As President Donald Trump continues to fume over a bruising New York Times op-ed by an unnamed administration official detailing their “resistance” work to combat the president’s worst impulses, senior officials are coming out of the woodwork to publicly disavow the anonymous writing and deny responsibility.
Here’s the parade of people who 100 percent, definitely did not do it:
Vice President Mike Pence
The Vice President puts his name on his Op-Eds. The @nytimes should be ashamed and so should the person who wrote the false, illogical, and gutless op-ed. Our office is above such amateur acts.
— Jarrod Agen (@VPComDir) September 6, 2018
Secretary of Energy Rick Perry
I am not the author of the New York Times OpEd, nor do I agree with its characterizations. Hiding behind anonymity and smearing the President of the United States does not make you an "unsung hero", it makes you a coward, unworthy of serving this Nation.
— Rick Perry (@SecretaryPerry) September 6, 2018
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats
JUST IN: DNI Dan Coats calls speculation that he or his Principal Deputy authored NYT op-ed “patently false. We did not.” pic.twitter.com/8FQBXE7L7S
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) September 6, 2018
Attorney General Jeff Sessions
A Justice Department spokesperson says Attorney General Jeff Sessions is not the author of the anonymous NY Times op-ed.
— Laura Jarrett (@LauraAJarrett) September 6, 2018
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson
A spox for Ben Carson tells me that the HUD Secretary did not write the NYT op-ed
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) September 6, 2018
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin
.@stevenmnuchin1 is honored to serve @POTUS & the American people. He feels it was irresponsible for @nytimes to print this anonymous piece. Now, dignified public servants are forced to deny being the source. It is laughable to think this could come from the Secretary.
— Tony Sayegh Jr. (@tony4ny) September 6, 2018
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen
NEW: Another op-ed denial: "Secretary Nielsen is focused on leading the men & women of DHS and protecting the homeland – not writing anonymous & false opinion pieces for the New York Times. These types of political attacks are beneath the Secy & the Dept’s mission.”
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) September 6, 2018
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley
#US Amb @nikkihaley says she did not write the @nytopinion piece.
— Michelle Nichols (@michellenichols) September 6, 2018
White House Counsel Don McGahn
“No!” Don McGahn tells reporters when asked if he wrote the NYT Op-Ed. pic.twitter.com/VllKADDRNp
— Alan He (@alanhe) September 6, 2018
Administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda McMahon
I am not author of the anonymous @nytimes op-ed. @realDonaldTrump has a clear governing vision for the country and his record of results is remarkable. I am proud to serve as a member of President Trump’s @Cabinet to advocate on behalf of America’s 30 million small businesses.
— Linda McMahon (@SBALinda) September 6, 2018
First Lady Melania Trump issued a statement condemning anonymous sources, which didn’t exactly deny any role in the publishing the op-ed. It also notably did not take issue with any of its contents:
The @nytimes op-ed draws a rare rebuke from @FLOTUS pic.twitter.com/NVVd0v9A4b
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) September 6, 2018
Even still, their scrambled effort isn’t likely to do much in the way of tempering the White House’s inevitable witch hunt to track down the author. Just hours after the editorial was published, Trump demanded the Times‘ release the name of the author “for national security purposes.”
