White House official describes ‘resistance’ within Trump’s administration in New York Times

White House is in meltdown as aides frantically try to identify the anonymous author of a damning article in the New York Times.

Donald Trump in the Oval Office with members of his administration..

A “volcanic” Donald Trump has ordered a witch hunt at the White House over a New York Times opinion piece written by an unnamed official in his administration who claims to be part of an internal “resistance” movement to thwart him.

The New York Times published the unprecedented piece today which it said was written by a senior administration official who couldn’t be named or else he would lose his job.

The piece claimed: “Many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations. I would know. I am one of them.”

Mr Trump labelled the article “treason”, then demanded in a following tweet that the author be turned over to the authorities.

TREASON?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018

“If the GUTLESS anonymous person does indeed exist, the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!” he tweeted.

Does the so-called “Senior Administration Official” really exist, or is it just the Failing New York Times with another phony source? If the GUTLESS anonymous person does indeed exist, the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018

NBC White House reporter Hallie Jackson said the president’s mood was “volcanic,” while Scott Dworkin of the Democratic Coalition claimed Mr Trump was ready to fire everyone in the administration except for his family.

Inside the West Wing, top officials canceled afternoon meetings and huddled behind closed doors to strategize about how to expose the author

As aides analysed language patterns to identify the author, one official told The Washington Post: “The problem for the president is it could be so many people.”

The Post added that the phrase “The sleeper cells have awoken” was circulating on text messages among aides.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that the op-ed was written by a “gutless, anonymous source.” Both she and Mr. Trump referred to the Times as “failing,” despite statistics from the company showing subscriptions have increased since his election.

“The individual behind this piece has chosen to deceive, rather than support, the duly elected president of the United States,” Ms. Sanders said. “He is not putting country first, but putting himself and his ego ahead of the will of the American people. This coward should do the right thing and resign.”

In his op-ed, the official said the resistance were not members of the left but rather people within the administration who supported its policies but who were alarmed by the behaviour of the president.

“That is why many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr Trump’s more misguided impulses until he is out of office,” the official wrote.

The official added: “The root of the problem is the president’s amorality. Anyone who works for him knows he is not moored to any discernible principles that guide his decision making.

“Although he was elected as a Republican, 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.”

The official says the successes in the administration such as tax reform, deregulation and a more robust military “have come despite - not because of - the president’s leadership style which is impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective.”

The timing of the oped gives support to claims made in a new book on Mr Trump by Watergate reporter Bob Woodward which claimed Trump aides had at times removed papers from the president’s desk to prevent him signing them because they feared such policies would harm the national interest. Mr Trump has called Mr Woodward’s book a piece of fiction.

The Failing New York Times! pic.twitter.com/SHsXvYKpBf

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018

The White House reacted angrily to the oped today with press secretary Sarah Sanders saying the anonymous official was a “coward” who “should do the right thing and resign.”

Mr Trump said the article was “really a disgrace” and “gutless,” and he criticised the author and the New York Times for publishing it.

The official praised “unsung heroes in and around the White House” who had “gone to great lengths to keep bad decisions contained within the West Wing.”

“It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era but Americans should know that there are adults in the room. We fully recognise what is happening. And we are trying to do what’s right even when Donald Trump won’t.

“There is a quiet resistance within the administration seeking to put country first.”

The official added that early in Mr Trump’s presidency there were “whispers” within cabinet about invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him but the idea was dumped for fear of 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,’ the official wrote.

The op-ed has fuelled frantic speculation on social media over the name of the author with Vice-President Mike Pence and Defence Secretary James Mattis being two of the favourites.

Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia