White House scramble to deny New York Times hit on Trump

Newspaper defends decision to publish op ed, although it could face a broader backlash if the “official” is revealed to be a junior.

Donald Trump has called on the Times to name the ‘gutless’ ­author who penned the article. Picture: AFP

More than 20 Trump administration officials and cabinet members have denied writing a scathing anonymous article on the US President as speculation mounts that the author will soon be unmasked.

Yesterday’s parade of denials from Vice-President Mike Pence down came as administration ­officials sought to remove themselves from suspicion amid a hunt within the White House to identify the author.

The opinion article, published by The New York Times, claimed that “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”.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said “the media’s obsession with the identity of the anonymous coward is recklessly tarnishing the reputation of thousands of great Americans who proudly serve our country and work for President Trump. Stop.”

She said if the public wanted to learn the identity they should call the newspaper’s opinion desk. She tweeted the phone number; “they are the only ones complicit in this deceitful act”.

A spokesman for Mr Pence ­denied the Vice-President was the author, saying “our office is above such amateur acts”. There has been intense speculation on social media about Mr Pence because the article contained the unusual word “lodestar”; a term which he likes to use. It was also used by former secretary of state Henry Kissinger in his eulogy to senator John McCain last week.

Those who denied writing the piece yesterday included Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, ­Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, ­Attorney-General Jeff Sessions, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

“It’s not mine. It is sad that you have someone who would make that choice. I come from a place where if you’re not in a position to execute the commander’s intend, you have a singular option, that is to leave,” Mr Pompeo said.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats also denied it, as did Housing Secretary Ben Carson, UN ambassador Nikki Haley, CIA director Gina Haspel and budget director Mick Mulvaney. At least six other heads of departments also issued denials.

Even first lady Melania Trump commented, saying that if “a person is bold enough to accuse ­people of negative actions, they have a responsibility to publicly stand by their words”.

Mr Trump has called on the Times to name the “gutless” ­author who penned the article. The writer claimed to be part of an internal “resistance” movement to thwart the President.

The official wrote the “resistance” were not members of the Left but 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 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.”

The Times has defended the decision to publish the piece although the paper could face a broader backlash if the “official” is revealed to be relatively junior.

Mr Trump tweeted: “The Deep State and their Left, and their vehicle, the Fake News Media, and going Crazy — and they don’t know what to do. The economy is booming like never before, jobs are at historic highs, soon TWO Supreme Court Justices and maybe declassification to find additional corruption. Wow!”

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said the large number of denials made it more likely that the author would eventually be identified. “It probably won’t taker long for us to find out who wrote it,” she said. “The Vice-President — that was my first thought.”

Cameron Stewart is also US contributor for Sky News Australia