Thanks for affirming why we needed to elect President Trump. These establishment bureaucrats think they run the place instead of our elected representatives. Their era is on it's way out. This person is a fraud and should resign.
651
@BGko
Correction: "We" (the citizens) did not elect Trump president in the popular vote. 3 million more of "us" voted for Clinton over Trump in the 2016 election.
It was the Electoral College that appointed Trump President.
373
@BGko
Perhaps I've misunderstood, but I take it that the author is a senior administration official appointed by the President, and not a career bureaucrat. Which of course makes the column all the more astounding. And let's be up front about the actions people like the author are trying to avert: assassination of a foreign leader and abandonment of South Korea, a faithful and essential ally, to name two that are mentioned mentioned by Woodward. There is no anti-establishment standpoint from which these could look like good ideas. They are just crazy, and crazy is bad for all of us.
139
@BGko
You believe the column is an affirmation but you overlook the part about the guy you support being too incapacitated to even understand what is going on right in front of him?
And, why do you think the author is a "bureaucrat"? Why not a member of the military, a family member, or one of the cronies he brought with him with no prior government experience?
160
Give me a break. What this writer "does not fully grasp" is that Hillary's DNC Politburo lost the election. As such this piece is totally self-indulgent, e.g., "working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations," post-Obama propaganda--Liberal Imperialism at its worst.
Bottom line: The individual(s) belongs in Leavenworth, a saboteur dynamiting buildings and bridges as "conscience" dictates, a religious zealot--ISIS by another name.
25
@Alice's Restaurant
Your comment is a fine example of completely missing the point.
101
John McCain was on the Trump side of almost every issue....until one personal comment was made.
Showing true colors some politicians throw out the, " country first " , motto when it gets personal.
Now of course The Media=Liberals=New Socialist=Democrats love Mc Cain...but when he ran against Obama he was an evil Republican...Remember that?
25
One can hate a man’s politics while loving and respecting the man. How sad that you can’t understand that.
63
@Joe Paper I never thought McCain was evil. Certainly not Sarah Palin’s brand of evil. He made some whoppers of mistakes, but at heart he was someone who respected the opinion of his colleagues even when, maybe especially when he disagreed. That is why he is mourned by the left and the right.
65
No I don't. May not have agreed with his policies but always respected the man.
38
So what is the news here? the author is telling us that things could be worse. If Trump is still in the WH, it is because he is serving some people's interests, he is not draining the swamp but he surely caging children and flirted with dictators. I don't care what you write or say anonymously, I don't buy the argument that some people are sticking around for the good of the nation. If you like your country so much and care about your countrymen , go all the way and impeach him!!
254
Clearly, there are NO responsible adults in the White House.
Responsible adults know they are duty bound to protect the country, and follow the constitution, not take advantage of a situation to advance their own agenda.
These decisions are not up to your group, Mr. anonymous. We did not give you the right or authority to take matters into your own hands. Others, must wiser than you, laid out what should be done in this situation, long before you got here.
I know as a Republican, you do not think rules or laws apply to you and your leadership and donors, but they do.
You have NOT done the right thing, and you obviously know that, because of your cowardly, pre- trial testimony, here.
You are far, far from a hero or a patriot.
Given time, everyone will see that.
113
one possible way to discover who wrote this is to figure out who subscribes to+reads "word of the day" emails from Merriam-Webster :) "lodestar" was word of the day on August 28th !
56
"the president continues to act in a manner that is detrimental to the health of our republic."
And yet not a single specific example is provided.
" the president shows little affinity for ideals long espoused by conservatives: free minds, free markets and free people. At best, he has invoked these ideals in scripted settings. At worst, he has attacked them outright."
Again not a single example
"The bigger concern is not what Mr. Trump has done to the presidency but rather what we as a nation have allowed him to do to us. "
An example please? What has he "done to us"?
Bottom line: this is a sophomoric screed which at worst paints the president as a guy who does things differently than the norm; and in that Trump is doing exactly what he said he would do.
64
Dear Anomymous,
If you are really an authentic person, a man or woman of character, you would resign after publishing this article. Worrying about losing your job is the least of your worries. What if your little stunt backfires and puts our national security at risk and the world at risk because this president appears not just weak but in not in control. If this that real and that important, then man up and put on some courage and gird up your loins.
Again Anonymous show the courage and do the right thing. Make this not about Trump or Hillary or Obama but the nation's future. Ask yourself is there a swamp? Is not corruption
and cronyism rampant every wheres and where do you really start to clean it up? And when? I hate to say it until Trump there was absolutely nothing. Now "fake news", "the swamp", and "drain the swamp" are part of the political landscape now in the era of Trump. And none of the corruption thus far exposed would have ever been known and the cancer would have grown even larger. And America would be that much closer to Obama's vision which is to be more like China or Europe, little or no freedom save that which granted by the state.
Good luck with your decision. I would not hesitate not when the stakes are so high. You may be lauded as a hero or villain. But you are not doing this for adoration or respect or fame or money. History will applaud you not now but later and movies and books will written about this era and your role in it.
Fellow patriot,
RH
29
I find little comfort in this. We are depending on a secret cabal in the White House to subvert this nutty president and keep the country on the rails? Only a Republican would find that acceptable. We're closer to losing our republic than we have ever been.
216
This is akin to "hearsay" evidence in a courtroom. The jury will disregard is the judge's order. Forget about this mythical attack. It is "hearsay" with no source.
48
Marla K. Goldstein
Yesterday at 5:32 PM ·
By this account, there is a conservative cabal at work within the highest reaches of the executive branch, operating as a shadow government.
Unelected and unanswerable to anyone because they are anonymous.
At best, this Op-Ed serves as confirmation for Woodward's book, ironically being published in September 11.
At worst, this represents the end of our democracy as we have known it.
59
Thank you, NYT, for publishing the anonymous article. You knew there would be some harsh criticism, but you did the right thing.
83
A senior administration official, other than the person who wrote the op ed piece, should validate what was disclosed. But this time, the second person should do the more honorable thing... which is reveal himself to prove his good and honest intentions. Goad congressional action for impeachment? Influence coming elections? Op ed writer is being faulted for not taking full responsibility for the consequences of his actions; many doubting the sanctity of his motives. Another one of his peers should come out to buttress the point that due to foreign sabotage and domestic infighting, we do have a president who is not fit to govern. The validation of the op ed piece does not have to be from another current official. McMasters, Tillerson, Priebus, Hicks, Cohn, Spicer, among others—- they have nothing to lose and everything to gain for standing for their principles and making good on their promise to serve the people.
22
The author? No. Authors, plural. Maybe one presenter, but many imputs.
So who? The piece is establishment Republican, conservative / libertarian. Who are they speaking to? Very few. It's a beltway document. The cult-of-personality Trump base, mainly 'Republican', will be repulsed by it. The not-Establishment Left will hiss at the assertions 'to preserve our democratic institutions' and 'free minds, free markets and free people' and 'the steady state' and 'effective deregulation, historic tax reform, a more robust military and more'. It is the hollowing out, if not meaninglessness or absurdity, of these concepts that led to Trump.
The piece is liable to be the Revenge of the Koch Brothers. In any case, it's chock full of patriotic, vainglorious cheerleading: unsung heroes? Quiet resistance (what a gross misappropriation of a painfully pop, nebulous concept)? Adults in the room? Replace room with Trump's sandbox.
I found the clinically measured contempt – again, pure beltway – insincere and irksome.
Finally, it is necessary to look at the possibility of a play. I do not want to believe that the NYT had accepted the submission from Jared Kushner, who at similar odds could be slinging a curveball from Trump or working on the coerced side of the Special Counsel. Any number of names could be substituted for Kushner.
In sum, the piece is nakedly the work of persons determined to help themselves, and therefore cannot qualify as helpful to the country. That is, the rest of us.
38
Lodestar appeared in another opinion piece on Sept. 5 about the Village Voice. Such an unusual word appearing twice in the same section of the newspaper on the same day under these circumstances is curious. Anyone else spot this?
30
I'm no longer on the fence about this strange "confession", after having read so many insightful comments here. In fact, the concept of a so-called "quiet resistance within the administration", I now find pretty sickening.
Who cares about your "quiet resistance" at the tax-payer funded job? Do your constitutional duty and invoke the 25th!
83
“For whom the bell tolls” is what comes to my mind after reading this....
9
It is probably Larry Kudlow. He wasn't from Fox, so he might actually care about the country. That and a near death heart-attack and McCain's death might actually cause him to pause.
9
Alright, folks. Many seem a bit gullible here. Trump has been on record planting stories over the years- so ask yourself a few things-
Why, if there are Trump admin 'steering' trumps decisions- a stubborn, egotistical man- would they put it in the largest US paper so that he knows, rendering their 'resistance' ineffective?
Also, if someone from the trump admin were to be steering him, but still swore allegiance to conservative politics, would they talk to the NY Times, a clearly left leaning newspaper aimed at a left leaning demographic?
After this, and the facts we know concerning how manipulative trump and camp have been over the years, one is faced with either the conclusion that this 'anonymous' official is either stupid, hellbent on ruining his own good intentions, or there is an ulterior motive- and this act was done as some kind of PR move to set an agenda.
Fooled you once, shame on you. You know the rest.
35
Great timing!
7
I find it interesting that Trump has been reported to say that now he can only trust his children...Melania must be getting the divorce papers ready to serve once he is out of office.
21
I am skeptical of this op-ed. It comes across to me as contrived.
79
DJT is doing a reality show based on Elia Kazan’s “A Face in the Crowd” ‘I’m Winning,’ Trump Tells Montana Crowd as He Tries to Regain Control Amid Turmoil https://nyti.ms/2NVna8m?smid=nytcore-ios-share
4
I don't believe this opinion piece was written by a senior White House official. It's too simplistic and lacks the specificity a high-level official would have. This is something an average high school student that occasionally reads the news would write. I can't believe this silly paper has been the subject of extensive coverage by formerly outstanding news organizations like the PBS Nightly News Hour. Give it a rest and try to get your person elected the next time around. It might help if you could come up with a better candidate than Clinton.
35
The question of whether or not a "deep state" or "shadow government" exists has been answered...and for this we must thank the New York Times!
15
Thank you for exposing a Sedition Conspiracy. Now, the President has just cause to get warrants and run polygraphs on all WH employees, which will effectively eliminate all leakers. It also will change the status of NYT, as they portrayed unverified information as fact.
19
Does “adulting” Trump also include encouraging him to chip away at women’s privacy and reproductive rights, making healthcare increasingly unavailable but for the few who pulled themselves up by the bootstraps, continuing to hold women and all POC as second class citizens as well as openly denigrate them, separating immigrant children from their families and putting LGBTQ lives at risk? These policy issues are considered “the resistance” to the left? And you’re patting yourself on the back for the “bright spots” that benefit so few while you babysit Trump to the detriment of the greater good of our country. Are there evangelical Christian senior White House staff who also try to save Trump from himself and the rest of us? They sure do have a lot of political power considering this country doesn’t value Christian nationalism. Your wish for all of us to reach across the aisle and call ourselves Americans using the late Senator McCain’s name is insulting to his memory and to everyone who sees through you. Senator McCain was for bipartisanship. You’re just afraid of losing the House this fall. Besides, we already know Trump is undemocratic, amoral and unfit to be president. You’re not the resistance. You’re complicit in this mess. What a self-serving, cowardly op-ed piece.
43
Anonymous senior official?? Anonymous sources have zero credibility - that is why people laugh at tabloid magazines while waiting in line at the grocery store checkout. This "anonymous" source claims to be inside the Trump administration. REALLY?? It is anonymous folks and could just as easily have been written by Schumer, Pelosi, or Obama himself. Unverified, unsubstantiated, anonymous writing is not a source - it is garbage - in this case politically timed to delegitimize the President before the midterm elections. The Dems are getting desperate to use this tired old dirty trick. Where is Ben Bradlee?
28
To the clandestine gang inside the White House.
If you want to “save the republic”, all of you could drop the pretense, step into the sunlight, declare in unison “I am Spartacus”, tell your stories and let what’s left of the democracy take over from there.
28
I didn’t finish the article as I don’t believe it. Although this person might be from inside the “circle”, it’s a week attempt to distance the party from Trump and hopefully savage the mid-terms. I do a agree with the the guy on one thing - Fake news.
12
Daah a senior writer for VP Pence wrote it. Case solved he/she hmm most likely a woman, can get in more doors. So she then is also a mistress who hears the deepest thoughts of the real Senior. Or a gay male writer still. I say because we know that speak for them. Either way they were slick and in it they should how deep or how high this distain is including the now infamous LODESTAR. But this also goes to what the defected KGB YURI spoke of. hmm We are trully at war and within.
4
Mutiny in the White House. Sorry Trump no one will face the firing squad. Polly Graphs and affidavits will be employed against the list of 12 mutineers.
1
This guy is party to the oligarchy but won't admit the truth.
24
Ur article is a bunch of known information written as if it is someone in the administration. It doesn't begin to make sense that an administrative official would write such an article. If there really was a "resistance" no sane person would broadcast it. Perhaps it is true that trump is left out of some decisions and perhaps it is true that he flip flops on important policies and perhaps a lot of things in the article is true but how in the world are people falling for this dumb joke that a senior person in the trump administration wrote this.
13
This is one brave person. It feels like a bad dream. Trump hit rock bottom with what he showed us with the death of Sen. McCain. A pole came out from Germany that showed 70 percent of Germans say Trump is their biggest threat. Ahead of terrorism. The world is watching. And they are scared
21
What absolute ridiculous hubris.
You, sir or ma'am, were not elected President. With all due respect, McCain won neither the Republican nomination nor our Presidential election. The American people do not want you running our Administrative Branch of government. They did not want John McCain to do so either.
We have a Constitution. It's establishment was hard fought and long defended and has endured.
You should read it. You should visit Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The monuments and memorials and museums in D.C. You should learn some respect for the Nation which you pretend to serve.
Disgraceful and probably (hopefully) illegal.
25
Let’s face it. A story like this sells papers and generates controversy that sells even more papers.
The larger issue is what is an unelected and faceless bureaucrat doing undermining what the majority of voters asked for? If it was indeed he (or she).
The New York Times printing this piece in this manner was irresponsible and shameful. And if it’s true that a White House insider wrote it, it’s nothing less than treason.
25
I say thank you to the writer of this essay.
7
Here's something no one is doing anything about. There really is a deep state, only it is very pro-trump. Read this. But not right before bedtime.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/18/opinion/maria-butina-putin-infiltrati...
6
The publisher of this letter compromised their journalistic morals by printing this letter from a gutless member of the so-called "resistance." Thanks to the New York Times, this spineless collaborator has been able to tell this fable with complete impunity. I think remaining anonymous will only increase the size of his or her book deal. Anyone with a modicum of true grit would resign and tell his or her story. Apparently, the White House is not the only place suffering from a scarcity of morals and integrity. Blame it on Trump but his lack of morals has affected the newspaper business in a similar fashion.
8
The Times has been played for a sucker. This is a sales pitch for the Republican Party before an important election. Maybe the Times knows that. Conservative Republicans do not believe in free minds (or women’s bodies), free markets or free people.
14
This anonymous author is trying to have their cake and eat it. Sorry, buddy... you can't claim to be part of some internal resistance, yet in same breath agree with the destructive and regressive policies this administration has put in place. Pick a side, buddy. You're not fooling anyone.
23
'Scuse me, but Mr Trump hired you to advice him. And you're shocked or angered that you have to give him advice? That's your job. And I think you made the wrong decisions on Syria and Russia. Stop telling Mr Trump that he's "required" to hate some other nation.
9
This is a clear NYT editorial. There is no such "official" it is a rant against the Trump Administration. I am not pro-Trump, but I know when a cat is dead when I see one...
15
Thank you. At the very least, the Republicans who made this mess by allowing this would-be dictator and fascist to get into the highest office in the land, should stay around and help clean up the mess. The 25th was put in there for a reason, and I think treason is as good a use as it as anything. God knows, Presidents have been impeached for less than what 45 is up to, and has been up to, since well before the election. Do the right thing, Republicans. For the good of what is actually a noble country.
10
There have been other fakes in the news; fake diaries, phony paintings, Loch Ness monster photos.
There is absolutely no proof any one from the White House wrote this.
19
It's probably Cohn. Per Woodward, Cohn removed a letter authorizing the withdrawal of the United States from a trade agreement with South Korea from Trump's desk and Trump never noticed.
I appreciate all these various efforts, but we all know the real resolution is to impeach him and remove him from office. He is venal and vacuous and dangerous. He is corrupt and calculating, in it only for personal financial gain. He has no redeeming value. Lock him up.
13
Well, why not invoke the 25th Amendment if "senior" insiders know Trump is, at best, incompetent and mentally unfit (if not a traitor and/or Russian stooge)?
The entire world is in disbelief that such a buffoon could possibly be elected - that the solution is for a "Steady State" to thwart this egomaniacal blowhard isn't being an American, it's being an accomplice, if not a traitor themselves.
17
The letter is anonymous. Until its writer's name is made public, I will continue to believe that it was written by someone on the staff of the New York Times, probably at the order of your famous editor who gave instructions to the entire NYT writing staff (including reporters) that all stops had to be pulled out to keep Trump from becoming president. The daily anti-Trump fallout on the Times Opinion Page since he won would be laughable if it didn't simply herald the fall of our once-greatest newspaper. And if the letter is legitimate, then the paper's fall is even greater, since no reputable newspaper would print an anonymous Op-ed at any time.
20
Everyone but Trump knows who wrote this. Pence has the most to gain and he's tired of waiting.
6
It is absolutely unconscionable that the NYT would publish this. It violates every standard of ethical journalism. It makes you a party to a passive attempt, to overthrow a legally elected government. This is a threat to our cherished democracy. The editorial board should be deeply ashamed. You owe an apology to the President, and the American people at once.
20
I am so disappointed in the times for this self serving "op-ed". Clearly the writer is a collaborator in the destruction of our democracy. Why give them a voice? Who does it serve? Not the majority of Americans, who knew what Trump was long before he ran for president. Not the vaunted "base" that will support him even if he shoots someone on 5th Ave. It serves the writer, and to an extent the AWOL Republican Party. They deserve no pass on how cowardly they have behaved. They deserve everything this horrible president hangs around their neck. Why defend the indefensible? This should have been a signed resignation letter. That would really be brave.
17
George W. Bush concealed his alcoholism from us. His frequent recovery episodes in Crawford necessitated that Richard Cheney take the helm.
2
Says a lot about the state of things these days that 66% of readers in a Washington Times online poll believe the NYT made up the story. Just a measly 6% accept that it was actually written by a cabinet-level official.
21
Only one problem buddy, you were never duly elected so please don't make decisions on anyone else's behalf.
23
I am so thankful to the anonymous writer of this editorial. The message has confirmed what we, the American voter, has long suspected: Trump is a feckless idiot who has absolutely no idea of what he is doing or how his prognostications affect not only our country but all others around the world.
It is not enough, however, that some of his aides are doing whatever they can to protect their fellow citizens from this blithering idiot. It is also incomprehensible that Trump, his administration, loyal Congressional members and adoring supporters do not seem to care about his actions. This man must be removed from office now.
It is also obvious,that press freedom is one of the cornerstones of our democracy, and that its voice must never be stilled. Thank God for the “failing” New York Times, the Washington Post, the LA Times, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal and others for having the courage to publish the truth.
14
Would everyone relax?? I am personally tired of the tattletale behavior this newspaper (and so. many media outlets) has. It becomes like an addictive drug, or a train wreck that people can't look away from. Please, NYT's, give me a positive story about the fireman who saved a kitten in a tree. And if you are going to publish this type of article, be brave and give the author's name. Don't make me speculate for the sake of selling newspapers.
17
The first thing I had to do was give my Name. It was required.
Double Standard!
This article is written by the NYT. There is no source. This is your opinion and another ploy to divide the country further.
12
Dear Anonymous Author, Why on Earth would you write this to us? We NYT readers aren’t the ones who need to hear this. While you take this to us like some generous salve-bearer, Trump supporters still exist. Right now for example Trump and his abominably amoral press secretary are successfully convincing his equally deficient followers both that you are the deep state AND that this is fake news. What “the quiet resistance” perhaps fails to understand is that Trump is not the problem – Trump supporters are the problem. When so many Americans do not understand our laws, policies, and principals, and they bring that ignorance to their politics and to society in general, “Trump” becomes merely the incarnation of their dilapidated worldviews. Therefore, Trump supporters – and not NYT readers -- are the people who need to be convinced of how scary and dangerous and awful he is. So why don’t you take your self-congratulatory admissions and advisories to Fox News and the like and while you’re at it donate your time, if not to taking down Trump in the open, then at least to fixing your own people’s understanding of what is going on. Further, FYI, NYT readers typically like and want to preserve such common-good staples as the environment, our food quality, and our social services! So, the next time you want to offer some sort of olive branch to liberals, maybe consider NOT touting your crummy deregulation and enormous tax breaks for the superrich.
19
the author just handed to the world that the deep state exists and you have given POTUS his 2020. Now the world will know the POTUS was right in his statements all the way. Thankyou NYT for everything. You have done the world a great service. Now i wish to hand the Nobel Prize of Idiocy.
13
This 'debate' is absurd. Why do key stakeholders (press, POTUS, others) pay so much importance to a highly emotional letter full of subjective political statements, written by a person who prefers to remain anonymous? (or is even this fake news?) Is she/he afraid for the job in the White House? Should we take this seriously, simply because of the trustworthy track record of the New York Times? (next time, NYT, please do not publish anonymous letters - totally irrelevant - stick to hard facts. Thanks) Where are the times when an intellectual or physical fight was an honourable thing to do, by proud persons who would never want to remain anonymous..? And, I really wonder why Donald Trump took all this so seriously; man, choose your real enemies - there are plenty, and ignore the 'fake' ones .
It is high time to construct an objective overview of the pros and cons of the current US administration. Thát would be useful, not only for the American taxpayers and voters, but also for us - world citizens and consumers of international news, living in other parts of the world.
America, American people, POTUS, US Congress, US press, and all others, get your act together, please. Try to discuss important matter, to identify good 'compromises', involving all stakeholders, (just as the 'polder model' in The Netherlands), and solve the matter through wise political decisions.
Not easy, but certainly doable.
Greetings, and 'courage',
René Dubbeldam, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
6
Wow. Leaving the comments section open a long time eh? You must be going for a record.
8
How ridiculous to assert that this op ed is from within the White House. It mirrors all the distorted wishes of the left. The American people are sick of this media driven ruse to foil our president and we will show our distaste in November.
10
This Op Ed is, quite likely, a clever piece of propaganda by the Repulicans, on behalf of their party.
17
New YorK Times why should I care about what this article says? I don’t even know who wrote the article. Maybe one of your own New York Times writers wrote this article so you can sell more print. Without Trump the New York Times would go out of business
13
Was your first clue “I shoulda said would when I said wouldn’t”? Seriously?! You, the administration, and the clown car you’re riding is an embarrassment and shameful. You sold your soul to God only knows who to get your self serving policies and laws passed. And at the time, endorsing Trump and getting him elected was well worth it. He has a history of stupidity. It’s the only way I’m able to classify his many, many character flaws. You own it. Your fellow Republicans own it. Why? Because you’re all that self-serving that you’re too afraid to speak out publicly against the very fool you helped out in the White House. Nice try with the op-ed. You haven’t revealed anything we haven’t already figured out. If you had integrity you’d resign and save the country by standing up and speaking out and owning it for all to witness. You’re talkin’ the talk. Time to walk the walk.
9
A much more honest response to this piece of....
https://theintercept.com/2018/09/06/dear-anonymous-trump-official-there-...
1
If you think we should invoke the 25th, invoke it. There’s no heroism in filling your pockets with money and power and then claiming you hated every minute of it. The worst part of the trump presidency will be the lasting impact it has - on democracy, on personal human rights, on the environment, on human decency ... the list is endless. And you, you anonymous hero, have just as much blood on your hands as everyone else. And your greed - to solidify a right-wing power block in the judiciary, in congressional districts; to choke off any possibility that differing priorities can see the light of day; to disenfranchise, dehumanize and delegitimize all who see a different future - your greed will go down in history as that which destroyed the very fabric of our 250-year-old experiment in democracy. And the fact that you’d try to argue a moral equivalency between your efforts and that of the resistance is laughable. Shameful even. You have already hijacked America - the resistance does not belong to you. So no, I don’t applaud you. You are a selfish enabler. Nothing more. And my bet is, your vaulted op-ed was a thinly veiled attempt at quelling voters ahead of the midterms, so you don’t get your butts kicked and your demagogue jailed.
21
Shame on the Grey Lady for publishing this piece anonimously. Whoever wrote this is a coward and a traitor, unfit to work in government. Like the President they took an oath to uphold the Constitution and defend America against all enemies - foreign and domestic. How do I know these people (including those at the NYT who authorized anonymous publication) are traitors and cowards? Because Senaor Elizabeth Warren and I agree they are, and we agree on nothing else. My Senator is absolutely correct in insisting on immediate exercise of the 25th Amendment - Section 4 if there is such grave concern, not anonymous accusations and behind-the-scenes obstructionism. America is a Constitutional Republic - a nation of laws - and Donald Trump is the duly elected President. We the People elected him according to the Constitution. If these cowards and traitors question the judgement of the People then they need to exercise the Constitutional provision to initiate a public conversation and decision-making process. These cowards and traitors - in writing this op-ed - have shown the world their ignorance of the Constitution, their disdain of the People, and their own unfitness for office. If they had any honor they would resign in shame and renounce their citizenship immediately.
9
This is an unfortunate reminder that the NYT is a business too that wants to increase readership. Whoever this was should have quit their post and openly worked against the president but instead exemplifies the means to an end attitude that defines this time.
9
How do we know if this is just not a made up story from a made up source from an obvious partisan propaganda paper? This is what is normally called hearsay.
7
New York Times you want Truth 'You are known by the friends you keep.'
"I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration."
So What!? There have always been and always will be 'Resistance' of elites entrenched in existing positions or having being turned to the 'good' side, however different they are to the new encumberments worldview.
In the Westminster system of Government if you are employed by the Government of the day you follow their direction and carry out their orders and if you do not like what the Government of the day is doing you resign.
I did. But I was open about it I did not hide, and yes it cost me and my family - but I did not snigger and work against the Government secretly by leaking information or actively attempting to thwart the Government of the day as I was not elected by the citizens to make decisions on their behalf to determine which policy or its implementation I would thwart - the person the New York Times has writing for them and the 'like-minded colleagues' are all cowards, you are known by the friends you keep.
5
This is a cowardly way to state a grievance, and to me it feels made up. I don’t think any reputable paper/news source printing these types of serious blasts against the president should be allowed to hide behind an “anonymous” source. What prevents them from fabricating something like this material just because they think it’s believable? Like one reader writes - resign, then come forward on the record. Otherwise this is just a waste of time intended to drive traffic to the website and sell papers.
8
“Given the instability many witnessed, there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, which would start a complex process for removing the president. But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis.”
If you are “whispering” about invoking the 25th, we are IN a constitutional crisis!
Thank you for coming forward - but it is time for you to do what you know needs to happen.
7
First things first. Donald Trump didn't bring the lack of civility to Washington. In fact, Trump is the result of incivility that has permeated throughout Washington since the arrival of the Clintons. The Washington 'professional' class flourished with a corrupt handshake of the Clinton Crowd and the Bush Clan. These people who have 'fleeced' our Treasury, believe they are entitled to RULE OVER our country.
The writer is a female and has either part of the Bush Clan, Washington Establishment, or recent appointee by Trump, who was recommended by the Rinos. Oh! I'll cut to the chase. ANONYMOUS is K.T. McFarland. Look her up on Google for yourself and you will understand why.
She hasn't been a part of this White House since February 2017, and the oped was released to coincide with Bob Woodward's Book. She has never liked Trump, her career was abruptly stopped because she had ties to Michael Flynn. She is now a nobody in Washington, desperate to have something to say at the Washington socials.
6
I’m not buying it.
6
The Shadow State, who's only codified power is expressed through resignation.
1
Dear anonymous, and those in the boat with. Your shattered clubhouse group is the reason we put Donald Trump into office. Welcome to the corporate world. Much different than the bubble you are used to. God is in control. Next time you have issues, pray instead of write, encourage those in that boat with you to pray also.
3
Dear Anonymous,
Why didn’t you take your concerns to the special counsel, or to Congress? I would guess because Mr. Trump’s signature on those policies you do agree with is still more valuable to you than serving the will of the people.
“What we as a nation have allowed him to do to us?”
There is a huge “we”, in fact a majority of the voters in 2016, who never wanted Mr Trump elected, and a huge “we” who have spoken out, sometimes at great cost to themselves, in an effort to point out Mr. Trump’s singular unfitness for the office of President. So who, really, is this “we” you speak of?
“But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis.”
Congratulations. You have now precipitated a constitutional crisis with this op-ed. You are acting in an unelected capacity to thwart not the president’s mis-guided whims, but the will of the people, both those who elected him, as well as those who voted against him.
I would further suggest that your actions are just as self-serving and mis-guided as those of the President you purport to protect us from, and further, that your actions may well constitute treason.
8
It appears to me that Bob Woodward wrote a supporting piece for his “novel”. Nothing else explains the timing, and he would certainly be an “anonymous” source, Mr “Deepthroat” would know about anonymous sources. Woodward has been irrelevant for decades, and is now an aging, faded shadow of a once revered journalist. What the Trump election has provided to the country is the unmasking of the Main Stream Media. The MSM we thought to be “fair and impartial” is little more than a super-pac for the Democratic party. Sad..
2
All of you should come out and publically confront the president. That would be true courage.
27
Kudos to your readers who noted that the destructive policies of the Trump administration are still being pursued with fervor despite the “resistance” to Trump’s instability and psychopathology. What resistance?
The Op-Ed is no more than a piece of conservative right-wing Republican propaganda reassuring the base that the program is on course. I’m disappointed that the Times was duped into publishing it! What new has been revealed? What’s new is your author telling the base that the “staff” is focused on inculcating the conservative Right’s agenda and Donald Trump is not going to get in the way: to weaponize the Federal judiciary, ensure that the Supreme Court is partisan, limit and redefine civil rights, restrict voting rights, dismantle the EPA, blur the line between church and state, retrench the social safety net of Social Security and Medicare, halt any progress to a rational and inclusive health care system and the paramount goal of all.....to “Make America White Again” . The author may disparage and disrespect Trump but he enthusiastically facilitates his policies. The staff is simply trimming the excesses. There is no resistance. The “president” has not been hijacked by his unelected staff. The conservative Right minority has a window to impose its will on the majority and it is not going to squander the opprtunity.
19
Dear Anonymous Op-Ed writer,
Life is too short to work at saving a drowning man from himself. It is time to quit your job and tell all Americans and Congress what you know and sign your name to it. If you need the salary to support your family, go ahead and quit. A lot of us will be so glad you came out and are taking real action that we will crowd-fund your salary until you can get a book advance.
3
This isn’t true! Really
I bet James Comey wrote it.
I voted for Trump and would do it again!
How is anyone’s life worse now since Trumps the president?
The democrats, liberals and resistance, whatever, are on full display. The American people should take notice!
4
Most commenters, by a ratio of 2 to 1, believed you should have resigned and revealed yourself in the doing. Give them a real "witness", if they would.
Perhaps they need to consider all perspectives.
I see the hero you truly are.
Thinking contrary to the madness that surrounds you and dictates your every move is risk well beyond what those nay-sayers can understand.
Like those unknown stars on the wall in Langely, the real pride of our nation is also it's greatest honor.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Shadow government by sleazy, power hungry Republicans in position to anonymously play the puppeteers. And he is proud of it. These people are a lot more dangerous than Trump.
5
I just want to know how the NYT determined that the anonymous author wasn't acting under Trump's orders? If Trump comes out and says that he had told a staffer to do it, then it proves Trump's claims of fake news. Even if Trump didn't tell someone to do this, if he says that it was all his idea, it only feeds his fanatics and diminishes the credibility of the NYT. If Anonymous exists, he/she ought to have presented it first to the Congress, in person and then it could have appeared as a credible source in the Times. I think Trump was behind the whole thing and the Times has not said that that couldn't have been the case or have they shown how they could tell the difference between a practical joke and fact.
6
More than a few fingers are being pointed at Mike Pence as the suspected author; but if he is, the Times has been less than honest in referring to the author (at the top of this page) as one "whose job would be jeopardized" by identification.
The vice president is an elected official in his own right and cannot be fired. He can be impeached; but that presupposes a very serious offense, such as treason, and accordingly dire consequences. To speak of such a prospect as job jeopardy would be highly disingenuous. If that is indeed the idea, it would have been better for the Times to remain silent on that point.
Thank you friend. It is high time to TAKE ACTION now. What type of a catastrophe are we waiting for to justify enacting the 25th amendment or something similar? The nightmare of the election is over. This great country deserves better. We are sickened by how all the scandalous issues that have surfaced about this presidency quickly fizzle out because effective action was not taken. Are we going to become so burned out and fed up, like the oppressed people of some third world countries who have lost faith in their government and learn to turn a deaf ear and blind eye? We Americans have come a very long way to win freedom, and are too far advanced to be subjugated at this point. Let us find new inspiration and put an end to this insanity now.
“Where the mind is without fear
and the head is held high,
where knowledge is free.
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.
Where words come out from the depth of truth,
where tireless striving stretches its arms toward perfection.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
into the dreary desert sand of dead habit.
Where the mind is led forward by thee
into ever widening thought and action.
In to that heaven of freedom, my father,
LET MY COUNTRY AWAKE!”
― Nobel Prize Winner Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali
1
Thank you.
You are all heroes.
1
If you really want to be helpful, don't further validate his presidency by sticking around the White House.
1
These insiders' actions are an extension of the total dishonesty of this administration and of the manipulations of the last 40 years. The only true "fix" is open, honest confrontation of the situation, which no one, White House or Congress, has the courage to do. So we continue on this path down into what, Fascism?
5
I would like to add my name against those who might accuse me of writing this op-ed.
I was asleep. I had to get a haircut. My computer was down.
I JUST didn't do it!
2
Fake Resistance
The anonymous author of the New York Times’ opinion piece I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration, is highly suspect. This article does not represent any truly desirable behavior inside the Trump White House. The time has long passed when any responsible person close to the President should have gone public with Trump’s shortcomings and organized action to remove him from office. Any small efforts to prevent the President from making even more horrific mistakes is a sign of complicity, not resistance. The author agrees with much of what the President is doing. And, when it comes to the President’s faults, the author seeks to distance the Republican Party from their own President, even though Trump is a direct manifestation of the new Republican Party. This opinion piece seems to be an attempt to salvage the political career of the author (or perhaps authors) when they are deserving of total condemnation. When the ship is sinking, some rats jump and others write anonymous articles.
7
I commend the NY Times for having the courage and foresight to publish this Op-Ed. My guess? Anonymous is Stephen Miller, a man sufficiently articulate to have authored such a piece and sufficiently deluded to think he is serving some purpose larger than is own ego by staying the course and accomplishing the gradual extinction of our Country- as opposed to the more immediate cessation pursued by DJT.
1
While reading the NYT and Washington Post at the start of the Trump era, I was struck by a general impression that inappropriate and unprofessional editorial bias might be spilling over into their news pages. I believed I saw photographic selections picked to make Trump look mean, angry, unhappy, or stupid; an emphasis on negatively emotive words and points in the lead paragraphs of Trump-related stories; and a bias in the selection of stories themselves to highlight Trumpian actions, words, and thoughts that would evoke negative feelings in most readers.
I strongly urge concerned academics to carry out a solid "double-blind" type of study comparing First Page stories during Trump's first year on a selection of dates randomly chosen by an algorithm tied to upcoming lottery numbers.
Subject panels, survey-selected to be as "middle-of-the-road" as possible, would then use a positive/negative scale to grade the photos and content choice of those stories in the NYT, WaPo, two strongly conservative, and two neutralist print news sources on those days.
Following that, a balanced academic panel would use a verifiable social-sciences measure of emotively positive and negative words and phrases in the headlines and lead paragraphs of those stories to see if even their very word choice may have been intended to promote anti-Trump sentiment and public action or disturbance.
The study results could be informative.
Michael J. McFadden
Manhattan College Peace Studies Graduate, 1973
4
Let's be clear. The Repubs have no problem that what's described in the Op-Ed is going on. They are glad it is. They are just upset that someone owned up to it and the NYT published it.
My guess is that the author is Asst. Secretary of State John J. Sullivan. The phrases "malign behavior" "moored to any discernible first principles" " like-minded nations" " tribalism trap" sound like State Department jargon. It's not Pompeo. Sullivan is next top official and operated as acting Secretary for months.
Could this be Nikki Haley ?
trump rather be impeached than go to jail.
Being impeached will delay jail.
2
It’s probably the assistant attorney general. Releasing Mueller to kick in doors and sweat US citizens wasn’t enough. Renewing FISA warrants on US citizens wasn’t enough. Allowing Mueller’s team to expand their investigation to include tax fraud and money laundrering cases dating years before the 2016 presidential campaign, that wasn’t enough.
The heads of the executive branch agencies, as well as the cabinet, are interested in perpetuating the tentacles keeping them in power, much like the Senate in Rome’s late republic.
The reason this person won’t expose himself/herself is to “protect their job.” That tells you all you need to know.
I don't care WHO wrote this! John McCain was NOT honorable and he did NOT put America first like Pres Trump is doing. I want results that are good for the economy & for we the people & that is what I see happening with our POTUS. At least he's doing what he said he'd do, & so far I'm satisfied with his policies. The USA is about us, the people. We elected DJT for results. Not for all talk & no action political elitists like the previous Pres. You can talk the talk all you want but for those of us who live out here in the REAL WORLD, we know & see how the policies in DC affect our communities. We make the decisions for we the people, not some group who "thinks" they know best. If you want to talk dictatorship, a small group running everything is just as dangerous in my opinion. Esp. If that group forces their mentality on the rest of us unwilling participants. Freedom is everything. Give me liberty or else I'll fight for it. Period.
6
Thank you, thank you and the rest of the world thanks you.
2
So, the unelected puppeteers are running the country? By "amoral" does this self-righteous official mean that some of Trump's ideas may be "liberal?" Is this why the administration has flip-flopped on such things as extending DACA protections? America can address a president that is not fit to govern through Constitutional means (the Constitutional Crisis this writer and his or her team are avoiding). I disagreed with many of Senator John McCain's political positions, but he was a law abiding, straightforward man who does not deserve to have his farewell to the nation he loved co-opted by this disingenuous anonymous "adult." I am not afraid of a constitutional crisis--I am afraid that ultra conservative Breitbart news loving, LGBTQ hating, misogynist, tea party personas may be the "adults" pulling the strings for our commander in chief.
4
I suspect the Republicans will finally act to remove the President after his Supreme Court nominee is confirmed.
"This isn’t the work of the so-called deep state. It’s the work of the steady state."
First of all, the deep state and the steady state are not mutually exclusive. That said, the writer is correct that it is the work of the steady state. The problem, however, with the steady state, is that it has for a very long time steadily trended in the wrong direction for our country and her people. That's why people like me introduced a transient into the system when we elected Donald Trump, and that's why people like me will never be convinced that introducing that transient was the wrong move.
3
this individual gets a medal. they have performed a favor to most thinking Americans who have such graves concerns about our country right now. my favorite takeaway is that we are not alone. behind "enemy" lines, there are allies who share some of our concerns. kudos to the author and to the nyt opinion leadership. and thank you.
2
Granting anonymity to Iranian dissidents whose lives are at risk is one thing. Here, just the person's job is at risk. Is that enough reason to grant anonymity?
6
Sarah Huckabee Sanders was quick to malign The NYT about the anonymous Op Ed piece. There will be a moment in time when the likes of Sarah will no longer have voice to defend the treachery that engulfs the Trump Administration.
The Republican Congress should be ashamed to have not taken the lead to speak out a against Trump. It took the courage of an aide to speak.
3
Well, laying your cards out on the table is all very well and fine. Still, how great a danger do you really think this man is? If you believe Donald Trump represents a real, existential threat to the health of the nation, and your cabal is in fact united, what's most needed at this point for Mr. Trump to be called out in the full light of day, so that the spell may be broken and order restored. A public mass resignation, with a big, open press conference where you all speak the truth out loud may be your best move. Simply keeping your head down in hopes of a regular slot on Fox News does not rise to the occasion.
Then again, if you remain in office, yet truly believe it's as bad as all that, then by all means: Invoke the 25th Amendment. What have you got to lose? Why wait to get picked off on Twitter one by one? Save the republic, or at least try.
The Republican Party has funhouse-mirrored its way into a full embrace of Soviet-style cult of personality, defending to the bitter end this guy: Donald Trump. The paucity of their party's national appeal is revealed in that one simple fact...THIS is the charismatic leader they rally around? Yeesh.
So please, Sec. Anonymous, keep speaking the truth. Until Congress comes to its senses, equilibrium will not be restored. The embarrassing tilt towards tyranny will continue and the world will suffer. It's not just Trump we worry about, by the way, there's an amazing number of GOP senators and representatives behaving just as badly.
9
Who is to say that this anonymous Op-Ed essay was not written at behalf of Trump himself to maybe help remove Mueller? I see this essay eventually just helping out Trump and FOX in proving that a deep state and a swamp does exist which doesn't let Trump function the way people wanted him to function and that Mueller is just another face of this multi-head hydra.
7
The President was not installed by a military coup to secretly observe and report on. He was freely elected and inaugurated by American voters after listening to him in extensive televised DEBATES, interviews and speeches about 18 months ago.
The President's STAFFERS were hired by the candidate we elected pursuant to his open, honest campaign effort, - not theirs!
Further, why should we the people believe this unknown senior staff to be superior calibre to the elected candidate?
It is not logical to trust these unknown employees who were chosen by the President; again, the candidate who is in the White House after the open and extensive United States Party Primary and General Election process.
2
Come on NYT
The letter is basically stating:
1) Vote for this guy again, it's ok, you get some noisy version of deficit spending Reaganism (oh wait he did that too!) if you can just tolerate the crazy twitter feed.
We got this moderate Republican who is sort of worried. And it's still better than a Democratic president.
4
I'm wondering why the author(s) didn't address that fact that Trump is an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal crime. That --and that alone -- should be enough to censure and impeach this president. And that fact alone should be cause to stop the Kavanaugh hearings immediately and postpone until after Mueller concludes his investigation, and until after all 100% of Kavanaugh's documents are made available. Trump's mentally unfit for office, which means he's unfit to hold that office either as a puppet or master. The author(s) of this letter must do the right thing and begin the process of removing this president. Send Trump to independent psychiatrists for testing. Whatever. But censure him immediately so he can't start a nuclear war. He's probably already compromised us by giving Putin all of our intelligence. Please stop Trump before this gets worse!
5
To Mr./Ms. Anonymous: If you really believe in what you say to save your nation, then there is no need to hide to save your job or reputation. This is issue is way bigger than you so words really mean nothing unless you are fully committed to show who you are without fear, to show to the rest of the world your seriousness without regard to yourself. That my friend is called bravery overshadowing all the obstacles that hides the truth.
2
This is a person of conscience. Thank you.
3
I think we have taken Trump too seriously on one hand, and not seriously enough on the other. He is like a rodeo clown, providing distraction to cover the work of those determined to undermine democracy and the working of our government itself in order to achieve their objectives. Who might those people be? The Kochs come to mind.
1
I am not impressed by these illusions of grandeur on the part of this anonymous author. You have done nothing to save this country. You have allowed Trump to do the deeds that fit with your partisan, self-serving interests of improving the value of your own pocketbook despite what it will do to the majority of the population who struggles on a daily basis. So you are no Patriot of America, only perhaps one of the Republican party. John McCain also may have been a hero in the eyes of warmongers, but he is responsible for the deaths of millions of people both directly and indirectly from the Vietnam to the Iraq war. It was only the last year of his life that he began to speak with a conscience, perhaps becoming more spiritual as he faced the imminence of his own mortality. He resisted Trump but not for the favors that he did for the 1%. No one who advocates killing in senseless wars that were illegally entered into, supports lies of this President, and allows the decline of the alleged values of this country on a daily basis by a ranting, raving demagogue, can be considered anything close to being a real hero. Heroes serve everyone at risk, not just those who think the way they do. Heroes are people like Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X who sacrificed their lives in order to bring attention to the atrocities of America. You and your colleagues just hide them. We have no heroes in the white house. We have a failed government. The only recourse is to impeach.
2
Words are cheap and easy, especially when the author is hidden from sight. Actions are what this person should be judged by. What concrete action has he or she taken that has not been hidden?
1
No one who is or was in this administration, has experience with another POTUS with as serious a mental disorder as this one. None of them have the behavioral skills to address it, so they have no way to understand it or deal with it appropriately. Most try to rationalize the irrational, and/or to support the disturbed behavior for selfish reasons, and/or, as in this report, take what they perceive to be a stand to protect the country or some other personal agenda.
Some in the field of human behavior have written in various comments here and in other publications about DT having narcissistic personality disorder. Actually, that is merely one of his defense mechanisms used as a shield against a deeper avoidance syndrome from severe emotional abuse he experienced throughout his prepubescent childhood at the hands of his tyrannical bully father. As a child, DT could have fallen into depression, and/or into suicidal ideation, and/or into various forms of acting out, and/or into copying the behavior of his abuser as a defense. He took the path of becoming an abuser like his father, whom he perceived as a winner. That childhood persona, riddled with pain, manifests itself, with sixty hears of additional life experience, when under what is perceived to be intolerable stress, such as criticism. His older brother committed suicide. This disturbance is worsening as POTUS.
Impeachment & removal means a President Pence, the sycophant with extremist religious views. 2020, vote.
3
This is mid-term election spin. For an 'amoral' president who is supposedly in such disarray, our POTUS is accomplishing more than past presidents did at this stage or, in most cases, for their entire terms. This cowardly fiction-writer needs to find another job where he is better aligned with a boss whose personality and management style doesn’t frighten him.
2
I have felt for a while...since DT was elected, that there must be a lot happening behind the scenes, in the interest of ethical government, honesty, integrity and a concern for humanity in all decisions. There would have to be...wouldn't there? I mean, there HAS TO BE! The need is so enormous.
Well, thankfully, I was right. And thank you for letting us all in on this delicious piece of news. Perhaps some of us can sleep a little bit better. May you all continue in the diverse and effective protection of a grateful nation, which is in such desparate need, and more every day. Remain where you can be and how you can be most productive. Ignore the greatly flawed person projecting every single attribute of his own disgusting behavior onto you. His accusations are transparent and meaningless. You are heroes. THANK YOU!
3
This op-Ed is a wolf in sheeps clothing. It is an attempt to calm people down and say there is a “right resistance”, so concerned Republicans and moderates don’t vote Democrat this Fall causing Republicans to lose the House. There are so many hints of this throughout the opinion piece and also consider the timing of this release with the elections coming up in just under 2 months.
5
Good show NYTimes! Everyone all over the world enjoy this drama made in the USA.
5
This doesn’t make sense. This individual or persons don’t decry the policies. They seem to decry things that don’t really matter, like “morality” while praising the actual bread and butter policies that hurt. This is utter nonsense.
6
Its about time some of this has been brought out in the open. How can we trust a person that lies? This president has embellished every day of his campaign and presidency. When the left objects it is viewed as unpatriotic. The man is out of control. And its my view that he has put this country in a bad position. While all this chaos is happening the enemy is watching. Hopefully the midterms will tell the truth
3
Here is the unlikely but not improbable way this mess can play out.
1. The Democrats take control of the House . Pelosi is elected Speaker.
2. After exhaustive hearings, the House passes articles of impeachment based on Mueller’s findings.
3. At the Senate trial the Republicans decide they would rather not go down with Trump’s ship, so they vote to remove him from office.
4. As his last official act, Trump pardons himself.
5. In keeping with the Faustian bargain he made to get the seat, Kavanaugh votes with the conservative majority to affirm Trump’s pardon of himself.
6. Pence becomes President and submits his proposed replacement to Congress. The Senate concurs, while the House declines.
7. By default, Nancy Pelosi becomes acting Vice President.
8. In the interest of “national unity,” Mitch McConnell invites Pence and Pelosi to dinner so they can “bury the hatchet.” He does, by poisoning them both.
9. McConnell’s first official act as President is to pardon himself.
5
@Douglas Evans
Makes perfect sense in context with everything else that's happened over the past few years...
3
It's frightening enough that we have an incompetent and possibly deranged person as president, but that senior administration officials think they are heroic by silently acting as a "inside resistance" is perhaps even more frightening.
Come out of the closet and tell us who you are and what you are witnessing! Don't work secretly, that is absolutely terrifying. You need to bring this out into the open. Use your first and last name like I am doing now as I write this.
I'm not impressed until you put your self on the line and do what is right. Speak out publicly. Until people start speaking out openly, all they are doing is enabling this national disaster.
This is not a good day for the United States. This is a national nightmare made all the worse by people working in secret imagining themselves to be heroes.
4
You have an obligation to make this authors name public. For someone to take action like this puts our democracy in jeopardy, and for the NY Times to publish an article like this without bringing this to the attention of the Office of the President is very disturbing in my opinion, and can not possibly serve the best interests of all Americans.
4
If what you describe is true, invoke the 25th for the sake of the country and the integrity of the Presidency. Anonymity protects only yourself.
2
When Trump leaves office, whether he is impeached or he fails to be re-elected, America will have a traitor on its hands. For the first time in its history, America will have an ex-president that will, be it revenge, naïveté, or ignorance, provide Putin with everything and anything that he wants to know.
2
Can we have some assurance that this senior official and his fellow protectors can keep Trump from pushing the nuclear button and bombing Iran?
1
It seems like the so-called Deep State is really just common sense.
1
Either this is a desperate move by NYT to drum up more readers or one has to conclude that Trump is getting it done with opposition from Democrats, Republicans, and inside his administration. Get out and vote out these do nothing senator like Bill Nelson and let’s start helping this administration get more great things accomplish. This article proves that the Deep State is extremely deep and pure evil.
2
You won't be able to guess who I am. Name Nikki you will not come to mind, and even if you guess the name, then the name Haley you just will not get to know. Because I'm smart and you're not. :)
@Nikki Haley
In the study with the candlestick.
The person who wrote this op ed was foolish enough to help Trump into the White House so that a certain political agenda could get passed. What kind of risky business is that? He says there is an adult in the room? An adult would never have risked the safety of this country in such a reckless grasp at power. He is no better than Trump and is a big part of the problem we now face.
6
You are a made up person that does not exist or part of the past who is refusing to accept that Donald J Trump was elected our president by a fair and square democratic process uninfluenced by any foreign power. Not saying that foreign powers may not have tried to meddle in the 2016 presidential election. If you are a real brave person, come forward with your head held high and defend your opinion and your actions before you are found and face the music for your own worst inclinations.
2
Thank you Mr Sessions, we appreciate everything you do for this country.
1
I would like to offer an alternative way of understanding this. I think this opionion piece can be seen as a "Brasklapp" ("note of Brask"), a swedish term named after bishop Hans Brask, who in 1517 was forced to put his seal on a decision to remove archbishop Gustav Trolle. However, under his seal he put a note saying "To this I am forced and compelled". Three years later, this "brasklapp" saved bishop Brask's life, during the "Bloodbath of Stockholm" when other people were in charge.
