding pager attack against Hezbollah. Trump "regaled" them with graphic details of the damage and wounds sustained in that attack, including "mutilated genitals and missing hands," according to the book.
