Author of 2018 'Anonymous' op-ed critical of Trump revealed

[Zorro]

Source: CNN.com

The anonymous senior Trump administration official who wrote a 2018 New York Times op-ed and a subsequent book critical of President Donald Trump is Miles Taylor, he revealed in a statement to CNN on Thursday.

Taylor, who was chief of staff to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, wrote a lengthy statement explaining why he penned the 2018 op-ed declaring he was part of the "resistance" inside the Trump administration working to thwart Trump's worst inclinations. Taylor said that he wanted to force Trump to respond to the charges he was leveling without the ability to attack the messenger specifically. Trump called the op-ed treasonous.

"Much has been made of the fact that these writings were published anonymously. The decision wasn't easy, I wrestled with it, and I understand why some people consider it questionable to levy such serious charges against a sitting President under the cover of anonymity. But my reasoning was straightforward, and I stand by it," Taylor wrote.

"Issuing my critiques without attribution forced the President to answer them directly on their merits or not at all, rather than creating distractions through petty insults and name-calling," Taylor added. "I wanted the attention to be on the arguments themselves."

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/28/politics/anonymous-new-york-times-oped-writer/index.html

[Thomas Hurt]

1. Meh!

[PJMcK]

2. Hey, Miles!

Got anything new to add? Otherwise, why are you revealing yourself now?

Please go away. You haven't helped our country.

[Escurumbele]

9. Well, he has, he has exposed trump, it is information from the inside.

Granted that most, if not all at DU already knew about trump, but he has come out speaking loudly on several networks to tell about the crazy orange guy, so in that respect he has and is doing good for the country, we just need to hope that many people are listening.

[Dave Starsky]

3. Miles Taylor?!! Not HIM!!!

Wasn't he the bass player for Duran Duran?

[FBaggins]

6. That's John Taylor

This guy wasn't born for another couple of decades.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. I have a relatively low opinion of such anonymous things.

If you actually believe in what you are saying, you should have the courage to be public about it. I actually read his book, and honestly it came across as being much of an apology for the Trump administration, not a moral stand against it.

[fleur-de-lisa]

5. Didn't he deny he was 'Anonymous' when interviewed by one of the cable networks a few weeks ago?

I can't remember who interviewed him, but it was a woman and he denied it.

[FBaggins]

8. I don't think directly... but some of his comments from September imply it

“I hate to tease this, but as you would expect, Ana, I’ve been pretty actively involved in trying to give people the confidence to come out and say what they need to say and not to fear this president,” Taylor responded. “And I do think in the coming days here I’m going to have some news for you in that regard.”

“And I think we will have more folks attaching their names to direct criticism of the president stepping out of the shadows and not being anonymous,” Taylor added. “We don’t need more anonymous sources, right now. We need people on the record and I think you’ll see that.”

https://www.mediaite.com/donald-trump/ex-trump-official-more-former-administration-officials-to-speak-out-against-trump-in-the-coming-days/

[renate]

7. I'm glad it's someone who's already come out against Trump and for Biden

He didn't wait till the last minute like it seemed Anonymous was doing. He could have just stayed mysterious forever since he'd already put his career where his mouth is and quit and started speaking out.

I can totally imagine being a sensible, adult person staying in their job to try to keep Trump from wreaking absolute havoc, and he wouldn't have been the first one (I'm especially thinking of Mattis). And if when his op-ed came out it had been by Miles Taylor instead of Anonymous it would have been a one-day story at most.

There was no great option for him, but I think he made the best choices possible in an impossible situation. I know that's not a popular view but I don't know what he could have done better.

[Escurumbele]

10. Well put. I agree with you, it is not an easy situation for anyone, he came out at the right time

It would have been worst if he either would not come out at all, or after the election.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

11. Donald Trump Wants 'Anonymous' Author Miles Taylor to Be Prosecuted

During his second Wednesday rally in the battleground state of Arizona, President Donald Trump told a rally crowd in Phoenix that Miles Taylor, the former Department of Homeland Security Chief of Staff who revealed himself Wednesday as anti-Trump writer Anonymous, should be prosecuted.

Taylor penned a 2018 op-ed in the New York Times under the Anonymous pseudonym in which he said there was a resistance movement against Trump in the White House. Taylor was also the author of the 2019 book A Warning which purported to describe the inner workings of Trump's administration. In his author bio, Taylor described himself as an "unidentified senior official" in the White House.

Trump lashed out at Taylor during the rally, calling him a "sleazebag who's never worked in the White House."

"I'll tell you what," Trump added. "This guy, in my opinion, he should be prosecuted."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-wants-anonymous-author-miles-taylor-to-be-prosecuted/ar-BB1aus2h?li=BBnb7Kz

Prosecuted for what? Hurting your feefees?

[Steelrolled]

12. If nothing else, this gives me

an idea of who to imagine when there is a leak from a "senior administration official".