With this interpretation, we may expect to learn the identities of the authors of this opinion piece after Trump and associates have found their true place in the dustbin of history. I guess time will tell.
Despite the search for the identity of who you are, I applaud your courage, honesty and willingness to show us there are indeed grounded individuals at the White House to protect us from Trump. We all see how unhinged he is. We all hear his hateful comments. We all do not believe his many lies. We are all stressed out to the max not knowing what will be tweeted again, or who he insults. He is a danger to just about everything and everyone. His eyes scare me!!!!! And I am not easily scared. Whoever you are Thank you for coming forward and giving us hope......that our democracy is protected.
If the Presidency were run like a business, the Board of Directors would remove the President. In this case, the Board is the Congress. Clearly, Congress is not doing its job. The people will remove the Congress. #Bluewav.
2
Thank God for NYTIMES!
1
Kellyann, is it you?
i fell like the NYTS is effectively slandering a standing president based on a unconfirmed story which could be a fat lie? doesn't make sense to me.
2
Has Melania denied writing this?
1
If this is really the case, is there any wisdom in announcing this to the world?
Isn't it akin to letting the mob boss you are meeting with know that various people in the room are regularly wearing wires?
Won't this now provoke "the president" into rash overrides of staff attempts to moderate/thwart disastrous policies?
Really, if what anonymous (et al) have been doing in secret has been even modestly effective, what is the strategic rationale for busting the secrecy at this time?
What is being stated by this senior official is just what you would hope and expect they would be doing. So, publicly revealing it before the job is over makes it seem less like a public service and more like an ironic, dark humor opinion piece. I smell a rat.
1
Why do you even believe a Trump official wrote this article? Anyone could have written this article. NYT sells articles like this so you will continue paying the NYT. this is sensational, flamboyant, emotional stuff designed to appeal to Trump “haters”.
1
A commenter in a related article made a good point:
Why hasn’t a group of White House staffers quit in protest and then held a press conference?
And then what?
Maybe two days of dominating the news cycle, and then a long season of Trump nicknaming and insulting them in his Twitter streams.
This is about raw, naked, power, not about pleasing the news media for a day or so. with a show of moral courage
Trump has the votes in the House and Senate, and his base has the voting power to intimidate any Republican legislator who might step out of line, even the "saintly" Susan Collins and the "feisty" Lisa Murkowski, both of whom would throw Roe under the bus in a heartbeat if it meant not giving up their seat in Washington.
End of story.
The only thing that will stop this train wreck is to get those votes away from Trump in the upcoming election.
In the meantime, I am happy that there are wanna be adults in the room who may limit the damage, rather than be discarded on the trash heap of Trump's previous victims in the Republican party.
2
Given the present political situation in my own country and the genuine love for your country's intrinsic values, I am reassured by reading not everybody is in agreement with the actual President of the United States of America.
Thank you.
Despite being firmly against Trump and his presidency, I take serious objection to your letter and motives. You, whoever you are, and your "likeminded" colleagues, were not elected to run this country. Donald Trump was, and this letter should be, and I'm sure is, an absolute outrage to those who voted for him (of which I am most certainly NOT one).
If you truly seek to protect the nation from a dangerous leader, the way to do that is to expose that danger with clear, concrete and incontrovertible evidence, and to do so with full accountability (meaning not anonymously).
Here's the issue: There is a large segment of the population that remains steadfastly supportive of the very person you tell us is dangerously out of his element and out of control. These people consider him to be one of our nation's finest leaders in recent history, if not in it's entirety. These people would elect him again tomorrow, and will do just that two years from now.
Hiding clear evidence of his incompetence from these people allows them to continue in their blind, ignorant support. In a democracy, the problem is not a dangerous leader; the problem is that a majority of the population could not see, or would not admit, the danger.
The solution is to show these people this danger in the clearest, most incontrovertible way possible, with concrete evidence and accountability (meaning not anonymously) so they understand the gravity and consequence of their decision 2 years ago.
10
Why not ask if this is a ploy to rally Trump supporters in upcoming elections ?
This is only making a more solid base for Trump .
And humans learn to accept inappropriate behavior as normal after sometime , especially if rewarded .
3
Not a Nietzsche fan , but appreciate wisdom of his quote “the best weapon against an enemy is another enemy “
Looks like this letter will rally more Trump supporters .
While overlooking his inappropriate behavior , supporting the “victim “ is an age old human behavior.
On a personal level, I don't like Donald Trump. He is mercurial, absurdly outspoken and given to erratic ranting on Twitter about utter nonsense. Nevertheless, whether one agrees with him or thinks he should be impeached, he is at the moment, the duly-elected POTUS (when accusations of Russian collusion move to actual charges that may change, but for now he is POTUS).
He has the Constitutional right to exercise his power and has sole responsibility to plot the direction of the Executive Branch of the government. Anyone working in that branch has a legal and ethical obligation to work faithfully toward making those goals a reality.
There are 3 valid ways to deal with a POTUS with which you disagree. First, try to change his opinion and direction through open discussion in the WH. Second, resign and take your concerns public. Third, work to invoke the 25th Amendment.
Whether the President is LBJ, Nixon, Clinton, Bush, Obama or Trump is irrelevant. For an unelected official to conspire with others in an administration to "work diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda" and to try to usurp power from the elected President is not acceptable in our country.
The writer of this Op-Ed is committing sedition and no matter how much one may dislike this POTUS, it should not be tolerated.
3
I am no fan of Kaepernik, but I do admire his assertion that...
"If you truly believe in something then it is worth losing everything for"
Is it too much to ask for that a wise, seasoned, patriotic high ranking government official show a fraction of courage shown by a young and rather naive football player ?
2
Thank you Mr/Ms Anonymous. Most rational people are horrified by the behavior of this lunatic. I've been a staunch conservative my entire life and I will be donating time and money to see Trump's defeat. I hope you remain in your role and continue to thwart his whims and withstand the tantrums.
I'm sorry to say it, but this little manifesto is knee deep in half-truths. However, trying to persuade anyone of this within this context would be an exercise in futility. Therefore, I must be going to bed. Goodnight!
2
The military budget is still 25 % waste, fraud and abuse.
2
After deep throat, here is deep pocket. The Trump's reality show is getting more fun every day! Up here in Canada, we will need to buy the popcorn factory to keep watching.
America will come out badly damaged from this. The good news for Canada is that some multipolar world leadership may emerge from this, once USA sidelined itself. A world where we will be heard instead of seeing Trump's attempt to destroy our sovereignty.
3
We are like the frog in the hot water pot. By the time we realize the water is too hot, it is too late to jump. It is unbelievable how much we have tolerated from Donald Trump. The lies, the general immorality, the insults to immigrants and women, the sycophancy to Putin, and on and on. It is never bad enough for the Republicans to stand against him. They are all afraid of a base that is only 35 percent of the population. But the other 65 percent of the voters are complacent. Even if the Democrats take the House, older voices in the party say we should not impeach. So what does it take to impeach this awful President? I personally have thought that he is in the incipient stages of dementia. I have thought so since the campaign. Many psychologists think so too, and have said it. The person that wrote the anonymous opinion piece may be seen as brave by some; but he is also saving his hide, so when the onslaught comes, he will survive to live another day in a Republican government that supposedly has "made American safer and more prosperous" in the hands of this insane President. He may take the role of the "lodestar".
2
Dictators look for excuses to purge and persecute political opponents. Claiming a conspiracy of "enemies of the state" is a common one. Hasn't the author set up Trump perfectly for such moves? I wonder if the official wrote this piece at Trump's request.
My guess is Trump is behind this. It gives him the justification and sympathy he'll need to clean house.
4
The more I think about this the more I wonder: What was the author's objective?
To say Trump endangers the nation so even Republicans must send the Resistance House and Senate candidates (Democrats) who'll not just robustly check and balance but impeach?
The opposite, to foment backlash against impeachment, and by extension Democrats? (Though Trump brings it up more than anyone.)
To depress the vote because 1/2 only absorb "steady state" as elections don't have consequences and to the degree he's erratic, the Resistance has got this?
Does it prey on Trump's "deep state" paranoia and enmity to the media to goad him into authoritarian overreach and trigger Congressional pushback? In that scenario does it look for Congress to prevail, or for destabilization?
Trump's campaign, transition, inauguration, administration, all overrun with secret foreign agents like Manafort, Gates, Flynn, even Giuliani, paid by our adversaries to change perceptions inside America to one more favorable of fascist interests. Was this piece part of a broader strategy of subversion and psy ops from another administration mole?
Two optics: Trump first reacted to this in a photo op with (clueless?) law enforcement officers in tacit support. The next day Trump showed Twitter followers he and Kim Jong-un bonding over this despite stalled nuclear talks.
Is the "steady state" just "adult day care," as Bob Corker put it months ago, or are they playing chess, and what moves do they anticipate, or fail to?
2
Thank you, whomever you may be, for y of ur courage and strength ... we, the nation, need you to continue what you are doing, as distasteful as it may be ... your assessment of Trump is consistent with what we all can see and recognise as his narcisism and instability. His presence alone is a danger and threat to our values and institutions as a nation of free people and also to our allies.
Please continue and be safe!
Namaste
Donald Trump is a dangerous and unstable individual with limited knowledge of the world and a bad temper. America knew this when it voted for him. If he is this out of control and I have no doubt he is, then his cabinet and the Congress should have the courage to follow due process and remove him either through the 25th or impeachment. This whole, we resist silently, is ridiculous. These people are no heroes, they are enabling opportunists who have put their personal gain over the better good of this nation. In public they worship him, knowing how dangerous he is. The GOP is a programmed to survive, regardless of the consequences because ultimately most republicans have a higher loyalty to themselves than this country. This op-ed proves this sad fact.
The writer is someone who writes well and wrote this op ed himself; therefore he would not have to worry about anyone else knowing he wrote it. (Thus look for talent and cunning.)
The writer values three things--deregulation, tax reform, the military--above others such as immigration, welfare of children who emerge here with parents, air and water quality, hurricane relief for places like Puerto Rico. (Thus look for ideology among other things.)
The writer follows what many would describe as an amoral path himself, valuing wealth and money above people, corporate wealth and corruption above democracy. (Thus look for someone close to Trump; perhaps look no farther than Trump who might just have been recruited by Trump in some tacit way to create this diversion for the latest tell-all book and the current senate hearing.)
The writer wants to establish the "rightness" of what he and others in the administration have done or the heroic quality of what he/they have done so as to be able to get a good job once this historical debacle is over and may be arrogant enough to think that he really is doing the "right" thing. (Thus look for arrogance and ambition among other things.)
The writer was it would seem a household name or an identifiable voice (or one would hope he appeared in person at some point of contact with an easily identifiable appearance). Thus any of us know who he is if we just put the pieces together. I think I have; can you?
1
I am a registered Democrat who voted for Trump (anybody but Hilary with her email server and $billion pay for access foundation). Except for temporarily separating immigrant families, I have no problem with the way Trump handles the Presidency. He is unconventional, yes, but he is not a politician, he is a rough and tumble real estate developer, a different breed. For far too long, this country has been run by people who say what you want to hear. Trump, on the other hand, simply just tells us like it is which I find refreshing
2
There is an obvious disconnect between the tweets of President Trump and the actions of this administration. So, if you really have the courage of your convictions, identify yourself. You invoke the name of John McCain, a man who was never afraid to go into the line of fire. But, you apparently are afraid to do so. Your charges are extremely serious. If you feel that the 25th amendment should be invoked and have evidence to that effect you need to identify yourself and make it public. Our nation needs you to demonstrate your courage.
1
Thanks you both the New York Times and the courageous adult(s) among the trump advisors for exposing what many of us have feared--the president is incompetent child. If the Mueller investigation does not reveal enough for him to be removed from office, it will be time to explore options of Amendment 25.
The irony of this presidency is the man who wants everyone to be loyal does nothing to earn it. trump needs campaign rallies for affirmation. His pettiness regarding John McCain's funeral, especially when came to lowering the flags, was beyond disgusting. His recognition of putin's convincing arguments as superior to our intelligence agencies was unbelievable. Please keep exposing trump for what he is--an amoral being--unworthy of our attention. We all 'should save our breath to cool the soup.'
This is bait and switch. Whoever wrote this wants to assure Democrats, Independents and Never Trump voters that voting for GOP/Trump won't be so bad because there are "adults in the room." But in reality if GOP/Trump stays in power, when it comes to resisting from this resistor, more will be said than done.
Surely whether we are Repulican or Democrat supporters, the vast majority of us are ageed that this President is unfit for office.
If this op-ed is to be believed, there is a shadow administration working in parallel which has very little trust or confidence in their President.
This makes no sense. Why support a flawed and quite possibly dangerous individual who might at any moment cause irreparable damage while believing that you are a mitigating influence. Why not work to actually correct the situation?
4
Why do you even believe a Trump official wrote this article? Anyone could have written this article. NYT sells articles like this so you will continue paying the NYT. this is sensational, flamboyant, emotional stuff designed to appeal to Trump “haters”.
What is happening in our country is stunning. President Trump’s policies are responsible for this good news .
- 4.2 % GDP quarter
- a 49% -year-low unemployment rate of 3.8 %. Investors business daily.
- black unemployment rate of 5.9% is the lowest on record. CNN
-the gap between black and white unemployment a mere 2.4% points. CNN
- median household income at historic highs. IBD
- The U.S. retook first place among the world’s most competitive economies, thanks to faster economic growth. Under Obama, America had fallen to No. 4. Bloomberg
- the consumer confidence index at 128, higher than it has been in 17 years, and 25 points higher than it ever reached under Obama. IBD.
- U.S. added 223,000 jobs in May beating the projections 180,000. Jobs were added across all employment sectors. 31,000 retail,
Construction 25,000, mining 6,000, service 171,000, manufacturing 18,000 jobs. Manufacturing is coming back.
3
Trump appears to be more angry about an attack on his inept White House, than he has ever demonstrated about Russian interference in the election that rigged him into office.
Does Trump really care about this country? If not sure, ask yourself, do you want follow this president to the destiny that waits him after death? It is apparent that Trump WH does not have a sympathetic HR department. No one is listening to valid grievances.
May I remind you that we don't have a legislative branch of the government right now that is to serve as a check on the Executive Branch. The Congress is full of neutered Republicans who are too cowardly to stand up to Trump. Congress isn't even listening.
So give this writer a break & put his job & efforts into context. In a normal situation, one could argue he would have a voice if he went public or resigned. But he doesn't have a voice. Congress isn't listening.
There have been many bosses and CEO who have resigned or have been fired for much less than what Trump puts his staff through. Moreover, at this rate, there won't be much of a democracy or a country or a planet left for the next generation
We are all Americans. Keep this country strong and with hope and force for good in the world.
And thank our founder fathers that at least this writer has a place to voice his opinion without being jailed and tortured and that some in this country are actually listening.
1
Thank you for trying to protect our country from the looming threat of Donald Trump destroying our democracy as we know it. You are courageous, not cowardly and deserve our support ,appreciation and gratitude.
1
The United States is governed by a shadow-government. Isn't this against 'we, the people'? How can we be sure that this didn't happen under the former presidents, too?
3
Based on what I have witnessed, this could be a scam. Would NOT be surprised, this is a long term shinier object to keep more just looking over there not here! Remember,"Negative attention is better than NO ATTENTION!" Why NOW should this be believed when there is NO credibility. Just keep this Ball in the air, ALWAYS!
You can't preserve democratic institutions while undermining them at the same time.
6
“These successes.” Really? more tax cuts for folks who don’t need them, more conservative judges to overturn the little progressive policies that exist etc etc, guarantee that there will likely be no minimum wage increase, and they’ve come “in spite” of Trump? Is that what the writer is concerned about?
It seems the writer is concerned more with Trump’s bed than the welfare of working people.
Of what use are Trump’s morals, who really cares about his sexual proclivities?
Shouldn’t there be less concern over his morals and more over his policies. That’s what really matters to people, not who he has in his bed!
His divisiveness? But aren’t the tax cuts and harassment of migrants, poor pay dividing people even more than the rhetoric?
1
The anonymous author and like-minded colleagues may think they are acting in America's best interests. But, they are not.
They are colluding to run the executive branch without the president's authorization.
If they really think the president is crazy, they are obligated to carry out the Constitution's 25th amendment, or simply quit their jobs now.
2
This op-ed implies that they will stop Trump one way or another which is an implied threat until proven otherwise. The Secret Service needs to investigate this.
1
Many have resigned or been fired from the Trump administration, to no avail. Anonymously working inside may be the only way now to help the Repulic. He or she has my support.
Just when I was losing faith, convinced that Republicans had sold out the country and were willing to conspire with a president eager to pander to Putin and other dictators in exchange for such baubles as lower taxes for the wealthy, here you came, telling a different truth. Although it may have been wiser to stay silent and not confide the strategy that you and your fellow presidential advisors have undertaken to safeguard the nation and perhaps the world, nonetheless I am relieved that there are “grownups” in the room, and that there remain at least a few principled leaders in the halls of power. I can see the frustration and the ongoing danger that drove you to speak out. It may cost you dearly, though I hope they do not find you, and that my fellow insatiable journalists do not ruin your life, as that would also endanger the country. Thank you for the great risk you have taken. You are hunted, but stay the course. For you, and for The New York Times, this is what courage is about.
How can this administration doesn't know who has counteracted the President's orders? Why all the panic and hunt for this "traitor"? Doesn't the administration has good enough record to know what was Trump's order and what was actually implemented? Won't this data reveal clearly who has acted counter to the president? I believe that the answers are "NO" and "INCOMPETENCY"."
1
As per usual, the elected officials who call themselves Republicans are ignoring what the American people (writ, the author of this OpEd) are saying: instead of tuning into the content of the letter, they are focused on who wrote it and how it was distributed.
Instead of representing We the People in Washington, DC, Republican elected officials turn a deaf ear to the American people - to their constituents - and act in ways typically seen in autocratic countries. Several parallels to the current situation come to mind including health care, education, gun control, etc. etc.
And now, multiple indicators of an unfit man holding the highest office in the land (the world!) are being ignored and an irrationally partisan Congress is derelict in its duty in not holding him accountable.
These charlatans must be voted out of office in November. Given the number of Republicans responding to this column who indicate a switch in party loyalty, I have a shred of hope that it will come to pass and that our country will start to right itself...
We the People must stand up for what makes this country great!!
Thinking people around the world can see quite clearly that he is unfit office. If you truly believe this, then don't just write anonymous op-eds. Don't just be a quiet check on his worst impulses and hope the people do their patriotic duty and vote for country over party in November. Actively engage the process of invoking the 25th Amendment and remove him from office. This op-ed may feel good in the moment, but it does nothing to solve the problem at hand. Have the courage of your convictions. If it's worth writing about, it's worth acting on.
I feel certain the anonymous Op-Ed was Trump's idea and he probably asked Stephen Miller to write it. Just another "stir the stew" mode of operation for Trump and keep him in the spotlight.
I believe Trump requested that someone in his circle write this piece as a way to appease his Russian handlers. He’s not able to deliver on his half of the deal. Also, this was designed to allow him to ramp up his rhetoric against the press and create yet another distraction. I’m not buying that any of this is authentic. It is a ruse, no more anonymous op-ed’s.
3
My guess, it was someone who works in the Pentagon, and was assigned to work on the parade that never happened. It has to be hard going into work after that.
1
If the writer had stood up proudly stood behind his statement, perhaps it would have emboldened others to stand proudly and without fear against a corrupt President, and done their constitutional duty under the 25th amendment. How more noble would it have been to choose country over party; instead he just throw oil on a fire that will burn this democracy to the ground
I think this editorial piece has done a great service to Trump. It has riled up his base and will probably increase the number of them who will vote in the midterm elections. For those of us who dislike the president the common reaction is, so what else is new. It wouldn’t surprise me if the writer is a true Trump supporter working to fire up the base. I fear that the Times has been duped.
3
Wow. Just saw this after hearing the pundit hoopla. This reads to me like a coup is brewing. As dastardly and malevolent and dangerously, tyrannically narcissistic Trump is, are Americans--and the NY Times--really OK with a democratically elected leader being slowly pushed to the wayside by a cabal not beholden to the people but just to their own ideas about what constitutes a correct course and "rising above politics?" Many Americans who loathed this deplorable candidate liked what he said he intended to do about trying to mend our relationship with Russia, not because we like Putin, and we certainly don't like Trump, but because we know we must take this step to try for a safer world. But this writer's group of resisters apparently doesn't see it that way, despite what many voters wanted, and wants to keep the bellicosity with Russia high, as do many within the neoliberal Republican/Democrat pro-imperial regime that controls the state, despite candidate Trump's plan to change that policy, even if his intentions were more for his own aggrandizement rather than principle. I never understood why much more isn't being made of Trump's obvious violation of the emolument clause. This is where he is clearly vulnerable because his political, policy, and business decisions are all for one purpose: his and his kleptomaniac capitalist cronies' personal enrichment. On this point, he should be declared not eligible to be president and removed, constitutionally and for a right reason.
I don’t buy it.
Not for a second.
This is propaganda ,by the right ,for the right.
This is to make them feel better about themselves .
1
So many comments and so on target. I would like to add the disdain the writer has for the man he is working for. Throughout the article he refers to Trump as Donald, Mr. Trump and only once as President. They are the parents of this man baby, but they have not been elected. They are decision makers changing policy much to chagrin of myself, my children, grand children born and still unborn. i.e. the environment, education, supreme court nomination(s), taxes, immigration and assaulting the press. I so worry for the future of our Nation which is not so great. Travel other countries and you will see this for yourself.
This anonymous essay tells us to not worry about the visible, “amoral” child king who “continues to act in a manner that is detrimental to the health of our republic” because an invisible government will keep steering us toward more “successes”, more “bright spots” without the inconvenience of scrutiny. I’m hardly comforted.
Dear Senior Official, your ending word, "Americans", means to me that you want to take the responsibility of being an American. When Benjamin Franklin edited Thomas Jefferson's first draft of the Declaration of Independence, he crossed out "sacred and undeniable" and instead wrote "self-evident." Franklin then saw for himself-- for the very first time-- the sentence "We hold these truths to be self-evident.." As a result of Franklin's edit, "We hold these truths..." had changed from meaning "We believe these truths..." to "We take the responsibility of holding these truths..." Some may want to be Americans without accepting this responsibility. But that is not the promise. Franklin had changed the idea of America from believing to taking responsibility for knowing. The difference is action-- and the humility required to learn by experience. So far it seems to me that you are simply expressing your beliefs. But accepting the responsibility of being an American would mean acting to know and learning, not by rote, but by experience. Which might involve a change of beliefs. It's scary of course. But Franklin changed his beliefs. As his final public project, he warned the country about slavery. John McCain acted-- and learned some lessons that he never forgot.
That about 100 " It wasn't me" letters from White House officials to Donald Trump were necessary to attempt to assuage Trump and to deny that his own hand picked minions know that he is unfit for the office he holds, only serves to prove that they know he is.
I so appreciate the fact that this letter was written. It is highly regrettable that we have fallen so far that it had to be written. While we should all be thankful that there are so called "adults" in the room, not having unity in the adminsitration is ripping the country apart.
Anonymity is robbing the op-ed of crdibility. I hope the author resigns and reveals themself so they can speak openly on this topic. Only open discussion will ultimately help voters and branches of government deal with this.
The anonymous author is grandiose and rather smug in claiming that this group offering "quiet resistance" is "putting the country first." If by "country," he means the wealthy, the ruthless, the oligarchs, and the defense budget, along with America's aggressive Cold War mentality towards Russia, which advances the "deep state" and the military industrial complex, then he's right. But if, by country, he means all of its law-abiding citizens, even the poor, the weak, the middleclass, and the senior citizens, the group has done the country no favors. No favors, indeed, by helping to keep the greedy Republican leadership and plutocrats happy, and executing the agenda of the Deep State without being prompted--prompted only by their sanctimonious "patriotism." So much damage has already been done that it would have been better if they exposed the president's mental imbalance early on in the administration, and resigned en masse to make their case to the public and to the Senate.
2
This sounds like the classic dysfunctional family drama. You are all propping up the facade when you should be lifting the veil and allowing the true colors to be seen for exactly what they are so that those who voted this man into office won't repeat that error....instead you are possibly ensuring he will be re-elected by running your shadow government (which was not elected), duping the American public into thinking Democracy is alive and well, and deluding yourselves in the bargain.
I'm completely disgusted by this editorial and the person who wrote it. The few conservative policy wins coming from DJT's administration in no way justify the rot to our country's moral and spiritual core at the hands of this President. His casual lies, persistent bigotry, destructively inept choices, elevation of corrupt and incompetent people, and generally bad behavior are dragging the country down. It'll take years to dig out of this.
3
The reason all the president's men and women claim "it wasn't me" is because it was a group effort. I suppose that technically, they're each telling the truth.
America has not lost its way: A large number of commentators, supporters and detractors of the President, have pointed out that the actions of the 'resistance' fly in the face of our democratic ideals and system. Step out into the light, resign, or shut up and do your job.
1
The conclusion is shocking: It's NOT about Americans any more; it's about Humanity.
I hope this piece will convince the ones in charge of removing Trump to act as expeditiously as it is allowed by the American Constitution before it gets very very ugly.
two points- #1. I am glad that their are people inside the WH trying to keep this toddler people call the President in check.
#2. However, It does not ease any fears to know that we have a sitting president who needs BABYSITTING to try and keep our country on stable ground. Even worse, the brainwashed masses will continue to disregard his completely obvious abuse of power and support this man until the country is literally going down in flames. We have become party over country at all costs.... even at the cost of our country.
