Writers from across the political spectrum reacted to the anonymous Op-ed article by a senior Trump administration official who described “resistance” to the president among his own advisers.
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On Tuesday, The New York Times published an Opinion article by an unnamed Trump administration official who described efforts by the president’s advisers to “thwart” parts of his agenda because they consider him to be “detrimental to the health of our republic.”
The identity of the unnamed official is known to the Times editorial page department but not to reporters and editors in the newsroom, including those who cover the White House.
[ Read the Op-Ed .]
Pete Hegseth and Steve Doocy on Fox & Friends:
The hosts of “Fox and Friends,” a show Mr. Trump frequently watches and sometimes live-tweets, criticized the Op-Ed on Thursday. Steve Doocy said it had given Trump supporters a “big ol’ can of gas” because it proved there really is a “deep state” conspiracy against him. Pete Hegseth agreed. “Patriotic journalism is largely dead,” he said.
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David Harsanyi in The Federalist:
The anonymous writer may have wanted to tell readers that responsible officials are protecting the world from an unfit president, but Mr. Harsanyi said the message he or she really sent was that American democracy had been subverted by unelected appointees. He said the Op-Ed “celebrates the idea of nullifying an election.” Read more »
Mehdi Hasan in The Intercept:
Mr. Hasan said administration officials who think Mr. Trump is unfit for office were not heroes for quietly undermining him, they were instead “his protectors and defenders.” If you think the president is a danger to the republic, Mr. Hasan asked, “then how can you advocate for anything other than his swift removal from office?” Read more »
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Zack Beauchamp in Vox:
But Mr. Beauchamp defended the anonymous author. Resigning might make a stronger statement than an anonymous Op-Ed, but it would be unlikely to lead to the end of the administration thanks to the political realities of 2018, he said. Until Republicans are willing to turn on Mr. Trump “a weak resistance is better than no resistance at all,” he said. Read more »
Margaret Sullivan in The Washington Post
Ms. Sullivan, a former public editor of The New York Times and the current media columnist for The Washington Post, called the article “a quagmire of weirdness” that nevertheless holds “significant news value.” The decision to grant the author anonymity is less important than what he or she has written, although it does set off a race to uncover the author’s identity, Ms. Sullivan wrote. Read more »
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Francis Wilkinson in Bloomberg:
More than 63 million Americans voted for Mr. Trump, whose approval rating among Republicans stands above 80 percent. Mr. Wilkinson argued that the very existence of the anonymous Op-Ed, as well as the chaotic White House it described, are symptoms of the extremism and dysfunction of the modern Republican Party. Read more »
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David Frum in The Atlantic:
Mr. Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush who is now a staff writer at The Atlantic, said the Op-Ed would make it harder for Mr. Trump’s advisers to do their jobs or to moderate the president’s actions. He also said they should use legal means to remove Mr. Trump if they believe he is unfit for office. “Speak in your own name. Resign in a way that will count.” Read more »
