The anonymous "resistance" op-ed author claims he or she will come forward to speak out against President Trump before the 2020 election.
"Trump will hear from me, in my own name, before the 2020 election," the unnamed author of a new book declared on Tuesday.
Ever since the New York Times published an anonymous opinion piece by a senior member of the Trump administration in September 2018, which spoke of an internal "resistance" group of officials working to stymie the president's worst inclinations, rampant speculation has swirled about the identity of the author.
"As far as anonymity is concerned, I will not keep my identity shrouded in secrecy forever. I am not afraid to use my own name to express concern about the current occupant of the Oval Office," said the unnamed author while taking part in a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" forum.
"Donald Trump has not heard the last of me. There is more to come," the author continued. "Other people who are currently serving, and who have left, are also considering adding their voices before votes are cast in 2020. We talk about this with some regularity. In the meantime, Trump must answer to the American people for his own conduct instead of redirecting their attention."
The forum took place following the release of the anonymous official's tell-all book about the Trump administration, A Warning, which sought to tell voters "the truth" before the 2020 election.
There were several explosive claims in the book that reflect poorly on Trump, including one that focuses on a group of high-level White House aides putting together tally of Cabinet members they believed would support the use of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. Another section of the book talks about how a group of senior Trump administration officials considered a "midnight self-massacre" in which they would resign together to draw attention to Trump's behavior.
In the "AMA" on Tuesday, billed by Sean Desmond, publisher of Twelve, as "the first opportunity for Anonymous to respond to questions," the anonymous author addressed a wide range of topics. The official raised concerns about Trump's mental stability and appeared to confirm still being employed by the Trump administration.
"You'd be surprised (or maybe not) how remarkably widespread the sentiments conveyed in A Warning are shared — almost hourly — among folks in all corners of the White House and the Administration. The President knows this and fears this, which is why he's ordered us to ignore this book," the person said.
Impeachment was also discussed during the "AMA." The anonymous author said there was no doubt that Trump "demanded a quid pro quo from Ukraine in order to disrupt the 2020 election," but cautioned against Congress removing Trump from office.
"The only credible way to stop Trump is at the ballot box--and by a convincing margin," the official said. "He has to be defeated badly enough that Republicans will recognize they cannot support Trump's claim of voter suppression, or tampering, or fraud. He will never willingly acknowledge defeat and will fuel conspiracy theories for years to come. That will be dangerous for the country, so we've got to deprive him of those arguments with decisive electoral action."
Anonymity was heralded as an effective weapon when criticizing Trump, which was exemplified in recent months after a CIA analyst, who has yet to be identified, filed the whistleblower complaint that spurred impeachment proceedings.
"Trump thrives on distractions, and anonymity is a way to deprive him of his favorite weapon of mass distraction--personal attacks--and force the discussion to center on the substance, his character," the author said. "We've seen this on full display in the past few weeks, as the President has mercilessly attacked honorable public servants, from an anonymous whistleblower to aides on his own National Security Council. He can't win on ideas, just on mud slinging and personal attacks. So he's trying to use the long arm of government to unmask and undermine his critics."
Publicly, A Warning, which was published on Nov. 19, prompted a shrug from the White House.
“Others can fret about ridiculous, cowardly accusations; President Trump remains focused on delivering results to the American people," White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said. Asked if the White House now had a clearer idea of the identity of the author, Grisham added, “Yes — a coward."
Guy Snodgrass, an ex-speechwriter for former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, raised suspicions this week when he tiptoed around rumors that he was the author of A Warning. But he later rejected the rumors, saying, “No, I’m not the writer."
Following the publication of the Times op-ed last year, a handful of Trump administration officials denied being the author, including Vice President Mike Pence, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Trump, who called the author "gutless" and question whether a "so-called 'Senior Administration Official'" really existed, even pushed then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions investigate the source of the opinion piece.
Asked to describe him or herself during the "AMA," the anonymous author provided a two-word answer: "Concerned American."