We have a man who has insulted our Allies while praising Authoritarian dictators who commit horrendous humanitarian crimes, yet people proudly wave their Trump signs. We have a man who for decades robbed hard working Americans out of millions of dollars through fraud and just plain refusing to pay for services and only gets a slap on the hand. He is a man who is still committing fraud... right in front of the entire world yet people continue to hold up their signs for him. At what cost do Americans continue to trust him? At what cost do Americans continue to support him? This is a dangerous path! And this Op-ed only ads to the fears of the majority of Americans who know that what is described in the article is EXACTLY the man he has been for decades and were warned about. And EXACTLY the man the Majority of us knew him to be. Truly a sad sad time for America and it's only going to get worse.
3
I’ve been reading and listening to reactions to this essay since its publications. I am inclined, on principle, to side with those who criticize the author for remaining part of the administration and anonymous. A better approach would have been to resign and speak the truth openly. That would put to rest the predominant views of commenters at Fox News online that the author isn’t in fact a member of the administration (but a NYTimes “fake news” writer) or an operative of the left aiming to sow distrust among members of the administration.
But if this author were to have come forth in that way, what would happen? Would Congress act to put effective checks on the President? They haven’t clearly done so to date. In fact, the President has used his prodigious skills as a campaigner and social media manipulator to keep many congress members in line, afraid that Trump will turn voters against them. They’ve been cowed into compliance. And the voters? Gerrymandering and disinformation campaigns have undermined my faith in the election process. In any case, the tendency for elected officials to value their party’s hold on power above all else has been eroding their actual power as legislators for many, many years.
And so, I come to this: I don’t like the actions of this anonymous writer and this “resistance” within the administration, but I’m sympathetic to them as well.
That as a nation we've come to this, a senior member of the administration seeking to advise the population that there are adults in the room? Clearly the president must be removed. Clearly we need an administration that works together, not in the shadows, not awash in corruption, not with contradicting allegiance. Either the president must recuse himself or the 25th should be invoked. Congress is negligent for not impeaching the president who has been in violation of the Emoluments clause since the day he took office. How much more moral, ethical and legal decay must Americans suffer? We are numb from the onslaught of daily horrors produced by this administration, the tweets, the attacks, the inappropriate behavior, the disrespect for institutions, people, heroes, other world leaders, and our own monuments and history. We cannot unite effectively until that which divides us daily is removed from power. Then, this nation may breath again.
1
I would like to start by saying thank you to the author who was brave enough to write this. It takes a monumental individual to come forward, even anonymously, against a leader so erratic as Donald Trump. Regarding Trump’s leadership and behavior, this article confirmed what I already knew to be true. Discovering that there are those in the White House who work diligently to protect people over president, however, is the most faith I have ever had in this administration. In a volitle and otherwise unstable political world, it brings me piece of mind that there are those in the Trump administration that not only acknowledge his rash and detrimental actions, but actively work to hinder them. This article brought me piece of mind, but more importantly—it brought me hope.
I trust the author will reveal themselves soon. Based on the comments (14,747 so far!), there is a strong case that revealing your identify would be a service to the country. Please step forward and ask your colleagues to do the same.
1
The most important point in the op-ed is not the dirt that was dished (we already knew it was a two-track presidency and that this mercurial president's competence is dubious), but this line:
"...the real difference will be made by everyday citizens rising above politics, reaching across the aisle and resolving to shed the labels in favor of a single one: Americans."
That is where the real problem resides. Not with Trump but with Americans.
The Trump presidency will end "one way or the other," as the author puts it. However, the ending of this presidency will not resolve the existing problems with partisan tribalism among Americans. On the contrary, it may make it worse.
2
i am certainly no fan of trump, but am very disturbed by the idea that unelected administration officials are essentially deciding much of the focus and actions of the country. also, i am wondering if trump can not manage his administration to the point where his deputies are hijacking his wishes, would this not be a significant example of his inability to carry out his duties/responsibilities as our elected president?
2
@chris
No, trump cannot manage his administration at all.
His deputies are saving our once great country from going completely down the sewer.
They are doing what they are doing to keep him from starting WWIII.
@chris
We don't know that this person isn't an elected official. Also, it seems that the majority in Congress are focused on their party's agenda. The 25th would be easily implemented if say Trump was in hospital or kidnapped but not so practical or effective against Trump's instability and amoral actions.
a·mor·al. adjective. The definition of amoral is someone who does not care if his actions are right or wrong, or actions that show a lack of care about what is morally right. A person who has no conscience or scruples is an example of an amoral person.
1
There are processes outlined in the Constitution to deal with a President that is unfit. Whining about the situation, undermining the president in devious ways, griping behind closed doors, are all avoidance mechanisms. At some point the official process has to be set in motion. This involves standing up, speaking out and being counted.
The congress is still divided and unsure and fearful. Until there is some kind of consensus nothing more will happen. The situation seems bad now, but it still has to get worse, maybe much worse, before consensus begins to form.
In the meantime the enemies of US democracy gather like wolves surrounding a flock of sheep. They anticipate a feast. They begin to drool.
3
@joyce
The 25th would be easily implemented if say Trump was in hospital or kidnapped but not so practical or effective against Trump's instability and amoral actions.
a·mor·al. adjective. The definition of amoral is someone who does not care if his actions are right or wrong, or actions that show a lack of care about what is morally right. A person who has no conscience or scruples is an example of an amoral person.
Nothing will change unless the mid-terms show that Trump can not help Republicans get re-elected.
Politicians have one steadfast goal, and that is to get re-elected.
4
Amidst all the posturing and denials of culpability by various senior officials, has any one among them actually refuted the anonymous writer's description of the sad and perilous state of affairs in the current White House?
This Opinion piece is really serving to confirm what any thinking person paying any attention at all had already concluded.
While I'm no fan of the anonymity aspect, given this president's penchant for vindictive retribution, rather than constructive introspection which might lead to some hard-won personal self-improvement, I think it was understandable.
4
" There are bright spots that the near-ceaseless negative coverage of the administration fails to capture: effective deregulation, historic tax reform, a more robust military and more." How can any citizen from the middle class down think these are bright spots?
8
@Donald Forbes
"effective deregulation, historic tax reform, a more robust military and more."
How great is that. The deregulation of corporations so they can pollute the air and water causing early deaths and making children suffer because they are breathing dirty air.
Historic tax reforms that benefit only the ultra wealthy while the working class people get a small break that will end in a few years. After that watch taxes for the 98% of the population sky rocket.
The new income tax form for we who are not among the top 2% of the country will read:
1. How much did you make?
2. Send it in.
The issue is not the identity of the writer of the anonymous Op-Ed piece. The issue is will the GOP respond in the appropriate Constitutional manner and invoke the 25th Amendment? It is not the Administration’s inner circle job to do. That responsibility lies with the VP and Congress.
So Mr Pence, Mr. Ryan and Mr. McConnell: Will you take the required Constitutionally defined steps to determine if the President is fit to perform his duties, or are you once again going to put party ahead of country?
Saundra Hopkins
Citizen
12
To me this sounds like propaganda. This sounds like a way to manipulate the media into spreading the idea that things are going ok in spite of Trump being President. Really this sounds too good to be true. This comes out at a time where several books have been published and the most damaging one yet is about to be released. Between the lines this reads like a letter saying "Don't worry. Don't lose faith in the administration." I think this is official propaganda meant to offset panic from the release of the next book.
13
The author combines an analytical perspective of his or her experiences with his or her opinions to create a powerful rhetoric condemning the weaknesses of President Trump’s leadership, yet also praising the successes achieved. The full unabridged truth from a White House representative is sobering and offers insight into a world I have only hoped for. Being a moderate Democrat, the consistent rhetoric of an incalculable republican has sparked fear in me. It is reassuring to find that a different voice exists in the White House, unable to be quieted by media propaganda. The dictation-type personality of the president exhales a lack of democracy that silences public mindset. The result is a divided nation with little respect for the true democratic party system. I applaud the officials of the White House for choosing to deal with the problems that have arisen instead of trying to invoke the 25th amendment (which is very improbable.) The process that has been talked about recently is impeachment. Ending with a call to action, the author uses the audience she has already captivated to deliver a message to the American people. The aim of the government should be for the people, and it should be for the improvement of the nation as a whole, not just certain demographics. It is this notion that we have come to forget as a result of fogged mindsets and swayed opinions.
3
I am not sure what good this letter does in advancing the adult oversight that the writer claims that he is fighting for. Why would he not remain silent and more effectively continue his work in private? The panic that this letter has now triggered to search out a "rat" will only fuel partisan loyalties and suspicion. It will only create greater sympathy for a challenged president. It will give him yet another excuse for all his failures. It will form the basis for a Republican platform that will distract from their cowardice and incompetence. I can hear Trump screaming "traitors" all the way to his grave.
11
"Given the instability many witnessed, there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, which would start a complex process for removing the president. But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis."
To me this is just a thinly veiled attempt to insulate the GOP establishment from Trump's developing tarnish. They get to say that "we did our best to save the country from the president the voters unwisely elected" while continuing to use the president to further their agenda.
Plus there wouldn't have been a "constitutional crisis" because the GOP is too corrupt to miss this opportunity to put a trillion dollars in the pockets of their billionaire patrons. A move to impeach Trump would have gone nowhere with congress in the control of GOP. Feckless Trump was simply too useful to get rid of.
But now things are different. The GOP got their tax agenda and are about to get their Supreme Court justice and their attention now turns to limiting Trump damage to the GOP congressional majority. Claiming that they were "grown-ups" avoiding a "constitutional crisis" is just the thing to deflect voter anger st GOP malfeasance.
"We did the best we could. It's Trump's fault. And it's the voter's fault. And the GOP are heroes for getting the nation's work done in spite of this terrible president you the ignorant voter foisted on us. Nevermind that with Trump's help we have enslaved the next several generations to a crushing national debt."
14
@Mad As Hell
Good post!
This person should resign, or openly state his mind to the President and accept the President's decision of his employment. Unless this man and his "fellow resistance" are civil servants, his Discretionary Schedule C appointment, or contract should be ended. Only a juvenile, or a narcissist announces a secret campaign against his superior or institution of employment for the purpose of ruining it from within, or stopping its functions to substitute his own to save the institution?
Differ and seek to stay, or resign and leave the job and criticize from without. If criminal activity is paramount, then report it to law enforcement.
Subversion is not saluted, differences are.
9
This is marketing plain and simple. Trump has finally become too toxic for the Republican brand facing midterm losses, so their best survival tactic is to claim "it's him, not us." There are no heroes here. Only soulless, cynical hucksters trying to manage their bankrupt party's reputation in order to hold onto power.
19
The Presidency is too high and steep for Trump to climb up to. The more likely scenario is Trump brake the Presidency into pieces and have it fall on his feet.
3
All the debate about whether the author should be serving the country or the president seems academic to me. The question is, who BENEFITS by what this editorial could be foreseen to do: i.e., push POTUS to a whole new level of paranoid crazy? In the event that he goes far enough off the rails so that even the Republicans would have to cooperate in a 25th Amendment process, who benefits? The answer seems obvious. His successor. And even if Trump figures that out, he can't fire him: Pence was elected along with him. And God has told Pence he's going to be President. So Pence is just doing God's work.
8
Since this was published, Trump's "senior officials" have been denying, one by one, that they wrote it. This seems extremely unwise because sooner or later, the one who hasn't denied it is "Anonymous."
Either that or "Anonymous" is also denying it--in which case he/she is a liar, so why should we trust anything written here?
And that raises the question: If "Anonymous" publically denies he/she wrote this, will the Times report it? In other words, will the Times report that "Anonymous" is a liar?
For the record, I'm not a Trump supporter, and didn't vote for him. However, the above shows there are serious logical issues with the entire process of publishing this op-ed. It would have been fine I suppose if senior officials had not commented on the thing--but they did.
7
From the piece: the good about Trump is his leadership on "effective deregulation, historic tax reform, a more robust military" but the author(s?) cries out to save the Republic. Excuse me, but the drunken spree deregulation, tax "reform," and bloated military are some of the very problems that are destroying the Republic.
12
I'd like to thank the Author of this piece, as it gives me a huge sense of relief to know that there are level headed adults helping to keep our government operating smoothly. Being held hostage to the whims and mood swings of Mr. Trump is frustrating and worrisome for me as an American who loves my country. I was born in CA, raised in Fl, and my Parents always discussed the importance of being involved in our government, and I've worked on local campaigns, and this is truly the first time ever in which I've been genuinely concerned about our country's direction and the President guiding in an often chaotic manner. So, again Thank You!
2
"Given the instability many witnessed, there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, which would start a complex process for removing the president. But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis. So we will do what we can to steer the administration in the right direction until — one way or another — it’s over."
Right, just choose the easier way out. Wait for it to be over 'one way or another', after all who wants a 'constitutional crisis'.
This shouldn't give anyone confidence that there are still good people in the White House, but should make people sad about how incompetent these people are.
13
I bet John McCain wrote that and arranged for someone to publish it after his passing.
19
@Dia
Are you kidding? That's the last thing John McCain would do. McCain put his LIFE on the line for his country. This person won't even show his face.
1
I smell a nicely dressed rat in this piece. If the 'author' is actually part of an insider, 2nd rail resistance government whose first priority is guardrailing an unfit President I can think of no worse way to strengthen that ability than to post an anonymous hit piece on the bulletin board of the Democrat Party. Anyone smart, seasoned and connected enough to write such an articulate and informed piece would know that. The last thing that a mole, however patriotic, wants is daylight - any daylight - shined on his tunneling.
The American Left is getting more clever in its anti-Trump tactics, in this case much too clever.
8
Is this not possible through a process of elimination the writer in disguise is identified and, like many of his/her predecessors, is shown the door at the White House?
1
As is true of so much of what is happening on our government these days, I am deeply uncomfortable with this op-ed. By using my own senses, including that of ethics and morality, I already knew that our POTUS has no moral underpinnings at all. But the office of the Presidency is to be respected. I am deeply uncomfortable with a shadow government, keeping the POTUS in some type of line when clearly the members of the shadow government find him unfit to hold the office. This is as egregious a violation of democratic norms as anything the POTUS has done. I urge all the "lane monitors" to come forward. Nothing less than government by and for the people hangs in the balance. https://myanmartours.com/
10
Although I am not an American, I watch what is happening in the US very closely. Like most non-Americans, I am deeply worried about this presidency.
I understand that the people working in the WH are doing their best to keep things running as smoothly as they can, despite the obvious incapacity of their commander in chief to grasp the basics of politics. However, as much as they might undermine him in the WH, keeping Trump in office presents a danger in itself. They might remove papers from his desk, but they can‘t suppress the twitching Twitter fingers, with which the President bypasses them to get his message out, and this is what we get to see outside of US borders. The ensuing confusion could cause more damage that, should the President remain in office, may be irreparable in the long run.
15
I didn't write it, but if I had, I would have been proud. And: I can't believe that the person who wrote it could fear of losing his/her job - for somebody of that courage there are better jobs in the USA. Remember Deep Throat: Mark Felt, of the FBI. We found out. He was great.
14
To the Administration Resister: I share the alarm you have voiced on your behalf and that of your colleagues in the administration. I am likewise alarmed at the apparent complacency of Republican legislators who seem content to allow the reckless, autocratic and unconstitutional behavior of the president to continue, so long as (to paraphrase Senator Graham), the results are what "we" want.
However, I must take serious issue with one point you make on behalf of your colleagues and yourself. Namely, that you have decided to not invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, in order to avoid precipitating a Constitutional crisis. Sir (or madam), you and your colleagues, regardless of the possible nobility of your motives, by acting, according to your description, as an extralegal unelected shadow government, have yourselves created the Constitutional crisis in which we find ourselves.
If your description of the President's erratic, potentially illegal and autocratic behavior is accurate -- and from outside the government, there is every indication that you are accurate -- then invoking the 25th Amendment does NOT constitute a Constitutional crisis -- it is the ratified re3medy we have for the perilous situation in which the country has allowed itself to slide. Then that is the Constitutional and patriotic path that must be followed.
32
It's nice to hear there are people trying to avert catastrophe behind the scenes. We all know terrible things can happen on a whim in this administration, as has been demonstrated.
However, what is concerning is that this author decided to publish these efforts. The risk to these covert operations, or gentle hands, is obvious. The hunt is on. So, why go public?
I believe this author's efforts are failing, and they know it. While they maintain their station for our sakes, the ship is sinking. The alarm has been sounded. What worries me is what this author feared that compelled this public cry for help. Is the Resistance Within weakening, or is the President's compulsion for tyranny growing stronger?
24
@Bernie Braun
This person just hopes to be identified afterward as some kind of hero. He's delusional.
1
A functioning democracy is built upon the premise that the three branches of power keep each in check and balanced. It is not built on the premises that the executive branch is kept in check by senior administration officials. That is the job of congress and the supreme court. Donald Trump's presidency will serve at the ultimate test of our democracy. I hope we pass.
36
This op ed was planted, possibly by Trump himself, but certainly NOT by someone trying to maintain "the steady State," as it claims, since its effect is to spoil any steady state politics. It's just another attempt to steal headlines away from the actual excesses and overreaches of the administration, such as the nomination of Kavanaugh. It's also another attempt to destabilize our government, which fits the pattern that I have commented on previously: ALL communications from the Trump White House appear to be intended to weaken democracy at the federal level in America. The bedrock centrists in the country are paying attention and we are pretty alarmed.
26
"with the high aim of uniting through our shared values and love of this great nation" Isn't that what 'tribalism' is?
The word "tribe" can be defined to mean an extended kin group or clan with a common ancestor, or can also be described as a group with shared interests, lifestyles and habits.
2
Some of what was said in this article should have first been addressed by Trump's religious advisors. A lot is said in the Bible about learning to tame your tongue, control your emotions, and not strike out when provoked. Trump's Twitter feed constantly overlooks this good personal and political advice.
12
I can’t help but wonder why a member of the Trump Administration would go public in the NY Times. That there are adults in the room is reassuring, but hardly worth taking such a political risk. Could this be a lone wolf attempting to assuage their conscience? If so, why not resign and make public what they know? I see three possibilities.
Least likely is that this is Trump’s attempt to discredit his detractors. Secondly, the Republican Party leadership may have realized the Trump presidency will not end well and is paving the way for a challenge in 2020. The third possibility is that the resistance is real and preparing for a possible move against the President. Although ostensibly authored by an individual, the opinion piece may have been intended to shore up broad support and provide cover.
The Times suggests that invoking the 25th Amendment is even more difficult than impeachment, but I respectfully and strongly disagree. The members of the President’s cabinet are his own appointees and strongly loyal. They are Republicans who’ve observed him in office firsthand. If Congress failed to uphold a vote by the Cabinet to remove the President, many Cabinet members and the Vice President would have to resign. In effect, the Trump presidency would be over. However, if Congress upheld the vote of the Cabinet, the Vice President would ascend to the presidency and have a reasonable shot at the White House in 2020. The Republican Party would be redeemed.
17
@Steve, it could also be Pence. He can't resign from his position if he wants the job, and if they succeed removing Trump, he could come forward in 2020 saying he was the one writing this which would give him another term
3
@Gerald I imagine that would he/she be Pence, the NYT would not have published it, knowing that he has an immediate and personal interest in weakening Trump's position
Thank you for supporting the Press and for confirming what many of us found easy to believe all along, supported by the evidence in the President's demeanor and his attack position on so many topics. I love the reference to John McCain who Democrats and Republicans alike had come to revere. McCain's funeral, while sad, reminded us of who we really are as a country. It reconfirmed for me, and I think for many others, that the moral territory we have crossed into during the Trump presidency does not reflect who we truly are as a nation, for the most part. Obama, Bush, and other speakers at McCain's memorial service showed the world who we really are and who we continue striving to become in the eyes of the world.
15
As a dedicated Democrat and a dedicated US Citizen I find this Anonymous Letter reprehensible.
The letter argues that Donald Trump is "unable to assume and discharge the duties of his office."
The Author states he and other Cabinet members have seriously considered removing Trump from office by simply declaring Trump unfit under the 25th Amendment.
Thereafter, the unelected Vice President would assume the office of the Presidency until both Houses of Congress meet and refuse to confirm the Vice President's actions.
If Congress is not then in session, Congress need not act until 28th day of the next session. Congress is constitutionally mandated to "assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December" Arguably the next session of Congress might be months away.
So, 5 "unelected" officials may unilaterally remove our "elected" President, and if timed right, that removal could be in effect for more than 1 month.
The Author praises the tax reduction and regulatory reduction accomplished under Trump's term.
But the Author finds Trump's trade policies unacceptable and is abhorred by Trump's refusal to reverse them.
This Author will do anything to halt the trade war, even undermine our Republic.
I would not vote for Trump, but this is not about Trump. This is about a Republican elite testing the waters (and laying the groundwork) to undermine our Republic and to remove our President, Nothing could be more reprehensible.
23
Look at Fox's spin on this op-ed in overdrive -- and you get a sense of the fallout -- that will likely hurt us and the country more. Bill Shine must be beaming.
8
There are good reasons that support publishing this story and there are countervailing reasons too but in the end, the better outcome is one that offers citizens transparency, honesty and candor (even if those goals require steps to ensure the protection and confidentiality for those willing to expose themselves to significant risk). It’s unfair to characterize the author as doing anything other than trying to engage in a truthful dialogue about what’s in fact happening within the West Wing - do we not deserve to know?
9
If the writer had stood up proudly stood behind his statement, perhaps it would have emboldened others to stand proudly and without fear against a corrupt President, and done their constitutional duty under the 25th amendment. How more noble would it have been to choose country over party; instead he just throw oil on a fire that will burn this democracy to the ground.
I have noticed the accelerating polarization of US citizens and watch in concerned alarm as we tear ourselves apart. Intelligent discourse and debate are necessary and vital to restoring our once great and influential country. I have lived long enough to remember the 'good old days', whatever that phrase now means.
Debate should consist of the spirited argument about concepts, not attacks upon our patriotism or our race, religion, nationality or creed.
Having said that, I invite participants to this forum to list what they admire about our current president and to list what they consider his positive accomplishments and their opinions as to why they feel that way.
I would also like participants to list what they DO NOT admire about our current president and why.
Let the debate begin . . .
7
Are you talking about the rating of the latest episode of the apprentice?
If we are to hold the President accountable for his actions, we must also hold those serving him accountable for their words. Publishing an anonymous opinion perpetuates the divisive environment we are fighting against.
24
I am of two minds when I read this anonymous essay.
Part of me rejoices for the fact that there is indeed adults in the room who would indeed do the right thing, even if the GOP establishment and almost half of the country wouldn't. Trump is not qualified to hold the most powerful office in the world. He might have ideas in his head, all half-baked and ill-informed, and he has zero track record in execution. A leader, he definitely is not.
Yet part of me grimaces to learn of this stealth resistance movement. If anything, it is exactly the type of ammunition that you don't want give it to the Trump camp, to help arguing for the existence of deep state.
For all the good intentions, these "resistance elements" are not accountable to anyone. How could anyone be sure these elements could not be bought out or hijacked by more big money or foreign interests? We would never know. That runs totally counter to the idea of democracy.
While it might be satisfying to fight fire with fire. the end result will only bring more carnage and mayhem. This is precisely the same reason why I cannot support antifa as an action-and-reaction to alt-right, fighting violence with violence. We need rise above that fray.
Liberals (I don't even want to use the words Democrats since Dems and its establishment have lost its soul to big money long time ago) need to admit that Trump did in the election. If you want to fight, work harder to win back the voters' heart.
19
"Don’t get me wrong. There are bright spots that the near-ceaseless negative coverage of the administration fails to capture: effective deregulation, historic tax reform, a more robust military and more."
Perhaps we are all missing the point of this Opinion piece. It's not really about "revealing" anything about trump that we do not already know. None of this is a shock; what IS a shock that the "thwarting" of parts of his agenda is being done in order to ensure that the GOP agenda gets done. I don't see this as whistleblowing of what trump is, rather than whistleblowing of the entire GOP party, that they send him on rallies to get his adulation fix while they work behind his back. The author states that they considered invoking the 25th Amendment, but decided it might give rise to a constitutional crisis. No, they considered it, but decided against it because they wanted to advance their own agenda - and they were smart enough to manipulate his ego into thinking that it's HIS agenda.
This opinion piece does two things:- it corroborates Woodward's book, and it lays bare the cynicism of the GOP.
71
Finally, someone able and willing to separate him or herself from self-deception and groupthink and speak out against Trump and this unthinkable situation.
7
The anonymous author makes serious charges but there is nothing in this Op-Ed we did not already know. For the author to stay on with the president, under the guise of "protecting democratic institutions" is a poor excuse for lack of courage to come forward and to take open action. The writer is a self described enabler to an erratic president. I place the author's, and other "silent resistance" members', behavior on par with that of the enabling family of a drug addicted offspring: They bail the addict out time and time again rather than doing the more difficult, but honorable thing: Confronting the offspring with an intervention or work steadfastly and openly on kicking him out.
14
I'm not on the "left" but I have to ask why the assumption that "the left" doesn't want Trump to succeed? Every American is sitting in the same boat, trying their best to bail as hard as they can to stay afloat. If it goes down it's not going to matter who's side you were on.
Performing actions that ANY responsible person would do regardless of party doesn't make "anonymous" a hero. Because he deters Trump on some actions he/she disagrees with, while participating, or even enabling him on others is not heroic. It's even worse than what he/she intimates is "the left's" failure to "do their duty" ... it's selective participation and outright hypocrisy. It's his/her own brand of amorality.
26
Relax, the Right wants liberals to fail and they have done everything in their power to obstruct.
There is no hope for consensus, until one side wins and the healing begins. Oh wait, who am I kidding, even after the Civil War racism still flourishes in the South.
A real patriot would stand up. The author is not a patriot but a lilly livered weakling. Stand up, fall on your sword and fight for whatever it is you believe in.
