Anonymous White House official writes New York Times op-ed describing internal 'resistance'

(Image credit: iStock/Bill Chizek)

published 5 September 2018

A "senior official in the Trump administration" penned an anonymous op-ed in The New York Times on Wednesday, detailing a White House in disarray.

The official, whom the Times said was vetted but left anonymous for protection, said that President Trump "does not fully grasp" the extent to which even his top aides "are working diligently from within" to disrupt his agenda.

Trump's successes have come in spite of his leadership style, the official wrote, "which is impetuous, adversarial, petty, and ineffective." The author said that they are supportive of Republican ideals, but often feel frustrated by Trump's inconsistent dedication to conservatism. "Anyone who works with him knows he is not moored to any discernible first principles that guide his decision making," they wrote.

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Aides are in "daily disbelief" at Trump's comments and actions, the author continued, and behind the scenes go "to great lengths" to contain his worst impulses. While early whispers in the West Wing considered the option of invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, the internal "resistance" has instead decided to merely "steer the administration in the right direction until — one way or another — it's over." Read the full op-ed at The New York Times.

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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.

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