30
President Trump. It's a wrap.
6
General Kelly with the iPad in the Lincoln Bedroom.
38
I think the author of the article wanted the gentleman in the Oval Office to read it because he wrote in a simple language than can be understood by someone who reads at the level of the youngest (as well as the oldest) Trump in the White House.
7
@Abdul Abdi
And yet, we can be certain Trump hasn't read it, at least not all the way through. Someone probably read it to him, but he couldn't get all the way through it on his own.
My son says "Why should we trust anyone on the Trump team?". Perhaps he's right.
37
There is no comfort when this person or these people say there are “adults in the room.” Who are they kidding?
24
Wow -- 14,469 comments -- so far.
History is happening right now.
Thanks, NYT.
38
I worry that Trump will be given credit for the actions of the people thwarting his worst inclinations and he will be re-elected.
7
If Trump isn't responsible for the actions of the current administration, then these self-proclaimed 'grownups' must take responsibility. The 'grownups' are breaking up families and throwing the children into private prisons. The 'grownups' are looting the public treasury and passing out the money to their wealthy friends. The 'grownups' are the architects of our ever more pointless involvement in the middle east, our trade wars, and the undermining of long-term international relationships. The 'grownups' can take ownership of our renunciation of climate science, our renunciation of the Paris climate agreement, and our backsliding on environmental issues generally.
This anonymous columnist and his or her accomplices are no heroes. If anything, they're living proof that 'grownups' are often just large children.
29
The credit belongs no to the critic but to the man in the arena who fights and fails and errs and comes up short again and again because there is no effort without failure, and no success without great effort, and this man knows the bitter taste of defeat and the joys of victory such that his fate is assured to never be amongst those cold timid souls that know neither victory nor defeat, here we have a man. THE WORLD IS A FINE PLACE AND WORTH FIGHTING FOR, and God bless America, whoever you are.
3
With so many comments, this is the place to come to bare one’s soul for all those things never been able tell anyone else before.
7
@John Doe
I've been wondering if the author of the piece has commented here .
An adult in the room would take responsibility and be accountable.
Be the adult(s) you claim you are.
30
An additional thought concerning this op ed. It seems that the writer may be asking for help. Or consensuses. 0r both.
As usual my mantra is that we ALL need to write the members of Congress - any and all of them, and plead the case.
Also, if the President had cancer, a heart attack or other physical illness, he would be required to be seen by a physician. It appears that the problem is with his mind, not his body. Therefore, he should be seen by the appropriate mental health person, i.e., psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker. If he is in the throes of dementia, he must be retired from office. There is no other solution.
23
Trump would drive any psychiatrist crazy.
The Shining was a children's lullaby compared to this presidency.
@Elizabeth, interesting take. How do you figure?
My question is why will no former senior official, such as Rex Tillerson or HR McMaster, come forward to speak publicly about Trump's incompetency? It is clear that no one who works for Trump thinks he is qualified or capable. What would Tillerson or McMaster - both accomplished men of significant years - have to lose by speaking the truth? We desperately need someone to speak the truth without the cloak of anonymity.
18
The indignation over this opinion piece is comical given the disgraceful, nihilistic behaviour of the individual occupying an office once held by people named Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Reagan and Obama.
15
So if there's a crazy president in the White house and the economy is doing so well. That means that a job in
government at the highest level can be done by any ordinary person with a low IQ. I would fire all of you specially the person that wrote the op-ed. And hire a bunch of blue collar workers to do the job. I'm sure they'll do a better job than the ivy league deep state that's been running it in the past.
10
This is a confirmation of everything that has been known for a while now. This president is unqualified, ignorant and mentally incapable of doing the job he was elected to do. What calamity has to befall the country or the world before action is taken to remove him from office?
15
As I understand, the argument is that Donald Trump is insane and the writer and, presumably, some of his/her colleagues are engaged in the noble (dare we say patriotic) duty of preventing him from doing any "lasting" harm to the country until the powers that be remove him from office.
Given that in the current ethos prevalent in the Republican Party is that loyalty "trumps" truth they have decided that the ends justify the means when preserving presidential power and are willing to sacrifice themselves by managing any collateral damage.
12
In my opinion, the Times should not have published this and I commented on this yesterday too but the Times didn’t publish my comment. It provides nothing new and only makes it harder for folks who have to work in the administration to do their jobs. Several Republican senators have already said so. If the person who wrote this had attached their name to it, that would have been something else altogether. This serves no useful purpose I am sorry to say and only validates Trump’s distrust and paranoia. The best thing that the author can do now is to come forward and resign so that there isn’t a cloud over the other senior members of the administration. Otherwise, Trump is going to distrust everyone.
6
This is also wrong. If the President is dangerous and you can't work for him, resign and say so.
President Trump was elected, not you.
If he shouldn't be president, he should be impeached. (Of course, the GOP Congress won't do it. How's that for party over country?)
10
Au contraire: the person writing the op-ed was extremely brave. If they printed their name, they would probably have been guillotined in the rose garden by now.
If people have not detected this statement yet:
The root of the problem is the president’s amorality.
or this:
Meetings with him veer off topic and off the rails, he engages in repetitive rants, and his impulsiveness results in half-baked, ill-informed and occasionally reckless decisions that have to be walked back.
“There is literally no telling whether he might change his mind from one minute to the next,” a top official complained to me recently, exasperated by an Oval Office meeting at which the president flip-flopped on a major policy decision he’d made only a week earlier.
The erratic behavior would be more concerning if it weren’t for unsung heroes in and around the White House. Some of his aides have been cast as villains by the media. But in private, they have gone to great lengths to keep bad decisions contained to the West Wing, though they are clearly not always successful.
Then you have your head buried in the sand.
6
It is understandable, but also unsettling to see so many commentators jump the gun and comment without taking time to digest and analyze this Op-Ed! They think and act just like the man they abhor, impulsively. The author(s) is clearly a cabinet member. If he and his fellow cabinet members were to do speak and resign in public, the president would simply brush off the drama and replace them with worse as the pool of hires was already shallow. They clearly discussed the 25th amendment but rightly figured out that votes from two thirds of both houses needed for complete removal were not there, so what could they still do?! The answer is clear in my opinion although it was cleverly hidden in the last paragraph: Americans meaning republican voters should shed their tribalism and vote for Democrats in record numbers to get closer to the goal post for the 25th amendment and impeachment. American voters and non voters brought this mess upon us not this cabinet by being so intellectually lazy and impulsive.
20
Interesting the game the NYT is playing with this, with the "news" half of the paper purportedly ignorant of the identity of the "senior adminstration official" and the op ed people apparently informed.
The op-ed people go about their business, the news people write articles that read as if they worked for a media organization other than the NYT.
When there's any sort of missed communication within the Trump administration, the Times is highly critical. Yet, look at the situation here.
It's a tough call. Frankly, as a reader, it's hard to know what to make of this piece without knowing the rank and position of the writer. I'm not sure publishing it anonymously does the world any good. And it does undermine the administration. It's one thing for the Times to report on how the administration undermines itself; it's quite another for the Times itself to contribute so powerfully to the undermining.
6
Women across the country please contact your senators and representatives. Ask Congress to perform their duty.
If an attack on our country comes to pass during this chaos we must all stick together. We cannot be divided. And for god's sake get out and vote.
16
Everyone knew what they were getting more or less and what they weren't getting by electing President Donald Trump. Life is full of trade offs. Our honesty and morality is measured by our ability for living with our decisions.
For someone who is appointed to such a serious position to turn around and undermine in a most formative way is utterly unacceptable. Let alone the forum he has chosen which is one of the most biased news 'sources' that exists and prints all the new that is NOT fit to print.
How could someone think that being a turncoat of such degree is acceptable. I don't think he or she should announce who they are. Rather they should resign immediately. Whatever morality issues some people have with Mr. Trump, there are more serious economic and socialist leanings that we need to root out. That includes this most repulsive turncoat.
5
This is idiotic. Effective deregulation, tax cuts for the rich and a "more robust military" equates to poisoned food and water, poverty for real, small American farmers and the slaughter of American and foreign young people for the benefit of the corporations that get rich from making war. These policies are in lock step with the president's amorality. These poor MAGA people voted against their own interests again and whoever the rich hack writing this is as bad as any in this administration.
24
I greatly appreciate this opinion piece, despite the fact that the author is anonymous. He or she is acknowledging the commander-in-chief is, in fact, nuts, and unable to run our country, and is watching his every move and acting behind the scenes when necessary. Trump's presidency has created a crisis for our country. I don't believe the author should resign, as others have suggested -- I hope they stay at the White House to guide us through this insanity and continue to act on our behalf.
12
And thus I clothe my naked villany
With old odd ends stolen out of holy writ;
And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.
(Richard, Act 1 Scene 3)
Shakespeare may not be in vogue, yet I steal his words to express our anguish. Anonymous op-ed writer, you are no saint.
19
"Bright spots?" I don't see any bright spots here. Everything about this administration is illegitimate.
24
How much more daily disbelief can the country endure...
17
Thank you for inviting a love for my country and my fellow Americans. We have always been great. One love
3
After sleeping on it, my impression on this op-ed piece has gone from more positive to more negative. Here is my best guess at what the author is trying to communicate:
“Yes, Trump is unfit for office. But we, your loyal Republican bureaucrats, are bravely doing what needs to be done to keep the US from falling off a cliff. Have heart. Remember that Trump is a one-off, an anomaly, not the natural result of decades of failed GOP policies and politics. We’re almost happy to have to defend you against Trump, since he’s so obviously bad that he makes other GOP leaders (George W. Bush??) look like saints by comparison. We needed Trump to push our agenda for a little while, then when the time is right we’ll pull the 25th and let Trump go as the scapegoat for all the sins of the GOP. In the meantime, there is no reason to panic and vote Democrat come November because you see, no matter how bad things look, there are adults in the shadows protecting your interests. Like cutting taxes on the obscenely wealthy so they can afford yet another private yet, removing safeguards against the next financial meltdown and destroying the social safety net. And looking the other way while Russia steals another election — all for your convenience.”
23
Fascinating. I trust the NYT. I trust they have truly verified this source. I pray they have truly verified this source. The entire affair is very disturbing to me. Please verify. Our future is at stake.
Peace.
4
It is not often you see this much self aggrandizing virtue signaling in one place.
8
I think these people are covering their backs, I think they know the extent of the presidents treason and want some leniency when the time comes.
7
All this because America couldn't stand the thought of a woman running the White House.
24
@Dee -- it wasn't the candidate's gender; her $200,000.00 'speeches' to Wall Street (or were they 'donations' ...) helped ensure a Neoliberal agenda for at least the next eight years.
We're tired of moving right.
2
@Willy P
Wait a minute. You didn't vote for Hillary because she received $200,000 for speeches/'donations' to Wall Street, therefore enabling DT to rake in millions from world officials using his properties? This is the kind of twisted thinking that has rendered Democrats their position of political weakness.
Candidate Obama had to give up his idealistic pledge to take only small donations when it became apparent you can't win a national election in this climate of big money in campaigns.
As President, he had to yield to the big banks holding a gun to his and our heads until he could dig us out of a massive financial crisis.
Democrats are under the gun of big money corruption, yet they are the only political party calling for repeal of Citizens United. Ever hear of the phrase "keep your friends close but your enemies closer"? Hillary understood this and if elected would have pushed to decrease the corruption of big money in politics, not advance it like Trump. She just had no clue as to how to properly defend herself against the massive propaganda deception machinery of Trump and the Republican Party. Those techniques of deception are stronger than facts, evidence and truth in the short run. Most people don't understand that.
This just merely confirms what we already knew. Trump is a moron. He has no business being in the White House. This aside, three things ring out loud and clear. First, a split executive branch is a recipe for disaster. Intentions may be good on the side of the leakers but truth is their job is not to ‘walk back’ decisions the president has made. That’s a whole other job! And who is to say each person walking back stuff knows how others in the administration are walking back stuff. In other words, how do these secret cells get on the same page with each other? There has to be communication, an agenda -a philosophy beyond ‘let’s do the opposite Trump is suggesting.’ And who is setting this agenda? It’s not someone the American people have entrusted with the agenda. For the agenda setting is Trump’s job.
2
I am surprised this site is still open for comment. Right now there are 14,378 posted. I posted one early yesterday and haven't gotten to where I posted....have been reading them for over an hour, and only got to those posted 8 hrs ago. I think it would be of value for the NYT IT people to analyze the responses. I am surprised at the number of comments from Trump supporters, and usually only find a few on any given topic, and I am an avid comment follower. I think an analysis would either show bots, or give us interesting insight of what the readers think...altho I fear many did not read the whole piece as they missed the part about the NYT vetting the writer and being confident that it is not a scam.
10
If you’re supposedly an adult, then man up & admit who you are. You hide behind a veil of anonymity for what purpose? To keep a job you despise? To keep working for a man you’ve chosen to stab in the back? You’re not an adult, you’re a wolf in sheeps clothing, whom no one should trust since you’ve shown your true colors of being the opposite of trustworthy. You want the world to congratulate you for this & to think of you as a hero, yet you can’t even admit publicly who you are.
Trump is Trump, he’s a ruthless businessman, so everyone crying foul at his antics should take a step back & really think through what it is you all hate him so much for. You hate him for going against the grain, for pushing the envelope, for being a non-politician. Yet a good chunk of you are also the same people who hate politicians, hate the DC elite/corrupt/coniving blowhards who never actually do anything they promise to do, and, you hate everyone in DC & your own home state/city legislations who never buck the system, who are always only after your next vote & who want to continue to collect an over inflated salary that you are paying. Neither party can be trusted to act in the best interest of the American people. That has been proven over & over. If that wasn’t the case, there wouldn’t be 1000’s of worthless politician jokes. Take a long breath folks & remember the grass may appear to be greener, but it’s always just as hard & obnoxious to cut. Demand truth & honesty, even when brutal.
5
Well, gosh darn; do you mean that 'President' Trump is NOT a very stable genius?
14
I regard anonymous sources as cowards. And, any such sources who act in contravention of their work-related vows and duties are not heroic or honorable.
If you are going to speak out, do so in the light of day, and with full conviction. You do not get to tear down others, and destroy them while seeking to keep from being destroyed yourself.
Otherwise, you are just another gutter-sniping member of the peanut gallery; self-important and self-aggrandizing.
Intentions mean nothing. Results do.
5
Who cares??
Just another attempt to discredit Trump. What would the NYT write about had Sanders been elected? There would have been thousands of articles with just this phrase: “Yes, Mr. President! Absolutely!”
5
It was Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick.
12
Stephen Miller, Sessions’ protege.
1
I notice on twitter, more and more officials proclaiming "It wasn't me". Is that how the cover of undercover operative going to be broken ? By exclusions and deductions ?
This whole saga is galvanizing existing Trump support and generating new support. Action could have been inspired by erroneous advice and guidance of psychology consultants.
Big blunder.
2
What a ridiculous letter. I am forever worse off for having invested time reading it.
5
Fiction or fact? Any one of us could have written this.
2
What could be more confirmatory than misidentifying "TREASON" which is only disloyalty of an employee but collusion with the Russians to steal the election.
His complaining is the rant of a crazy person who hates to be revealed.
5
Not a smart piece. Superfluous. And definitely not edgy- You'll have to try harder next time NY "Times." L O L
1
Why would anyone believe that this op-ed writer is really a member of the Trump inner circle?
If Fox published it, yes. The NY Times, no.
The timing is suspect too. Brett Kavanaugh.
A single word used by Pence is used to draw attention to Pence- this is straight from the set-up book. Lets be real.
5
It's time to to 'sink his ship'.
3
Two words: John Kelly
4
You all should be voted out of office. Every one of you who sat by and watched Trump. You did nothing. YOU DO NOTHING. YOU DO NOTHING.
6
Jeff Sessions should be directing the DOJ to investigate this incident to uncover this person and then prosecute.
Perhaps stunt this will back fire on both the author of this Op-ed and the NYT collectively, where President Trump receives more support than the intended downfall this was to achieve.
2
"Some of his aides have been cast as villains by the media. But in private, they have gone to great lengths to keep bad decisions contained to the West Wing..."
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, anyone?
2
@Stuart M.
No. She's as loyal as they come, bless her snarling little heart.
I don't normally get involved with writing posts, BUT I am more than totally ashamed of the political, childish, moronic abuse of the First Amendment by idiots in government positions including the House, Senate, Current and Past Executive, FBI,and other government positions. Our country is NOT being represented by those imbeciles in Washington.. Year long inquiries based on fake dossiers and costing the American public millions of dollars. The First Amendment comes with a caveat. It's called truth. Today anybody writes about unfounded events or rumors or self-created "stories" found in the nations largest newspapers and news outlets.
It's time to re-create the America our for fathers envisioned and be represented by our peers with term limits. Instead of buffoons controlled by ego, power and of course, money.
5
Leaving aside right and wrong, and true or false, the existence of a deep state should be horrifying to anyone who loves this country. Deep State governing obviates the need for voting.
With them in charge, nothing you do will change anything....wait a minute....
There is no honour in hijacking presidential power from a weak president.
The fact that the racist, sexist, classist thug happens to be a feckless p-stain, doesn't mean that presidential power should be entrusted to any of the back-biting weasels that that dotard identifies as "the best people."
7
It is too bad that this "senior administration official" is himself illustrative of the lying, gutless, swamp of D.C.
10
What an unprecedented (and, indeed, an un-presidented) time we are living through. And it's brought to us by Vladimir Putin, Facebook/Cambridge Analytica, Twitter, overpaid lobbyists - and hordes of racist Americans who are enamored of Trump and violence.
6
So says yet another of the NYT's anonymous sources hidden deep behind the curtain of the Oval Office. While I'm not a huge Trump fan, the Democratic party and their 5th column plants in the WH (if we actually believe that as opposed to a more likely NYT Harvey the Rabbit source) have shown their true character over the past 20 months and they are seriously deranged. So much for any hope of political reunification. Nero is tuning his fiddle.
5
You just wrote that the president shows an affinity for dictators. Yes, dictators. Yet instead of doing the “adult” thing and removing him from office, you cover up for him. Shame on you. We have so little time to get important things done. Your time is wasted babysitting an erratic President.
8
Your paper should be ashamed. You often denigrate real whistle blowers - remember the article about the FDA scientist involved in a lawsuit from the Bush administration who returned to private medical practice whom your paper humiliated? You refused to cover whistle blowers from the Bush and Obama administrations. You no longer have the dropbox on your cover for people to send documents -- and when the Reality Winner scandal broke -- that is when you and the Washington Post removed the dropbox. This contractor is not a whistle blower but the kid was definitely acting as a result of the call by you two newspapers. Irony - Winner released documents demonstrating Russian influence with the Trump officials. But you and the Post barely covered that scandal. Now, you will publish an op ed by a right wing Republican who is really insubordinate? Your paper should be embarassed. You /failed/ true whistle blowers in the past couple of administrations -- why should anyone respect your coverage? You can't even get the definition of a whistle blower correct
4
This is garbage. They aren't part of the resistance. They're part of the problem. If they truly cared about this country, knowing what they know, they would get him removed from office. But they won't because they care more about pushing their own agenda, despite how much effort they have to put in babysitting the president. This was nothing more than deflection and whining from someone who is trying to justify their complicity in this administration.
11
Dear Senior official thank god someone has the courage to do the right thing !! Trump has an itchy finger on the trigger and he's has turned American and all we stand for in crisis and chaos!! Please do take the 25th amendment and get this dictator out of office before it's to late!! If there are truly adults in the room please don't wait to long to do what's right!! Americans are depending on you!!
4
Clearly Propaganda,
Anonomous, no factual content, hearsay published by a news outlet that has been very negative to Trump.
4
This article like a dream come true for Trump. Confirming the existence of The Deep State while offering nothing of significance. I would not surprise me if Trump himself wrote this, and leaked it via a trusted source, to give him ammunition for the mid-terms Oh the irony of NY Times being duped in this way.
5
Whether or not you support President Trump, everyone should be concerned that the NYT would print an anonymous op-ed piece. Would the NYT have printed such a letter about President Obama or Hillary Clinton had she won the 2016 election? Op-ed letters should have named authors. For example, the NYT required I provide my name to write this comment. NYT--require the same standard for anyone writing an op-ed that you print. The author would have had more impact providing a name and then resigning from his/her position.
8
GOP operative: But what about Woodward’s book?
Bannon: Don’t you see, we get out in front of this by saying White House insiders acknowledge it’s been a little crazy, Trump is a little unhinged, but reassure them we are in control. This will defuse the Woodward’s book before it even hits the selves.
GOP operative: Genius boss! And if we use the NY Times as the bad guy, we give FOX and Friends a great big softball to hit out the park – There they go again, the mainstream media with more Trump bashing!
Bannon: Get our best writers on this stat! Next, we need to decide on the best way to deliver the message (maybe General Kelly?). Also, make sure we get a good photo opt after the press release (FYI - make sure no one calls this a ‘press release’). Trump should be seen standing alone in the middle of the angry liberal press while they pelt him with accusations. It’s perfect – even Trump won’t know what’s happening.
GOP operative: Isn’t that a little too obvious Boss?
Bannon: Not a chance – this is an old strategy – over-attack the perpetrator and then wait for the sympathy.
GOP operative: Turn the perp into a victim. Genius again!
Bannon: Everyone loves an underdog. Stick with me and you’ll learn to perfect the art of deceptive and manipulation.
13
I read this with astonishment and can't help but wonder: Hasn't NYT just provided both Trump voters and Vladimir Putin with their best piece of evidence yet that the so-called Deep State is real?
3
To the self-styled “adults” in the room:
So you summoned a chaos demon to run the world’s largest military, economy and democracy, in order to serve your “noble” goals of a trillion-and-a-half dollar cash grab for the world’s wealthiest at the expense of ordinary taxpayers, environmental and financial deregulation that threaten our economy and the survival of our species, and fattening the chops of our already bloated US military for whatever adventures you and yours can cook up.
Now said demon is straying from his pentagram and threatening your international trade structure and political world order, but you still think you and your unelected shadow-government colleagues can regain control and salvage things without a ritual expulsion. Hubris, greed, folly, delusion. You are in fact the problem here, folks.
Better call Buffy...and while you’re at it, the Exorcist, the Avengers, the X-Men, Neo&Trinity, and whomever else is currently available. I’d also stock up on marshmallows and weenies for where your deeply mortgaged, subprime soul is likely headed next.
9
14,000 comments and all you "critical thinkers" blindly accept this is even real? Even if you hate Trump, where is your intelligence and cynicism? Your leftist buddies like Maddow let you down over and over again with breaking, "final nail in the coffin" content constantly. How was Rachel's "Trump's tax return" Blockbuster? Put the shoe on the other foot: 2009: " Breitbart: Anonymous editorial speaks on Obama's true birthplace!". You are believing what you WANT to believe.
4
For a long time, I have had a very very clear understanding, that there have been senior ranking individuals within the Trump Administration - that are there not necessarily because they want the job, or respect Trump - but rather out of sheer duty to our country. They recognized that it was vital to our Democracy and security, that skilled knowledgable professionals were there to basically do the job that the President is so obviously unable to do. Reading this essay is possibly the most comforting thing I have felt as an American since this tragic election, to have these hunches confirmed. I am incredibly grateful to the NYT for printing this essay and mostly to this individual for writing it with such candor and honesty. It is incredibly brave and incredibly important. They are living a real and true nightmare and I am utterly grateful to the NYT for this and for all of your incredible reporting. Our country depends on you and I cannot express my gratitude enough.
5
@K Kastenelli
I cannot believe you're serious. I hope I am missing the satire.
The author says that the Cabinet doesn't want to invoke the 25th amendment because it would cause a constitutional crisis. But there are two governments in the White House; one run by Trump and the other run by anonymous senior officials. How is that any better? The people who work for the president should follow their orders. If so many people have a problem with what is happening in the White House, resign and tell Congress. Tell the Cabinet to invoke the 25th amendment and remove him from office. He's a dangerous man. He could destroy us. Anonymity only protects you. We are still vulnerable.
7
Shame, shame shame on the NYTimes for letting the Op-ed page be sideswiped and co-opted by this "Anonymous" chronicler of the Trump administration and its malignant and devious ways. What, I ask, is written in this op-ed that we are already in doubt of? How can a publication such as the Times think are doing their readers a service when they allow "Anonymous" to vent without being named? To continue his or her self perceived "heroic" mission, unmasking the white house, while still going about their daily duties in this cesspool of deceit called the Trump administration. This is a dark day for journalism and a win for the Trump administration as he trumpets the "failing" NYTimes in turning over its op-ed pages to "Anonymous" I never I thought I would say this, but in this I have to agree with him. "SAD"
5
Trump's unhinged, amoral abuse of the highest office of in our great America is an abomination.
Worse still is repeated failure of the Republican-led Congress to be the check & balance to the Executive branch.
Countless times Trump should have been censored by Congress!!! (e.g. - believing Putin over American intelligence agencies, tweeting how Sessions' should do his bidding versus America's AG, trade wars with allies while buddying up to dictators)
Republicans have too often chosen the good of the party over what's good for America.
Enough is enough.
6
Whoever wrote this piece is a spineless jelly fish. If you believed in this country, and you had values, morals and ideals, you wouldn't hide. Believing in something means taking a stand, regardless of the consequences. This op-ed is just more proof that our politicians are married to their party/career. There's very little care, from our politicians, about what actually happens to our country. They're far too focused on the thing most important to them...getting re-elected.
8
"End of an empire...
Messy at best."
- Randy Newman
4
How despicable. This self-serving piece does not exonerate the writer who is complicit in enabling and protecting our fake president and the distressingly corrupt party that paved the way for and now enables him. If the writer is truly concerned with the best interests of the nation, then he or she needs to take action to end this idiocy now.
At least there was some humor - loved the bit about “...Americans should know that there are adults in the room. We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what’s right even when Donald Trump won’t."
This piece is so pathetic that I'm wondering if it wasn’t planted by a Dirty Tricks operative.
8
Maybe the mysterious author was a voice from the grave...
John McCain.
9
This is more toward the NYT than anything. I believe you. But I have nothing to go forward with in information because you are crashing the barrier of truth in that we have no way to prove anything, and if we have no way to prove anything, then how do I know or not know that you made it up?
5
I’m going to take a wild guess and say that Mike Pence wrote this Op-Ed since he has the most to gain.
6
I appreciate the NYT for publishing this OpEd.
10
“Bright spots of this administration” - gimme a break.
6
Who cares who wrote it, the writer is obviously smarter than the 14,000 commenters here and the media and horrific Trump Administration who have nothing but ad hominem attacks--no wonder Sarah Huckabee can't eat at Appleby. The headline should be Trump is unfit and no one cares.
8
A complete scam, another misguided attempt at the deep state and FAKE NEWS to discredit our awesome President. How can people believe this garbage? Media will do anything, i mean anything to try to discredit Trump. Absolutely pathetic.
7
WE THE PEOPLE WROTE IT
5
@akin caldiran, No. WE sure did not. In fact, we elected him.
Some comments are questioning the right of unelected officials to question the actions of a "duly elected" president. But is he? Donald Trump's campaign is under investigation for conspiring with the Russians to undermine his opponent's campaign, and our electoral system, and the evidence keeps growing that the president himself was involved. Until the Mueller report comes out, I think that calling Donald Trump a "duly elected president" is premature.
9
@Justine Dalton, he was. You're doing a birther and worse. Please.
The letter is anonymous. Why give credence to someone who might not even exist? I don't know if there REALLY is someone in Trump's circle that wrote this.
Strangely, I don't disagree with the content, but if things are that bad, then publish a SIGNED letter (as well as your resignation notice).
Otherwise, the author not only keeps their job, but is enabling the process, whether they want to or not.
4
I am not a fan of Trump but this is an adhominem attack. No mention of which policy he or she is working against.
What policys exactly trade, taxes, foreign policy, tariffs is this person being paid by some one to thwart and derail policy? The Koch brothers? Putin or some other nefarious creatures. All the secrecy and innuendo with no real meat a vegetarian mock red meat steak for the liberals wheres the beef? If in fact this person is against the president and his policy's why not stand up and acknowledge the fact and resign and lay out why they are against Trump. Taking a pay check to shove a crowbar in the system is the cowards way out. Or they are taking graft or working for a foreign agents. If you were Putin the ruler of our elections and the world according to the NYT wouldn't you pay a mole to cause all this tulmult in the oval office?
7
If Anonymous and his cohorts in the WH really want to protect the country from the whims of a deranged president, they would go to the Congress and give them the information they need to impeach him.
10
If those in the administration want his agenda but find Tump too dangerous to be president why not hit him with the 25th amendment and get Pence. Same agenda less crazy. Or are they scared of something else?
2
Thank you for confirming that the Deep State is alive and well and is trying to hold on as long as possible.It is all too obvious that We The People are somehow irrelevant and the election process in America is broken!President Trump was elected against overwhelming odds and illegal efforts at the polls.The effort to undermine the President and the people who elected him is treason!!I am ready as are many to convict and punish to the fullest extent of the law any and all involved in this kind of behavior.Firing squads and hangings are the cure for the traitors!!
6
Anonymous on the Orient Express...It's all of them.
2
Just another propaganda hit piece of insignificant value trying to undermine a duely elected president.
Would you really expect anything different from those trying to stop the President from exposing the Deep State and draining the swamp?
4
The anonymous article does not tell us anything that we did not know before its publication.
The Times has debased itself by this maneuver, thus allowing itself to be corrupted by Trump.
2
Come on, come forth. We're tired of being jerked around by this administration. Be a hero and honor your friend John McCain.
7
What a plethora of responses! And so many so far off base: that this individual is worrisome. Rejoice that we have some brakes on a loser who clearly indicated he was a loser (Trump U scam, welshing on debts to working class contractors) from the getgo. Can all this energy carry on to the November elections, and beget something positive?????
3
While this is a nice first step, I'm not impressed with the author. First, if he or she were really concerned about the country and our Democracy, he/she would have never opted to work in this Administration. Any sentient being knew the day he slithered down the escalator that this man had a decades- long trail of bankruptcy, fraud, racism, misogyny and immorality. His bonafides were shaped by his father the Klansman, Vince McMahon and the WWE; his numerous business failures and his inane reality TV show. Based on those qualifications, perhaps we should consider the Kardashians, Honey Boo Boo and Dr Pimple Popper as viable candidates in 2020- any one would at least have some integrity- and since we've already debased the office, why not go all in.
Second, now that you're in this Administration and you've seen first hand the damage that's being done, if you were really concerned, you'd work to gain consensus among your colleagues to invoke the 25th Amendment and rid the world of this monster. At a minimum, you should resign and reveal your identity- perhaps it would provoke others in the GOP to finally stand up to this insanity. You can't possibly be worried about your career- it's over the day you leave anyway because anyone associated with this White House will never work in a government job again and likely will be persona non grata in the private sector too. So I hope you have at least one good book in you. Finally, your comments about all the good this administration is
1
Thank you, whomever you are, for speaking out. It gives us comfort. I have long hoped that those of you in the inner circle are focused on protecting our country from the harm and ruination Mr. Trump can bring to us.
4
Thank you. My concern is that what if your efforts, and those you refer to, are unsuccessful? There are no "do-overs." This is an incredibly high burden you have on your shoulders. May you find the strength and peace to recognize that for all your efforts, only one person can really control the situation.
3
@Michelle,
Agree totally, the author of this article knows that one can not be reckless in such a situation.
Republicans will never impeach the president especially since they are benefiting with all the goodies his presidency makes possible.
To all the people who think this person should come forward and engage in a creaming match to try to affect their perceived agains, I say hold on, this will not achieve your goal of impeaching this president.
We must vote him out then seek justice in the court of laws.
Why did this person write the op-ed? What is the objective? The author claims to be working with others within the Trump administration to serve their "first duty is to this country" against Donald Trump, and yet is unwilling to call for specific action. Instead, the writer says that we should trust these unelected officials who say they are working "diligently from within" and have "vowed to do what we can." Are we to assume that the recommendation of this "senior official" is that we, American citizens, should let him/her/them continue to run the government covertly instead of demanding action to remove a president that even these "patriots" admit should not be in the Oval Office? There is no good news here, regardless of one's political affiliation.
8
It is not surprising that the NYT chose to publish an op-ed written anonymously, and it is not surprising that the commenters are hyperventilating while missing the overarching issue that this piece exposes. What is critical in all of this is that there are evidently Government employees who consciously work to thwart and undermine our duly elected constitutional form of Government. Deep State theorists must be having a field day.
As someone who did not vote for Trump, I am particularly disturbed about the ease with which commenters applaud "resisters". Apply the "shoe-on-other-foot" test and take a deep breath.
A close reading of the piece is really pretty lame stuff. While acknowledging many policy milestones, the writer takes credit for them via the "two track" presidency. Trump campaigned on these issues; they go back a long way. The personal criticisms are pretty thin gruel as well. In so many words, the writer doesn't like Trump's style. "Amorality", meetings veering off topic, lack of ideals, rants... be serious. there are no meaningful charges made in the entire piece. This writer is not an "adult in the room", he/she is a coward. The right thing to do it to resign.
6
So let me get this straight. I can just write an anonymous op ed, claim to be senior staff at the White House, and everyone will believe me? Cool! I love the media!
8
Mitigation is not resistance.
5
Classic Mike Pence: "The root of the problem is the president’s amorality. Anyone who works with him knows he is not moored to any discernible first principles that guide his decision making."
AND... Pence believes in his heart of hearts that God wants him to be president.
Can't decide who's worse for America, Dopey Donald or Righteous Mike.
God help us...
9
agreed as wonderful as I think it would be to see Trump to go I wonder if Pence may not be even worse.
Just my luck my wife recently ordered Netflix and we’ve been watching House of Cards every night in place of MSNBC. As despicable as Francis Underwood and his pals in the WH are it’s still more settling than having to listen to Rachel and Lawrence ranting each night. There’s plenty of unhinging going around. Anonymous needs to look around and see that it’s not just Trump.
4
President Trump does what he does because of people of money behind him. He also depends upon slavishly obedient people in cabinet positions, and a Republican dominated judiciary, which he is corrupting with the aid of the most despicable set of partisan Republican politicans in Congress ever in the history of America. Only the voters who set this in motion can stop it - or they can continue to bicker over details until the country is destroyed by both sides in their all or nothing war for power.
2
Thank you, NYTimes. Much appreciated!
6
The framers used anonymity advocate their ideas and criticisms. An example is the Federalist Papers to which all scholars, politicians, and judges point to as a foundational collection supporting democracy. What troubles me are the potential secret actions that may be taking place against a sitting President and what they imply. I deplore Trump. Another Boston Tea Party ain't the way.
1
This statement is pretty mild stuff... Seems written by a timid milquetoast who has delusions of importance. Nothing here is new -- We can see plainly who and what Trump is. Very volatile and slightly juvenile -- but the only force standing between our democracy and the lunacy of those who would silence opponents with shouts of "hate speech," "racism," and such non-crimes as "cultural appropriation." I hope Trump continues to beat on his high-chair with a loud spoon so the rest of us don't have to hear to the whining of the dispossessed elite...like this privileged White House staffer.
3
When I read about the Lois Lerner IRS story I suspected there was a Deep State in the government. After reading this opinion I am sure of it.
4
This is so typical of the times. How do we know that this person isn't a figment of someone's psychological breakdown? Making a story that fits their narrative perfectly. Do we really want a shadow government that isn't elected by the people secretly running things? I hear a lot of people applauding this "anonymous" person. What if this becomes the norm with the office of the president? How would everyone feel about a Republican hidden resistance?
5
This is John Kelly starting his legal defense case in the coming Crimes Against Humanity charge leveled at the Trump Administration.
3
This sounds like one of Pence's speech writers lining things up for Pence to step into the Oval Office. Too bad Pence is as amoral in his own authoritarianism as Trump.
5
How do we know for sure that this person actually exists?
5
How does the Trump presidency end? This op-ed builds the suspense up another notch. I find waiting for the final chapter nearly unbearable. After all, this is a real life horror show.
It will not end well for one side or the other. One very real possibility is that this op-ed writer and his/her rogue colleagues will eventually give up and quit, while a deranged Trump continues his teflon coated path to 6 more years in office. Meanwhile .... the planet suffers from extreme climate change events, young black males get shot up and sent to prison, and Pence's Space Force soaks up tax payer dollars.
We have to wonder if the greatness of today's America is really dependent on the brilliance of our Consitiution. If survival of our democracy, our future, depends on rogue groups of un-named behind-the-scene manipulators, essentially a new branch of government, we are already in a consitututional crisis.
Cold comfort is fleeting.
4
An exaggerated sense of one’s importance, a belief that the nation’s destiny depends on oneself, a streak of narcissism and self-righteousness, a childish impetuosity that can trigger a rash outburst of self-justification. Sounds like the anonymous op-ed author and the President share more in common than either would care to admit. The only thing is, the anonymous op-ed writer wasn’t elected.
2
Thank you New York Times for publishing this piece, but most of all, for keeping the Comments open! And, thank you to all the 14,000+ people commenting. Writing "letters to the editor" is part of the 'free press' not often mentioned.
9
I've very mixed feelings about this piece. In short, they're enabling an unfit, unhinged, amoral loose cannon to maintain the highest position in the land without opposition. Because they're getting some of what they want out of him ("...effective deregulation, historic tax reform, a more robust military and more.") So, they don't want him impeached while he's still coming through on their desired agenda items. It's like allowing your dementia-addled father to believe he is still the head of the family, placating him while you're selling off his stamp collection and cashing his social security checks.
5
The constitutional crisis is underway if the gutless people around the President know he is corrupt of stable thinking and they think they can manage it from the inside rather than follow the proper protocol for resolving the situation. The writer brags of his integrity in protecting the Presidency when he is merely serving as a gutter bumper at the bowling alley, waiting for his chance to run for office. A person of true character would do the right thing and initiate proceedings now in time to get strong leaders from both parties on the ballot. Ask any leader in the Catholic Church, managing the horror from the inside is a ridiculous exercise in futility.
10
One reading of this essay is that it's an attempt to keep the midterm elections from being as much of a referendum on the president as they ordinarily would be, by relegating him to a subordinate position in the Republican administration.
After all, the author boasts of the adult-supervised administration's achievements, such as "historic tax reform" (perhaps failing to realize that this is poor salesmanship); portrays the conservatives around Trump as people we can be glad to have serving us; and concludes with a gauzy appeal for national unity: the incumbent party's perennial plea.
The author seems to be saying, "We didn't invoke the 25th Amendment, but we're giving you the same service without the fuss. Now let's all close ranks and keep this worthy Republican train rolling along."
6
Just curious, could anyone here give me a list of what Mr. Trump has done to warrant this concern? Seriously, I need a chronological list that shows what he has done bad to this country that even comes close to what Mr. Obama did in his two terms. For the record, I am about as middle class as they come and these last two years have been WONDERFUL compared to the 8 before that
5
I noticed Mike Rogers at NSA is not on the list of denials. ust a thought.
1
Bet you are Trumpian in essence, destroying our democracy. Get out and recognize America the constitution. Rectifying the president is not a resistance, it is your job, whenever the president doesn't see the truth out there.
1
@A. Serafy
From another point of view, this is a protection against impeachment through rectification.
1
This oped could have been lifted directly from "1984'" or any similarly dystopian novel. Except that it's really occurring. When will this nightmare be over? I hope the Religious Right, starting with Ronny Reagan, and all their successors are happy with what they hath wrought. There is no concionable excuse for the author to remain anonymous. His/her misguided notion of patriotism is quite simply aiding and abetting our thug president.
5
When Julius Cesar was dispatched by the Roman Senate in order to “save the Republic” it was done in full daylight, at the Senate, and it’s collaborators did the deed themselves without hiding behind an op ed. How far our decency has slid.
4
All I want to do is thank you, whomever you are!
1
Go Trumpo-the GOAT of politicians. He is an authentic American Hero!!!!
2
While this is a nice first step, I'm not impressed with the author. First, if he or she were really concerned about the country and our Democracy, he/she would have never opted to work in this Administration. Any sentient being knew the day he slithered down the escalator that this man had a decades- long trail of bankruptcy, fraud, racism, misogyny and immorality. His bonafides were shaped by his father the Klansman, Vince McMahon and the WWE; his numerous business failures and his inane reality TV show.
Second, now that you're in this Administration and you've seen first hand the damage that's being done, if you were really concerned, you'd work to gain consensus among your colleagues to invoke the 25th Amendment and rid the world of this monster. At a minimum, you should resign and reveal your identity- perhaps it would provoke others in the GOP to finally stand up to this insanity. You can't possibly be worried about your career- it's over the day you leave anyway because anyone associated with this White House will never work in a government job again and likely will be persona non grata in the private sector too. So I hope you have at least one good book in you.
3
I have not yet heard about a denial from John Kelley, or Don McGahn. McGahn may have least to lose as he’s leaving after Kavanaugh’s confirmation which is imminent. Moreover as a skilled attorney he could disguise his writing style. As for Kelley, Woodward has claimed Kelley called the White House Crazy Town and said the President has gone off the rails, but he stayed.
2
You do realize that this guy is saying that Trump isn't reliably Republican enough, don't you?
7
I echo those who say the writer should resign and then come forth with details.
1
To be honest, this behaviour of those top people in the administration seems rather cowardly to me. They do not like what Trump is doing, but too afraid to REALLY do anything about it. With the words of Trump : SO SAD !!!!!!
4
Every Republican in Congress is a co-conspirator in this Trump debacle. They should all pay the ultimate price and lost their seats of power. They won't of course, but they should. Not one of them was clueless about Trump. Not one. Many said so before he became the nominee. And yet, they only cared about themselves, their jobs, and the possibility of a victory. They should hang their heads in shame, for whatever they have done in Congress will be overshadowed by their refusal to buck this most egregious president in our entire history. Shame.
DD
Manhattan
4
Evenually it’s jail time
just a matter of time
2
Pence was framed by someone in the 2020 Haley camp.
2
To the author of this piece: You are not resistance, and you are not a patriot. You are a coward who will let disaster befall our nation for the sake of tax cuts, deregulation, and increased military spending.
Learn a lesson from what Democrats are currently doing. Patriots take a stand, patriots risk their careers to protect the American people and American ideals by speaking out openly against the most incompetent and corrupt President in American history.
Democrats are acting like patriots today, they are the only true resistance and they are doing it in plain sight. I'm afraid we may have just buried the last Republican patriot.
6
I am also a part of the Resistance! An American who truly believes in the Constitution, and ALL the laws of our land. The knucklehead in OUR White House is a disgrace and an embarrassment to our democracy. Thank you for your insight and willingness to stand up to this mockery of an administration. Hats off to the NYT for the backbone to stand up for freedom of the press.
7
Frankly, I think anything that says anonymous source should be discarded. I could say an anonymous source told me that the Clinton's were involved in a child sex ring and the person was a reliable source. (While I'm not a Clinton fan, I have read this before and think it's hooey and a horrible thing to say....just using it as an example.) Is it true and who is my reliable source? It might be someone that I admire or I might have made it up. Who the heck knows. All this key-rap that's being posted about Trump comes at a time when mid term elections are upon us. I take no notice of op-eds that aren't signed, regardless of the reason. It is cowardly and I didn't need Trump to tell me that. I speak my voice, regardless of consequences and have all my life. I'm a 70 year old female who has modeled and was attractive in a job that was once considered for men only and while I had some minor harassment, I dealt with it...even to my boss....unlike this person who can't either turn a phrase to deal with the problem with finesse or is to cowardly to do it. I have no respect for the person that wrote this. Sorry, I think it was a fellow reporter.
4
Malarkey. That reads far too much like a typical Democrat tirade than the truth.
5
One word: Pence.
2
What a wasted opportunity by The New York Times! As a condition for publishing the essay, the editors and publisher should have demanded a list of specific incidents of trump attempting to act on his “worse impulses”. What a scoop that would have been! And how very much that might have helped save our nation and its people.
3
Few Americans could name all the people who resigned from the Trump administration for honor's sake. Along with those who were fired for behaving honorably, they provided a surfeit of evidence that our president is dangerously unhinged and malevolent.
One more wouldn't have persuaded any more doubters.
Instead, the writer does what thousands of other Americans do all the time: they protect their employer and their institution from specific, reckless actions of their unfit leadership; sometimes, this is just part of the job. We need people like the writer to buffer this country from the actions of our unstable and immoral leadership.
Without denying the serious ethical question of writing an anonymous op-ed, I've always expected that there are people in the administration quietly protecting the world from someone they intimately know to be unfit for their role.
Beregond saved Farmir's life, some Nazis lost theirs trying to take down the madness of the regime, and Antigone followed a higher law to bury her brother. Each of these characters defied the orders of their leaders, every one of whom suffered from some version of mental or moral turpitude.
Writing the op-ed may not prove to be wise or productive, but there is a very thin line between being a hero and being a fool. Many individuals are floundering in a completely unfamiliar moral landscape. I suggest that the writer may be disoriented, but not as hopelessly lost as the president himself.
1
This guy is amazing that he will hide in the shadows claiming to be a real man a real american the last 8 years were sickening as the whole farm was given away, and where were you then.Hiding like the coward you are. At least this president has the courage to stand up and tell the rest of the world that has been riding on our back NO MORE ! with the past 10 presidents giving away trade which equaled jobs leaving NO MORE ! The economy is Thriving people have jobs construction has confidence
All the giving away is over finally some one who stands up and these people call him unbalanced and Amoral where were you when the last president tripled the national debt and where will you be when we are like greece or spain because when your debt soars past 35% of GDP its an unrecoverable spiral do your homework you will see and then get behind what is going on its movement called Free trade around the world and its going to be a fight to get there so ask yourself do you have what it takes
2
The Times made a mistake publishing this essay by Anonymous.
A mature adult would have made a choice, either continuing to serve someone whom they can no longer respect or to step aside. [You can't have it both ways.] By not seeking "a Pro Trump" counterpoint essay, The Times produced "a hit piece."
The Times, The Washington Post, and most other mainstream news media outlets NEVER permitted POTUS Trump "the Honeymoon" that has historically been afforded other new presidents.
The talk of impeachment prior to the Inauguration is another case in point. Likewise, the issue with the popular vote is another canard.
If you don't like the Electoral College, then Amend the Constitution. Stated differently, had the Democrats not concentrated themselves into densely populated enclaves, then the outcomes of the 2000 and 2016 Presidential Elections could have been different.
Do-overs are not possible. But one's convictions can be changed when the facts on the ground change.
This is why Anonymous should be brave enough to say, I am doing what I am doing for this Country (which we all profess to love) while holding my nose (due to my lack of respect for the Commander-in-Chief).
Being derogatory to POTUS Trump is nothing new, but being derogatory to the presidency is a major error.
4
THANK YOU!! At last, we know there are those in this dysfunctional White House that really care about "the rest of us" (those not in Trump's CULT). I once was a Republican and have left because of Trump and the complicit House and Senate Republicans that let this "child" do whatever he wants to do.....no questions asked!! This country is facing some very serious problems and I hope you and your colleagues in The Resistance continue to thwart the dictatorial whims of this horrible person in the White House. THANK YOU for caring!!
1
This is the first time someone within the administration has spoken truth to power. Any other instance, it was someone who quit, was fired, or a “liberal” reporter, which could be labeled “fake news” or sour grapes. So...it’s about time this came out, even if it includes the gruesome news that no one’s steering the ship.
3
I respect the authors anonymity in line with the the First Amendment. As an avowed anti-Trump voter, I question the means and mechanisms of his, her or they protestations. However, absent the 25th Amendment or impeachment, there is no Constitutional mechanism to deliberately delay or defer the executive’s protestations, orders or requests. By slow-walking or denying the orders of the President of the United States, the author of this Op-Ed is acknowledging that a Constitutional crisis exists within our government. If he/she/they and compatriots believe that the President is unable to fulfill his duties, they must enact Section IV of the 25th Amendment. No other options exist because to do otherwise is to create a Constitutional crisis.
3
I have given your Op-Ed deep consideration in the last twenty-four hours and I would like to respond. I believe your statement to be a well measured attempt to quell the restless hearts of the many Americans who witness the chaos of this Presidency from afar and from across the hall. Please continue your quest and know that many citizens are letting out a timid sigh of relief knowing that our feelings are validated. History will remember your words. May others in your presence show the courage to do the same.
4
Author of this essay: Come forward with the truth, you should be protected by whistleblower laws.
The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 is a law that protects federal government employees in the United States from retaliatory action for voluntarily disclosing information about dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government organization.
5
This op-ed has strengthened and cemented Trump's marriage. No doubt an unintended and unforeseen consequence. Melania who usually steers clear from any political controversy gave a rare statement to CNN...
"People with no names are writing our nation's history," the first lady wrote in a statement issued to CNN. "Words are important, and accusations can lead to severe consequences. If a person is bold enough to accuse people of negative actions, they have a responsibility to publicly stand by their words and people have the right to be able to defend themselves."
A serious miscalculation of ant-Trump strategists.
5
How does the Paper of Record know its not being played so the political hackK gets the supreme court appointment.
Kavanaugh perjured multiple times in Senate.
that's the story. This anonymous Op-Ed is a hoax to distract.
Bannon would DO EXACTLY something like this....
2
Trump is upset. awwww truth hurts
4
My money is on Conway or Sanders. Who would suspect two of the most loyal.
2
Thank goodness there are a few sane people in the White House. NY Times Op-Ed. Doesn't matter if it's a cabal or 1 person. Bless the effort to expose and restrain this off-the-rails clown car presidency.
5
Coward. Quit this immoral administration or forever be tainted by your work for and with this man who hates what makes America great.
2
Adults in the room? Laughable. Unsung heroes? Delusional. You have known from the start that this man is incompetent and dangerous but refused to take the steps that would have ended this rogue presidency before our alliances were trashed, before the US was pulled out of the climate treaty, before an outrageous meeting with Putin, a pathetic, failed meeting with the dictator in North Korea--yet you hide behind anonymity and claim to be working with a cohort of "good" conservatives to protect our nation. Baloney. How dumb do you think the people of America are to claim that you know exactly what's going on and are trying to save our nation from Trump's worst impulses? Apparently you want "this administration to succeed." What administration? What of the Muslim ban? The hundreds of children still separated from their parents at our southern border for the misdemeanor of crossing the border without documents as their parent seeks asylum? Are you for a penal colony of Latin Americans within our borders--stripped of human rights? You are cowards and hypocrites trying to save your hides. You think you can dump Trump and save Pence and the GOP and force your conservative agenda down our throats? You you shed light on the devil's bargain Republicans in Congress appear to have struck, just as you have struck it: save the party, sink the nation. Just how you think you can rescue what's left of our democracy from this debacle remains a mystery.
9
I’m stunned that The NY Times would publish this unsourced hearsay, this isn’t journalism it’s the group think agenda the left has portrayed. Follow us not Trump. We know what’s best for all, follow us. Repeat after us, we’ll tell you what to say. Don’t think for yourself follow us.
You are embarrassing yourself and damaged your reputation again.
Disgraceful. You should be ashamed for publishing an unsourced op-ed which by its very definition is the opinion of someone. Who wrote it? What are the sources? Man up, or person up.
This is one time I agree with Trump, you’re gutless.
6
You are not part of the resistance, you're a major part of the problem! Don't ask me to thank you, Anonymous Op-Ed. You knew darn well what you were getting into when you voted for #45 and when you joined his administration. I don't feel sorry for you one bit. Your ilk brought this problem to our nation. Do us a favor - pack your briefcase now and leave.
5
The publication of this anonymous letter by the New York Times is journalistic malpractice. Thus the Times itself has become another entity corrupted by Trump.
6
As a long time Trump supporter, I think he oughta exercise executive privilege and send the whole staff down to Guantanamo for some good ole fashioned waterboarding until they find that treasonous rascal. And when they do, that'll also show those Lilly livered liberals that torture does work. They call that two for one back where I live in Laxahootchallasee. Take that NYT!
6
Why would this guy put Trump on notice that he is going to subvert Trump's campaign promise to cooperate with Russia and get out of these mid-eastern wars? Isn't that a little foolish? I voted for Trump because he said he wanted to cooperate with Russia and get out of the mid-east. I think there is a better chance now that Trump will do what he promised now that this guy has come half-way out of the closet and told Trump that he intends to subvert him in this regard. So, I say thanks to the idiot who gave Trump the heads up. It means that I have a better chance now that he may do those things he promised.
2
Everyone I know agrees with this op-ed. It was cathartic to read it and I sincerely hope there are no consequences for the writer. GOOD FOR YOU! I'm so glad you had the courage to say what needed to be said. Honestly, it's what everyone I know has been thinking/saying for months.
Keep resisting - we are depending on you!!!
3
Like any good banana republic we need a coup d'etat.
8
The real question to be answered is this: To whom does a political appointee in an administration owe her loyalty to: the President or the Nation?
An employee of a company or a government has the right to express her opinion, either identifiably or anonymously. This is not in violation of any agreement as long as the person is not revealing secrets she is privy to.
My view is that the primary loyalty of an employee ought to be to the organization (company or country) and not to the executive head. If it means disclosing anonymously that the head is being erratic or unscrupulous to serve the larger interests of the organization...it is the right thing to do.
It is the job of the Head to terminate the employment of any person who he thinks is not doing her job properly.
Hang in there Mr. Pence. We all thought you were a religious lunatic and sycophantic tweeter. Turns out you are a steady Eddy with real hair. And you are smart enough to know that after the mid terms when the dems impeach Dodgy Donnie , you can stroll right in. Who says there aren’t conscientious politicians these days?
2
It's Jared.
He is the only one who can't resign.
He has been very circumspect, said so little that his speaking/writing style is untraceable.
Someone from Alabama or Indiana would not choose the Times as a platform, but Jared saw it on his doorstep every day of his life and it is his standard.
Yom Kippur is approaching and he is feeling guilty that, after his grandparents escaped Hitler, he's working for a bigot and closet anti-Semite.
7
This piece "I am a Part of the Resistance" is NOT an EDITORIAL. It is a news piece with fact-based allegations that there are many people offically working for the President in the White House yet taking actions to thwart the agenda of POTUS. This article should have been vetted, fact-checked and confirmed before it was printed. This is absolutely the worst example of "journalism" the NYTimes has ever published. SHAME
4
Treasonous coward. president should give everyone a lie detector test and throw the rat in prison fo a long time.
4
@may, freedom of the press, remember. It was just an opinion until it was published.
cowards hide behind anominity. I very sorry to see the new york times laid so low.
6
The Times may meet its demise before the administration of Donald Trump. Is this Mondo Cane or People Magazine?
4
How can the New York Times, which claims to be the best newspaper in the world, publish this anonymous hit piece. I am not a conspiracy theorist, but how do we know that it was not written by a New York Times editor or even a group of them. The only way that this essay should be acceptable is if it is signed by the writer himself. I have lost what little respect I had left for the times. Shame on the editor and publisher for destroying this, formally, fine newspaper
5
Cue fake applause. I suppose this is meant to be the sugar coating on our acid pill? There's no point in exculpatory prose when an unhinged moron continues to occupy the office. If you feel so astute in your adult capabilities, use them for the good of the country and invoke the 25th amendment. A constitutional crisis might just prove to be the jolt we need, as a country, to wake up from this institutional and partisan clown show.
1
Hahahahahahahha! Laughing my guts out at the new National Enquirer, formerly the New York Times! Wow, what a moment this is.
Some person, who can only be described as gutless to the core, yearns to slime President Trump, in a very public way, but anonymously, because, wait for it.... he claims to be so patriotic! And he wants us to know that he is an "adult" so we can rest assured. Gag me.
Actually this guy sounds just like any disgruntled employee that hates his job, hates his boss, but needs that paycheck too much to show the spine to sign his name to the editorial, which he knows would get him fired. I would never call this guy patriotic. Just the opposite. I call him a traitor dead set on undermining the highest office in this country. And he calls the president amoral! The hypocrisy is staggering. Any person of integrity would have put his name on this editorial. Period.
Not at all surprised that someone would want to slime anonymously, but just completely flabbergasted that the NY Times would actually sink so low and print it. And just like the anonymous punk, the NY Times sinks this low and doesn't seem able to connect the dots and see the irony of their own behavior in relation to the criticism they heap on our president.
9
I do not think I would take a position and draw a salary plus all kinds of benefits from an administration that I truly detest. Or, if once I was as naive as had hopes toward it, but those hopes were all crushed, I would have just resigned, as soon as I realized that it wasn't for me. Additionally, I certainly would never ever stay anonymous. What is your reason for doing that? Unless you still want to enjoy your senior salary and benefits package even after decided to work against an elected US president in spite of your oath that you took when you took your job. As much as we do not like Trump, he was elected, and his administration was not.
4
This essay is among the very first evidence I’ve seen that Republicans realize that they need to consider their party’s survival post-Trump (however soon or distant that might be). They grasp, however dimly, that they will need to be able to say to moderate voters, “See? We were governing all along, despite all appearances!” In this way, they hope to position themselves as credible and worthy of being entrusted with power. No doubt there is a segment of the electorate that is sufficiently credulous to swallow this rubbish, but in truth it calls to mind Trump’s specious assertion that the things we are seeing are not what’s happening. In fact, despite holding all the reins of power, the GOP is undergoing an existential crisis of its own making, and emerging from it intact will require more than an insider’s look at the daycare they’re operating.
3
14,000 comments?? Seems like this has gotten a little attention.
About bloody time.
10
Yes, the president is a dufus sometimes but he is getting the job done
7
You are a coward. You sit and watch the country burn because you are getting a few things that you want and that YOU think are good for the country, despite almost all information pointing to the contrary.
Your "group" are spineless cowards who have thrown away your moral compass and sacrificed your integrity to pay for an agenda, because you have no principles left. If you want to do good, then enact the 25th Amendment, like you know you should, to removed this admittedly unfit buffoon from our office of the Presidency and push forward to cull all his acolytes and corrupt pencil pushers that are doing his bidding.
You know what the right thing is. Do it.
8
I feel this article is irresponsible journalism. A great disrespect to the office of the President. Anonymous is hard to defend and without any proof this could all be made up.
New York Times - you are clearly biased by printing this.
13
So, Trump has no moral compass, he's untrustworthy, unstable, and he's a terrible and dangerous president.
But, you oh heroic one, are hiding inside the administration because you and the rest of your cohorts don't want the Republican party to lose any of the power you now have over everything. You are sacrificing everything for your own island of power, the country be damned. Cowardly and selfish.
12
are we supposed to be grateful for this self serving paternalistic piece written by someone who assures us there are 'adults' in the white house looking after our interests? if that were the truth, this senior white house aide would have spearheaded a move to enact the 25th amendment; a remedy to avoid a constitutional crises, not something that causes it. the republican legislature should take a lesson from the late senator baker and other republicans on participating in the watergate hearings; they all acted in the service of justice not partisan politics.
13
So why the Republicans are not doing anything to dislodge this president ? Answer: they can't do anything, they have thrown towel after having tried every trick in the book and failing. Starting with his 16 primary opponents. He called Jeff Bush "low energy" and now nobody knows whereabouts of Jeff. He said about Carly Fiorina, "look at her face, who will vote for her ?" Then Carly forgot that she was running for presidential primaries and got busy defending beauty of women's faces. And these days no republican candidate can win primaries or elections without Trump's endorsement. Even more and more democratic candidates are trying to sound more and more like Trump. Trump started out as a person and has now become a phenomenon.
5
I voted for Hillary. Before her, I caucused for Bernie. I kinda look at this as what if it happen to them in the process of a progressive policy change. Not good, kinda defeating the purpose of elected officials and representation.
For the content- as I if we didn’t know this already. The author wants fame and future money in a capitalist society. They are looking at leaving their posh and undeserved position soon and drew this up for a book or something in the future. If the author was what he says about himself, than stand up in there and give good advice and be heard. Make positive changes. Do what is right for the country. Kinda sad really that today is no different than yesterday for what we know about the Whitehouse. We really could have built up and changed for the good of people not only in America, but the world. But the people picked Trump, and the wrestling match started the day after.
5
It has become easy for some media outlets, and admittedly myself, to characterize the current officials of the White House as complicit with every poor decision and action of the president. It is unfair to say that all of the president's officials have agreed with and supported every caprice of Trump, and further unfair to assume that they have not attempted to talk sense into at least some of his most dangerous decisions. This article provided relief for me in knowing that there are those in our nation's capital who understand just how dangerous our current leader can be, and furthermore understand that their job extends past serving the president's desires, to instead having the courage to work for the greater good of the American people, even when doing this may conflict with the demands of the president. It is frustrating that anonymity must be the norm for those object to the president, especially those who are his own colleagues and advisors, some of whom the president hired for the specific purpose of council that now must hide in order to safely voice their views in a society born on the ideals of free speech. It is hard to feel satiated with the knowledge that there is resistance within the White House, and at least some with the protection of America in mind, when this very article only emphasizes a harrowing loss of democracy. I read this having gained some peace of mind, but also a growing fear.
5
The country this person writes of, believes he/she is protecting is a Democratic Republic that has survived a revolution, a civil war, two world wars, and the Great Depression, but the tainting of our institutions by those whose duty it was to 'stand fast' almost precipitated a "constitutional crisis" w/Pres Nixon's adminstration. Only through a bypartisan effort a dedication to our constitution was that averted, yet now we are to be grateful to these shadowy hands saving us from some abyss?
Show gratitude to those who knowingly turned this nation into some sideshow spectacle?
Juxaposed against this sordid tale of a tweeter in chief, with fixers at the tiller of our country is the late Sen McCain's efforts to use his own funeral as an occasion to remind us of the honor and privilege of public service, our shared ideals and why as a nation they should mean everything.
How is the United States to be the same, based on the principles espoused last Saturday if the White House remains so tainted?
The writer admits what most suspected; those standing with/behind Pres Trump, propping him up, these moneyed power brokers and politicians were/are willing to compromise, destroy all that was fought for and crafted since this nation began in pursuit of their own agendas: our society, freedoms, laws, institutions, our reputation as a successful democracy.
They haven't worked to prevent a constitutional crisis they've created one-- and we are supposed to pretend otherwise?
2
This secret interference in Trump's work makes him appear more competent and sane than he actually is.
5
My beloved grandparents were lifelong Republicans who gave birth to a lifelong Democrat who married another lifelong Democrat. I was raised with pervasive Democratic principles and belief systems but never once did they affect my feelings or relationship with my grandparents. I honestly don't recognize the Republican party I grew up with, disagreed with but ultimately respected. My heart breaks every day when I read about more divisive, callous, hateful and ignorant events in the news. I have never seen such division in our country before. I never felt estranged from family members due to politics until Trump/Hillary.
A lot of people are criticizing the author for not being transparent or outspoken but I am comforted. If Trump finds out who these people are, he will fire them and replace them with people who might be as dangerous and reckless as he is. At least we know there are people around him who recognize the danger he poses and also have the power to minimize the destruction. I am extremely grateful that the author and colleagues chose not to precipitate a Constitutional crisis by invoking the 25th Amendment. I am tired of watching each administration set evermore provocative legal precedents as a form of retaliation for whatever controversial precedent the previous administration set. Removing Donald Trump from office sounds really good right now. If you don't "play the tape through," and consider how setting that precedent might be abused later on.
2
@john, good to hear your view. I don't know if anyone gets or reads replies, so many things to address but there no dialogue here. So, I will ask you this: if you were a boss and someone did this would you not retaliate fiercely? Legally he should be in big trouble for this one. I don't think our POTUS really gets a fair shake and the media has made him more bad than good.
3
The media hasn't made Trump more bad than good. He's done that all by his little self.
2
Whoever you are that wrote that, You like the rest of US had the Opportunity to Run for President in 2016. The People listened to all the Candidates and Choose One above the Others. If you don't like our Selection Process, than work to Change IT, NOT the One whose Reputation is on the Line Every Day behind that Big Desk !
3
While I think I appreciate knowing the WH staff members feelings about the president, I am concerned over how such an op ed may further stifle communication.
The introduction of such an op-ed will probably introduce a cut throat environment within the White House. Upper-level staff have been indidually outspoken over their anger. It created an environment in which anything negative that is said about POTUS internally by anyone may be used as weaponry in a really unfortunate game of tattletale.
It might serve as a device which further erodes open communication when it is needed most.
1
If the anonymous opinion piece were entirely fabricated, it would be pointless for the Administration to find the leak because it would not ring true nor would it likely have been anyone in the Administration who put it forward.
If the points made did ring true, it would be understandable to find the person who made them.
2
No question Trump is an abomination. But it's worth remembering that it wasn't him who put 90 percent of national wealth in the hands of the top 1%. Nor did he create our racist mass incarceration / felony-branding system, or turn the political system into an open corporate and financial oligarchy. It was not Trump who established US military bases in most countries on earth or who initiated an age of endless war.
Those are the fruits of our bipartisan "adults in the room", DC's responsible men and women of power. And until we have a pro-human alternative to them we're going to keep seeing monsters like Trump present themselves as the solution.
5
Inasmuch as I delight in such a forthcoming revelation, I also fear its repercussions. Trump's ego and volatility are the very dangers we face. And while the "resistance" may be saving us from daily dangers, this revelation is now potentially up-leveling the very dangers recounted in this piece. Trump has no measurable low. His false sense of auspiciousness begs no one stand in his path. I fear the entire cabinet and West Wing staff are endangered. There is no disputing our "President" is a modern day P. T. Barnum and Cohn scholar, but unfortunately he also happens to hold the highest office in the land. I fear his famous "you're fired" approach to leadership will upend this protective White House. At any rate, I am relieved to learn that those who serve this despot care so for our country. But I am also reminded that our system of checks and balances is supposed to disallow these types of circumstances. This piece has brought me fears. What if there were a truly "good" president and the staff were allowed to control his ways such as this? I am truly concerned this illustrates the capability of staff to "run" the office of the president without his knowledge. On the other hand, I must take solace in the thoughts that most presidents would not be so ignorant as to recognize this possibility. At any rate, the more "deep throught" sources we can muster, the better. God help us.
The author of the op-ed doesn't see or care that Trump's angry, ugly impulses that the"saviors" in the
White House are trying to restrain are the very same impulses that generate Trump's angry, ugly
policies, including the tax cut for the wealthy, separation of immigrant families, the Muslim ban, evisceration of the ACA, rescinding of Obama-era wildlife and environmental protections, etc.
2
This anonymous official is preening himself on facilitating the Administrations moves to gut clean air and clean water regulation, consumers protections, protection of military families from predatory lenders, protection of students with loan burdens, pushing 10s or 100s of thousands off healthcare and forcing huge insurance rate increases for 0s or 100s of thousands more Americans. -- Some bright spots!!! -
4
None of what's in this op-ed is the least bit surprising. it simply validates what so many of us have known all along. Donald Trump has been the unhinged president in plain site. The question is, what will the Republicans do? They've been enabling and ignoring his egregious behavior since the beginning. This op-ed and the revelations in Woodward's book are an SOS, and should be a call to action. I'm not holding my breath. Now the GOP is ramming through a Supreme Court nominee after stealing the last seat. I'm disgusted and disheartened to say the least.
7
I'd like to point out that the reason the country is so close to going over the edge in that illustration is because there are 3 men but only 1 woman pulling it back from the brink.
4
We Democrats have not allowed trump to hurt the country. That's on the GOP. They nominated him and they voted for him. Rational Republicans rarely challenged him on his bizarre behavior before or after the convention.
Only two Republican delegates to the Electoral College made a noise about his lack of fitness for office but neither had the courage to vote for Hillary.
The GOP Congress has done little to check his behavior, demonstrating concern only for themselves, their wealthy donors and their unpopular agenda. They've done nothing but hurt 99% of the country by stripping the Treasury of much-needed funds.
Finally, the author and his pals have propped up a madman who still holds the ultimate power in the nation. Whatever crises they've averted, Woodward's book and this op-ed will result in a few of them being replaced by Fox News pundits. Invoking the 25th amendment is the constitutional way to deal with an unstable president. In 2016, more than a hundred of the most respected mental health professionals in the country signed a letter calling trump unfit for office based on his public behavior then, which indicated he has serious mental disorders. With Pence waiting to fill the job, a constitutional crisis would have been unlikely. A " two-track presidency" doesn't protect us from all of trump's worst impulses. Their refusal to invoke the 25th is irresponsible. trump needs to be removed now, even though a religious zealot will replace him.
5
In a political climate where Ted Cruz is asking the President to campaign for him after the President has accused his father of being involved in the JFK assassination and Cruz calling the President a pathological Liar during the 2016 primary, I can't blame the writer for wanting to be anonymous. If you have sworn an oath to the constitution with a high- level of responsibility to protect and serve America working in the White House you could be torn to leave and blow the whistle on a compromised President or to stay and help with damage control. Knowing that the dysfunctional legislative branch has no backbone to call this president out.
My guess is Don McGahn wrote the opinion for a number of reasons. His job is to protect the Office of the President and not Donald Trump. Knowing all internal working and what has transpired from all avenues he would have the knowledge and the skill set to write the opinion that would protect the classification and confidentially obligation of the office. The fact he is leaving allows him the opportunity to help and to save as many reputations in a bad situation. Just take a look at him sitting behind Kavanaugh in the confirmation hearings. A frustrate and exhausted White House attorney that can't wait to get out from under this crisis. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
2
The problem with Anonymous is that he is playing the same game as Congressional Republicans. Because he believesin lower taxes and less regulation, he is willing to serve the President and to try to curb his worst impulses, always knowing there will come a time when Trump will do something that will put the country at risk.
Better surely to leave the White House and expose the President for the charlatan he is before it is too late.
It will take someone with more credibility than Omarosa or axe-grinding Democrats to do that.
1
“Human nature is full of riddles and contradictions; its very complexity engenders art—and by art I mean the search for something more than simple linear formulations, flat solutions, oversimplified explanations. One of these riddles is: how is it that people who have been crushed by the sheer weight of slavery and cast to the bottom of the pit can nevertheless find strength to rise up and free themselves, first in spirit and then in body; while those who soar unhampered over the peaks of freedom suddenly appear to lose the taste for freedom, lose the will to defend it, and, hopelessly confused and lost, almost begin to crave slavery. Or again: why is it that societies which have been benumbed for half a century by lies they have been forced to swallow find within themselves a certain lucidity of heart and soul which enables them to see things in their true perspective and to perceive the real meaning of events; whereas societies with access to every kind of information suddenly plunge into lethargy, into a kind of mass blindness, a kind of voluntary self deception.”
― Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Warning to the West
5
I'm guessing Sacha Baron Cohen wrote the piece and has finally come for Trump.
The sadness of this Presidency* is the fact that behind the Trump circus act are Mike Pence and others who actually DO know what they are doing to the country for the sake of profit and self-serving prejudices. And that nearly 1/2 of all voters support these hollow men is a telling sign of the real America. Do I have a solution? No, because you can't fix stupid, you can only give them guns. The American Dream is an American Scheme that has led to this profiting politics. Educated people get out while you can.
8
Publication of this piece is important and was necessary. However, the situation it describes is untenable and dangerous for our country. If the officials in this “quiet resistance” are that convinced of the unfitness of the president, and I agree that he is both morally and due to severe mental illness unfit, then they have a moral obligation and a civic duty to proceed to legal constitutional means to have him removed. Proceeding in this covert fashion is as dangerous as having Trump in the office of President.
The cowardice and pandering of this piece and its author are indicative of the larger problem in politics: the author won't come forward for fear of losing his/her reputation and political power, and therefore, they sit on the sidelines and let the atrocities of the Trump administration rage on, all the while claiming that they are "doing their best." If political folks cared more about their constituents and less about the pathetic popularity contest that is politics, we would not be in this mess in the first place.
6
This is an extraordinary admission. It might seem comforting that there are “adults in the room”, but from another angle, Republicans like this person have legitimized trump and the hate and lies that he spew so that they can get up their agenda of deregulation (destruction of the environment and of protections for ordinary citizens), tax cuts (for the wealthy) and increased military spending. He/she said as much in their op-ed. All Republicans should be ashamed that they let it come to this. If what this person says is true, he should have been impeached after a week.
3
This op-ed feels unbelievable to me. Although it wouldn't surprise me to discover the shadow government is alive and well, the entire piece reads like we have come to expect from the left controlled media: vague and void of specific's. I haven't been alive for very long to witness very many Presidencies but have noticed that they all seem to talk out of both sides of thier mouths, and play both sides, while working for the wrong people. It's been encouraging to have a President that puts America first. It's certainly been awhile. Nobody is perfect, and there is still room for improvement, but it gives me hope to see that we the people have elected a non-politician to steer the ship, even considering his flaws. I appreciate the efforts he has put in, and my wife and I have enjoyed seeing the effects the policies have had on our meager retirement. We also are relieved to not have to mandatorily be made to pay into our failing healthcare system. I could go on and list the accomplishment's but I think enough intelligent people are out there needed to recognize the admin's accolades. I just wanted to list a couple specific's in light of an op - ed that was writing in the dark. Stay strong fellow Americans and lets help eachother think for ourselves instead of allowing the media to attempt to continue to manipulate. Its so dang obvious. The enemy of the people indeed, and something many of us who know history has seen time and time again. Peace be with you.
5
@Capt Tuck
I liked your response. Read this letter again, it reads exactly like an editorial and nothing like a disgruntled employee. In short order it will come out that this was simply done by an insider at the nyt and our President will have that much more fodder for his media cannon. And I’m more than okay with that...
3
@Capt Tuck I wish you luck living on your meager income in the expensive Seattle area! But I am troubled by your comment that " it gives me hope to see that we the people have elected a non-politician to steer the ship." I worked for many years in the merchant marine, whose captains and engineers are responsible for the amazing safety record of the Washington State Ferries system. Believe me, you don't want inexperienced amateurs steering those actual ships. And we just had the disgruntled Horizon tarmac employee steal a passenger jet at Sea-Tac airport and crash it into an island in Puget Sound. I respectfully submit that President Trump, in his inexperience, is essentially crashing and burning our environment, our health care system, our infrastructure, etc.
3
@Capt Tuck
I'm in total agreement, Capt Tuck. It seems like another leftist ploy to discredit this lawfully-elected President. There is obviously an attempted coup taking place before our eyes, and I hope it doesn't end badly and fracture our great country even further.
Once and for all this anonymous article points directly to the most serious threat to our democracy
mitch mcconnell
The congress and in particular the senate is designed and built to be s check on this and every president.
mcconnell has consistently and repeatedly stood by in full view of an administration that threatens our constitution, angers our allies and bows to a foreign dictator that every US intelligence agency concludes meddled in a US election.
And mitch does nothing
mitch ignores a nomination made by a president in his last (seventh) year in office but pushes through a nominee put forth by a president under several federal criminal investigations.
So stop saying this anonymous source should do the right this and invoke the 25th amendment to remove DJT. To do that would take 2/3 Senate approval and that will never happen in this Congress because of.....
mitch mcconnell
The single greatest threat to this country right now!
He KNOWS DJT is unfit to serve and has the power to do something about it but refuses to for political gain
14
Mitch McConnell is a traitor. In a just society of laws he would tried as a traitor, found guilty as a traitor, and be hung as a traitor.
6
The problem I have with this opinion-editorial is not whether it's true because I believe and have believed that this is common in this White House. It is not whether he should have attached his name or if he should resign and go public. It's how much more dangerous Trump is going to become because of it. We're in store for a lot of firings in the administration. Trump has become much more paranoid because of the Mueller investigation in general and the convictions of his henchmen. This is putting that paranoia into overdrive and that is going to be bad for the country. He's already a wannabe dictator and this is going to dramatically increase his effort to undermine the institutions of our government. Neither the Justice Department nor the Republican Congress is going to do anything to stop him. Sessions and Rosenstein are probably going to be gone as a result of this. I am more afraid for my country than ever before.
2
I am glad that someone is recognizing the craziness of Trump. But, what you complain about is nothing compared to the real dangers that Trump brings. I guess that the writer believes that Russia installed Trump in the White House and the hacking of the Hillary e-mails was worse than 9/11 or Pearl Harbor. These are ridiculous views. The expelling of Russian diplomat (or spies as you call them) was totally unjustified. So, actually, Trump is right about the fake media and Russiagate. Here are some real dangers of Trump:
1. His continued inaction (maybe because of the author and his colleagues) in getting us out of Syria is getting dangerous. The U.S. has no business being in Syria. In fact, the U.S. is now recognized as the air force for Al Qaeda and ISIS in Syria.
2. Trump's abandoning of the Iran nuclear deal has led to a much less safe situation in the Middle East. The prospect of an attack on Iran by Trump and his crazy generals is ominous.
3. Getting out of the Paris agreement was simply stupid.
4. Weakening of environmental and financial/banking standards is again stupid.
5. He has not kept any of his promises on clearing the swamp, protecting SS/Medicare or bringing access to affordable health to all Americans. Where is his plan for building up our infrastructure? He simply lied or is being stopped from fulfilling these promises by others.
4
Apologizes to Larry David, but here goes...
Bannon: OK, the President is already giving raw meat to the hard core Republicans. Now, we need a strategy for the voters in the middle (VIM). They are considering voting Democrat to get some order and control back in the White House – to make sure there are parents in the room.
GOP operative: Great idea, boss. Do you have a plan?
Bannon: Of course, to alleviate the VIMs concerns, we need to let them know there are ‘parents in the room’. Let them know that we know Trump is... what is the popular word these days, ah yes – ‘unhinged’, but still has some GOP instincts. Remind them about the great Tax Cut – not sure why this one wasn't popular (note to self: future tax cuts for the wealthy can’t be quite as blatant – they are starting to catch on). Our message – the Grand Old Party is in control, relax and vote republican.
GOP operative: But what about Woodward’s book?
1
50% of us voted to kick the very pillars of the temple in and it appears clear now the temple has been brought down. We need to walk this decision back and vote for any Democrat in 2018 to counterbalance.
The media, judiciary, and parts of his own administration are working to limit this man. Not exactly classic checks and balances though is it?
What is this piece meant to accomplish? Some of the comments here suggest it is reassuring to know "there are adults in the room," others that the writer is courageous.
I am not impressed. This writer says people in the administration want to avoid a constitutional crisis; hence, no invoking of the 25th. How can I put faith in people who do not recognize that we are already in a constitutional crisis: here are the facts for their edification : 1)we have a man at the helm thinking and acting as though we have one branch government; 2) his saner advisors are stepping in to govern when they have zero popular authority to do so.
This oped has created more chaos, not less.
2
"...there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment...But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis..." [op cit]
--
Wait a minute!
Invoking the 25th Amendment is not a constitutional crisis, nor is impeachment. Rather, it's how things work, when say in this case, the Chief Executive has gotten too far out of hand.
And what about the ensuing wrath of Trump's supporters? I think they need to be reminded, along with the rest of us, that America is not a "direct democracy," but rather a representative democracy.
As citizens, we vote once every two years, to choose our representative in Congress, who in turn decide what should be done on a case by case basis. If say, the Republican majority impeaches the president, then that's that! Likewise, the President's Cabinet is there to support, and if necessary censure their boss, on a daily basis.
This is the way our system works. And we all signed up to it, when each of us registered to vote.
--
So please, senators and congressmen, if you find it necessary to impeach? Impeach! And cabinet members, don't be afraid to invoke "the 25th" immediately, regardless, if the health and safety of the country is at risk. It's your duty.
Trust me, the rest of us will understand, go along with it, and eventually applaud, when it's all said and done.
--
Man up, Congress. Man up Cabinet. And do your job!
4
A thought for Trump's remaining supporters: he seems just as incompetent at realising their dreams as he is at performing the basic duties of a President. They have been comprehensively hoodwinked.
2
The author of this OPED piece clearly has been studying Trump closely. It is a bombshell only to the degree that it creates a distraction. Trump is a master of distraction. This "bombshell" serves Mr. Trump and his enablers, a public distraction from important events (like the hearings on a Supreme Court Justice Appointment).
While the public ponders the source of the piece, and some rail against its pride in the Trump Administration's "accomplishments", this "cabal" continues to steer Mr. Trump on a path they perceive as reasonable, manipulating him (the writer admits to that) while taking pride in the fact that he/she and his/her compatriots didn't cause a Constitutional Crisis by invoking the 25th Amendment.
Excuse me, but that is why the 25th Amendment was passed - so that there could be a process for intervening if the President could not carry out his Constitutional Duties based on his close advisor's observations and knowledge.
Rather than assure the Public of his/her "Good Intentions", he/she should invoke the 25th Amendment and let the Constitutional process go forward.
Trump has proved repeatedly that he has no respect for the Constitution or the Office of the President (other than now when he is in it). The writer of the OPED piece appears to have no respect for it either or he/she and his/her like minded associates would invoke the 25th Amendment and let the process proceed, regardless of who is in control of Congress.
3
I find this entire op-ed disturbing, to say the least. The writer needs to have the courage to resign his post. Your job is to serve the President we voted for, plain and simple . 62 million Americans are not wrong ! We voted to drain the swamp and end the corruption in Washington. The president must be getting close or there wouldn't be all this resistance overflowing into the press. I have never witnessed so much erratic behavior, and I'm not talking ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP !!
2
@Don
YOU ARE NOT KIDDING ARE YOU? Just echoing your upper case. 62 million voters were obviously wrong and the 3 million more who voted against this unhinged person were obviously correct. The writer I might add was not from the left- that half or more of the people who are citizens too.
Our constitution has protocols for dealing with a president ‘off the rails.’ An American, a patriot, would follow these protocols, not take upon themselves the job of acting by the seat of their pants. It is dangerous when a president meets with Putin privately and nobody in the red, white and blue knows what was discussed. But equally troubling are these secret cells which are doing the same thing- acting independently, and without transparency. Although the intention is there to make things right, it is not the way our government is set up to work. Who is to say one of the leakers decides a total grab on power is what is necessary. That’s part of the potential here.
Lastly, this was a public letter-meaning now the whole world is privy to how dysfunctional our White House is. Thanks a lot leakers!! You just broadcast to our enemies that if ever there was a time to assault us or to work against us that this time is now- now because we aren’t functioning properly. No- what needs to be done is impeachment and a new election. But does the gop held congress have the guts to do the right thing. They say they have our best interests in mind. Now, it’s put up or shut up time.
3
This is great. Unless Trump wrote it. Then we’re in real trouble.
2
I think it's Kelly. He has not denied writing it. The author claims familiarity with cabinet discussions and implies that other like minded individuals come to him with complaints about Trump. If he was some lesser official this would not be the case, and most of the cabinet has issued denials. He seems to have the guts for something like this too.
1
@svetik
What “guts”? Hiding behind anonymity is cowardly.
"There is a quiet resistance within the administration of people choosing to put country first."
Then, simply put, this op-ed should NOT have been anonymous. It has always been the case, in virtually any "situation", that if one is not part of the solution (whatever that might mean), one is clearly part of the problem.
4
I wonder if this was deliberately planted by the Trump press staff, with Trump's approval and connivance.
It comes at a moment to distract people from the Woodward book and from some of the weird stuff bubbling up in Kavanaugh hearings. Often Trump will send out wild tweets when they can distract attention from more damaging events.
And its very text reinforces Trump's "deep state" narrative. And I see to right wing/Fox media is already amplifying that thought.
This sort of melodrama is such an integral part of "reality TV" shows; it is no surprise it is at the core of Trump's approach to managing the media.
So -- who benefits from this Op-Ed? Not any embedded members of the Administration who might be trying to act as the adults in the room. The only beneficiary I see is Trump himself.
2
Thank-you for speaking out. Thanks to all the steady individuals within the administration who are working diligently to keep our country safe and sound and civil.
2
All of the 14,000+ commenters here (most of which I can see, are in agreement with Anonymous), need to be CALLING THEIR LEGISLATORS. NOW. They won't do a blessed thing without hearing more loudly from their constituents than they do from their donors.
4
Disdaining Trump's predilection to act more like a juvenile delinquent desperate for negative attention than a confident well-balanced statesman, my immediate reaction was to praise the anonymous author. Upon reflection, however, I don't think such praise is merited. By applying the "WHO BENEFITS"? test to the "Resistance" piece I reach the following insights:
1) The "resistance" doesn't benefit; quite the opposite;
2) The president's staff doesn't become more empowered;
quite the opposite;
3) The people who might really benefit are those who would gain personally from Trump's further denigration and elimination, especially those most likely to be candidates in 2020, like Mike Pence, Ben Carson and Rudy Giuliani, as well as those most likely to desire revenge, like Jeff Sessions, Dan Coats and , again, Rudy Giuliani.
4) The public benefits far less than first thought because the piece doesn't really offer anything that has not been previously reported, while it has the effect of pushing the far more specific, damaging and credible reporting of Woodward into the background.
8
Dude, as conspiracy oriented as this seems, I think you are dead on! Cogent thought man!
As your closest neighbour, friend and ally, I think I speak for Canada. Thank you! We listen and watch in horror the daily unfolding of disturbing events in the US. Our countries, economies and people are so intertwined, what is happening south of our borders affects us all. We encourage each and every US citizen to stand up for democracy. What is happening right now with the Trump era is Autocracy not Democracy. This should be a wake-up call for every US citizen and an opportunity for the US to change the current system to relinquish the autocratic powers that are in place today. The damage Trump has done in 22 months has undone 40 years of domestic and international progress and will take years to right.
13
I find it disturbing that a person, who was voted on by no one, is altering or at least attempting, to alter politics and/or policy.
We don't know who this person is, or what their true motives are, despite the anonymous article.
This could easily be someone with self serving motives.
I didn't cast a vote for whoever this is and and obviously have no insight into their competency or honesty.
10
Self-serving motives? We all have self-serving motives. And NO ONE has more of them than Donald Trump.
2
I am a never Trump-er and and am daily appalled by his disastrous antics. But I agree totally with this comment. The writer’s self-appointed guardianship of the country’s best interests is arrogant at best. What are we supposed to do with this information anyway? NYT claims to have compelling reasons for publishing anonymous columns like this, but I don’t see it. This paper, for which I have always had great respect, has taken a big credibility hit for me.
4
@HC If I had to guess, the author is none other than Omorosa. She's been hiding out for 3 weeks, penning this letter, it reeks of her underhandedness. I'm not #1 Trump supporter - I find little truth in politics, but this is right up her ally. I am surprised more people are not calling her out on this one.
Maybe it is not someone apart of the Senior
Official of the Trump administration but rather a family member. That heard all of this and saying that they are a Senior Official of the Trump administration to throw everyone off or it could be a Senior Official but not just one Official but more than one person. I did vote for Trump. I am not a Democrat or Republican, I am neutral, I agree with some things from both parties.
My money is on Kellyanne.
10
Me too! Just submitted some reasons why.
While I do admit to having my reservations as to it's validity, I must say that it's an intriguing piece of writing. It brings some new hope that, while this official may be working for Trump, he/she still has the moral compass to serve in the best interest of this country. It should serve as a reminder to all Americans that political affiliation, race, religion, and even social agenda does not supercede our duty as Americans to resist tyranny, narcissism, bullying, or whatever adjective that you would use to describe Trump. It does not supercede our duty to act accordingly to peace and harmony. And of utmost importance, this piece if proven valid, should be a reminder that as Americans, we all have a civic duty to make our country and government "Great Again."
2
I agree with P. Monahan that the writer and others who feel as he/she does should resign and speak out in detail to the people of this republic and to the Congress, as should all those quoted in Mr. Woodward's book who have already resigned. The anonymous editorial feeds DT's message of a media conspiracy and will affect the election outcome. As well, it feeds a coup d'état possibly by the military.
The extreme ideas against racial, gender and economic equality, let alone climate change that exist in North Korea, Russia, China, Turkey, Hungary, Poland, Myanmar, the Philippines and the United States, and others around the globe, are a threat to any life on this planet, forget the "pursuit of Happiness".
4
Many of the Founders wrote papers anonymously, including several presidents-to-be, speaking out against British tyranny. Those papers had significant influence upon what became our revolution.
So, whomever you are, do not pay attention to those clamoring for you to identify yourself - from both sides of the aisle they only want you to do so for their own political purposes.
Rather, keep your head down despite the "Trump Mole Hunt" and understand that (while I don't agree with your stated politics) you are performing a critical service to your country.
Patriotism takes many forms and Trump knows none of them - but you do. Stay the course and thank you.
15
@Robert
Thinking about this op-ed, listening to commentary and reading many comments here have led me to second your message.
Applying rational solutions (resign, come forward, reveal yourself, testify in front of Congress) to an irrational and impossible situation isn't real-world behaviour. I suspect the writer was faced with a Solomon-like situation. The driving need-to-warn overruled all options, solutions that would not have solved anything.
What would any of the commenters here have done with the same circumstances? The answer is that we don't know. We think we do, but we really don't. I know I don't.
Thank you for your comment.
1
@Robert The importance, anonymously?
NYT should be ashamed allowing Woodward to promote his book this way, or itself, which ever may be true.
Without support, pure fiction.
1
This article gives me some confidence that’s someone’s looking out for our best interest. Thank you. While I do agree that the author should be known, there’s too much at stake for them to give up their post. Sad though that this continues to fuel the fire of hate for journalism and emboldens both side to remain at odds. The op-ed only affirms what we already know and acknowledges the credit the President and administration deserves.
3
As interesting as this op-ed is, the response to it from the White House in a way justifies so many of the claims brought up in the article. This piece only confirms what many have thought for a long time.
7
While I believe that the person who wrote this should have put his/her name on the op-ed, I can understand why the writer did not. Does anyone honestly believe the Republicans would act to remedy this farce presidency if they knew his/her name? No matter how senior the position this person holds they would do nothing. There would be commentary like “well he/she never got along with Trump anyway” and that would be the end of it.
By remaining incognito this person still has a job and can still work to protect us from the inside. Without simultaneous resignations of top-level staff en masse along with a televised news conference revealing every scary detail there is zero chance Republicans would bat an eye. And maybe not even then.
11
This opinion article provides valuable insight into what actually goes on in the White House. I don’t watch the news very often, but whenever I do it is almost always about Trump and his newest controversial decision or action. Based on my limited news watching, I assumed that Trump was just allowed to do whatever he pleased in the oval office and tat his aides and cabinet were just a bunch of yes-men. This article provides great context, but also a scary thought that, if what Trump has done up to now has been limited or slowed by his aides, what were some of his more controversial or extreme thoughts or ideas?
Based on this article, it appears that few people want the President to be involved in their day-to-day, and especially not involved with their projects as he tends to slow down progress rather than aid it. This to me, makes the President seem as though he lets others do all the work, and he gets to put his name on the final product, whether it be a positive or negative end result. The final paragraph astutely summarizes how to fix the problem created by the media and the president himself. It is important to stop putting one’s political identity above all else and immediately discarding someone’s ideas because they aren’t in your party. It is reassuring to know that although the President may not be making sound decisions, there are people working to make sure things don’t get too out of hand.
1
HOW we get to where we don't know we're going determines where we end up.
This is "the end justifies the means" thinking. Republicans have the perspective that if they can get their conservative agenda passed, then how they get to that point is justified. Among the many problems with this is the definition of "the end." For Republicans, passing their agenda is "the end." Unfortunately, it's just the beginning since tolerating Trump is establishing a pattern that takes us to a very dark place.
5
"Don’t get me wrong. There are bright spots that the near-ceaseless negative coverage of the administration fails to capture: effective deregulation, historic tax reform, a more robust military and more."
To the Opinion Writer,
Deregulation that has been more harmful than helpful and is constantly being overturned by the Courts because they are illegal or indeed are found to be harmful. Your so called "historic tax reform" that has yet to be felt by hundreds of millions of Americans ending up in their pockets, when most will be facing burdensome tax increases because of "new" tax formulas implemented because the "working class" will now be forced to pay for the top 1% tax breaks and crippling National debt increases. We already had one of the largest Military forces in the World, increasing the Military budget when enlistment is already down seems to leave the Military open for more waste and fraud.
There has been more widespread abuses of taxpayer dollars so far than most other Administrations! Price, Pruitt, who have now resigned due to over lavish spending with no accountability is just the tip of the iceberg. We know that Trump's own golf excursions are costing millions and millions more in travel and security spending than previous Presidents.
You need a reality check, what this President has done to America is not good, nor is it welcome by most Americans!
23
Well played Koch/GOP complex. Give us an appallingly incompetent leader then tell us it doesn't matter because unelected appointees will do all the heavy lifting and make us grateful for "the adults in the room." Next step: Why bother having elections?
Even if that wasn't "The Plan" going into 2016 - These people never sleep, never stop thinking about how to subvert our democracy and the good of the people to further their own power. Don't forget it.
16
Neither the Kochs nor the GOP establishment wanted Trump as President. Even Fox News tried to discredit him during the debates - remember Chris Wallace's Power Point slides containing facts directly contradicting Trump's blatant lies? No, this is strictly on the 63 million bumpkins who voted for him, and the Russian propaganda machine that demonized and tainted Hillary.
I am grateful that this person has spoken out, albeit anonymously. I understand the rationale behind the anonymity: if he were identified Trump would fire him, then who knows the character of the next person.
I see Trump has prepared us again for Mattis' ouster, another person who reportedly has stood up to the President repeatedly.
Without people like the author of the op ed and Mattis in these positions we are in even more danger because Ryan and McConnell have forsaken the American people in a most cowardly manner and there is no one to keep the madman in check.
4
Well, if I am supposed to be comforted by the fact that there are people in the administration working to keep us safe from the lunacy of this president, I can assure the writer I'm not. The writer says there has been talk of invoking the 25th amendment. But it seems these "patriots" hem and haw while our nation teeters on the brink of catastrophe. So I ask, how much worse does it need to get before you act and will it be in time? The framers of the Constitution provided and avenue to deal with a man unfit to hold the office - and it did not involve a shadow government. Imagine how this president would have handled the Cuban missile crisis. Could this shadow government act in time to keep us all from getting killed?
8
My concern is that Trump may start to fire everyone in the White House to purge any potential dissent. I’m afraid this anonymous opinion piece may end up being a huge mistake.
5
While I would like to applaud this action from within the administration, I cannot. It sets a precedent that is frightening. This is the stuff of failing and failed nations whose governments are brought down by the military and/or elements within the government itself.
This is not who we are. And our well-considered constitution gives us the tools to deal with such issues/problems as those presented by this administration without resorting to what is, in effect, a coup. Impeachment and the 25th amendment are the tools to use. Not subterfuge.
This requires courage and a bi-partisan effort. It requires a moral and ethical stance that most of our politicians seem to lack. But you all, in Congress and in the Executive, have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and work in the best interests of the nation. Do your jobs, please.
20
Thanks for the wise words!
The 25th Amendment requires a 2/3 majority in both Houses of Congress to remove the President. Are we confident such a majority exists? Think of the consequences if the President's Cabinet initiates what is basically a coup, and Congress stops them in their tracks. What happens next? You have an Executive Branch with a bunch of "traitors" that have been outed and need to be dealt with, and every Congressperson will have gone on record where they stand with Trump. It would be a nightmare far worse than the one we're having now. That is the "Constitutional crisis" Anonymous is trying to avoid.
2
The author of Resistance Inside told us exactly why he or she was unwilling to show him or herself.
"To be clear, ours is not the popular “resistance” of the left. We want the administration to succeed and think that many of its policies have already made America safer and more prosperous.”
To paraphrase: We’ve got all the power, and by removing Trump, we would lose some of it. We want to be able to continue to steal Supreme Court seats, get rid of the healthcare that most Americans need and force women to have children they do not want or cannot afford. These things are more important to us than the state of our republic.
They concluded: “No one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis. So we will do what we can to steer the administration in the right direction.” Who says your policies are taking us in the right direction? Many of us don’t think so.
Pamela Simmons
Del Mar CA
16
Trump lands in my town soon. Out of curiosity, at 1:00 I drove to the place where he will be speaking at 7 and the line was already long. I decided not to protest outside the venue later but to make phone calls for Senator Tester instead. I wonder how it feels to live in DC. I hate to think of Trump spewing forth so close to my house.
11
thank you ann.
I am going with the gut that this Sr. Trump Administration official is a member of the GOP knowing Trump's total hatred and aversion for Democrats.
I know only a conservative member of the GOP would applaud deregulation, historic tax reform and a robust military. Deregulation accomplished by Trump/Pruitt to date endangers worker safety and our clean air and water.
The historic tax reform benefited the wealthy only with more requests for money trickling upward to come.
Our robust military I agree we need but DOD needs to find the 840M missing from their budget audit in 2018 before we give them any more money aka for a space force. We need to worry about health care for our Veterans first.
All tangential issues and since the NYT vetted out that this piece did come from a Trump administration official I am glad they published it, but it tells the majority of Americans and the rest of the world what we already know.
Trump is unfit, unqualified and absolutely unhinged and dangerous as 'American president'. He/she is one of the staff keeping Trump from going all kinds of crazy but what we need is action and removal as in impeachment.
6
@Andrea Landry "I know only a conservative member of the GOP would applaud deregulation, historic tax reform and a robust military."
I'd guess all anti-Americans would applaud out of control Wall St, tax cuts for the rich and the waste, fraud and abuse that is 50% of the US military budget. So you are not alone.
$20T in debt, 30 years of oil wars, rising emissions and global warming crisis, income inequality all the hallmarks of GOP policies over the last 30 years.
1
Although Trump unbridled is a terrifying prospect, from a Constitutional perspective it is equally concerning that he is being undermined by his own staff (see the excellent piece in the Atlantic published yesterday). It is abhorrent that the Republican mentality is that "the ends justify the means" and that aspect of this story seems to be lost on most.
There is a clear mechanism for dealing with a President who is unfit for office under Article XXV of the Constitution. Unfortunately, the author of this article and even those GOP Congressmen most vociferously opposed to Trump and his rhetoric, would rather keep their jobs than risk alienating their voters by standing up to Trump in any meaningful way. Likewise, the author of this Op-Ed would rather betray the constitution in order to achieve his or her goals than possibly risk that agenda by working to remove someone so clearly unfit to hold the highest office in the country. The author is not a hero. The author is a coward who is undermining our democracy (like those in the administration and Congress who see that Trump is unfit to be President).
7
I heard so much about this piece, that I actually could not wait to read it... only to be disappointed by it. The author does not say anything new about how ludicrous and plain crazy president Trump is, we already know that! and I think most of us imagine that there is a resistance within his administrations. What is disappointing to me is that, after knowing all that, Donald Trump will still stay as president and probably even be reelected, as the American economy is doing well and it may continue like that. To the anonymous author and the so called quiet resistance within the Trump administration: you may feel everyday as the resistance in a Star Wars movie, but what you actually need to do, is to come forward, be brave and actually DO something about it. I think Americans, and us the whole world are just getting tired to watch you make fools of yourselves every day.
4
Assuming that this Op-Ed is legitimate, the questions I have are these: What is the purpose of writing this Op-Ed? Why write it now? Is this effort to gain political traction for the actual removal of Trump from office, by impeachment or the 25th Amendment? Or is it merely an attempt to reassure us that, despite Trump's obvious unfitness for the office he holds (which is not exactly breaking news), that the "adults in the room" will prevent Trump from doing something catastrophic. Because if it is the latter, I am NOT reassured. It means that un-elected, nameless, unaccountable officials in the executive branch are actually in charge. It means that we already have a constitutional crisis. It means that our quaint notion of our government being an elected, representative democracy is a farce.
6
Agreed, but note the references to duty, shared values, love of this great country, etc. in the op-ed. BBC writing analysts think it was Pence. Could be that Pence is buttering us up for when he eventually steps in as President. Our hero? Not!
@JDean
Could Boy Scout Pence really be that devious? Maybe. But speculation about who wrote this piece misses my point. The situation vividly described (and elsewhere) is that of unelected, unnamed, and unaccountable individuals that are actually running the shop. Trump is merely for show. If so, our democracy is also an illusion.
While those of us who are appalled by this presidency might take hope from this OpEd, I object to the following sweeping statement: "The bigger concern is not what Mr. Trump has done to the presidency but rather what we as a nation have allowed him to do to us. We have sunk low with him and allowed our discourse to be stripped of civility." While the wholesale coarsening of public discourse can certainly be traced to Trump's ever-present crudeness, the biggest concern is the do-nothing, hypocritical, spineless, and frankly illegal Congress. The GOP controlled Congress has abdicated so many of its Constitutional responsibilities as to be completely irrelevant except as a rubber-stamp for the dictator-wannabe in the WH.
4
A lot of people are demanding the writer resign and come forward with details but any time anyone resign and said anything the Trump administration vilifies then and labels then disgruntled employees and they disappear into the void never to be heard from every again.
I don't know what should be done but it's a relief that some of these people actually realize he's unfit. I'm a Republican who didn't vote for Trump. And I think the Russians Trump and the alt right were so successful with misinformation, the real fake news that everyone still hates Hillary Clinton . I recognized the fake stories coming out about her early on,I just didn't know who was responsible.
Trump complicit completely. That's why he started with changing the fake news to mean the media. And that's why he's so upset about social media. He says they are blocking conservatives bit really he's upset her can't use "fake news" to slander his opinions like he did for 2016.
Everybody that is able must go vote like your life is at stake. Because life as we know is.
1
I believe VP Pence wrote the op-ed. He is quite a Machiavellian character. One day, hopefully in my lifetime, we will put all this insanity to rest and the current POTUS and #GOP will be set aside as an aberration, not a norm.
6
I definitely think you should have published this piece but I’m appalled at the author. I do not approve of Donald Trump in any way but also do not think that he should become the unwitting puppet of unelected officials who are pushing their own agenda under the fig leaf of protecting us. The author and his/her conniving peers are not doing the American public a service in the long term by surreptitiously twisting Trump’s decisions to make them more in the “true” conservative mold; they are simply taking advantage of the situation. Yes Trump is erratic, unprincipled, self serving and lacks a moral core but that is who is President and there are other branches of government that can, if they choose, rein him in. And it is their responsibility, not the authors.
Now, if Trump suddenly decides that right approach to Canada’s stance on NAFTA is to nuke Ontario, yes, it is good to know that one of his aides will misplace the nuclear codes while another will distract him by telling him there is ice cream and cake and Pence will get a bigger piece if he doesn’t hurry. But after doing that I would hope that they would tell the American public what they had to do and then resign on principle.
2
@Michael Perot
So if you were a passenger in a car driven by a drunk driver would you sit back, take no action and let the car crash into a tree or dive into a ditch? This senior official is in a similar situation and Trump’s incompetence, impulsiveness, and stupidity have created these circumstances.
And what branch of government is reining in this president?
4