The New York Times published an anonymous op-ed from a member of the Trump administration who declared him or herself “part of the Resistance inside the Trump administration” Wednesday afternoon.
In the sub-headline of the Times article, the anonymous staffer declares “I work for the president but like-minded colleagues and I have vowed to thwart parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.” The editorial board introduce the author, a “senior official in the Trump administration,” with gender-neutral language, but a tweet from the publication calls the author a “he.”
Though the headline uses the phrase “the Resistance,” the author appears to be a Never-Trump conservative in the mold of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), touting “deregulation” and “historic tax reform” as successes that “have come despite — not because of — the president’s leadership style.”
“We want the administration to succeed and think that many of its policies have already made America safer and more prosperous,” the individual writes, but “the president continues to act in a manner that is detrimental to the health of our republic.”
The staffer’s definition of what is supposedly “detrimental” to the country seems to be anything other than establishment GOP orthodoxy.
“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 staffer writes.
The anonymous writer goes on to admit that on many issues, members of the administration are working against the president.
“Americans should know that there are adults in the room,” the piece continues. “We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what’s right even when Donald Trump won’t.”
The anonymous staffer assures readers: “This isn’t the work of the so-called deep state. It’s the work of the steady state.”
Finally, the writer finishes the post by heaping praise on the late John McCain, referring to him as “a lodestar for restoring honor to public life and our national dialogue” and accusing Trump of fearing “such honorable men” like McCain.
The op-ed writer is touting the brand of conservatism which 2016 voters thoroughly rejected in primary candidates like Jeb Bush and John Kasich, who won 123 Republican delegates combined (with Jeb accounting for just three), compared to Trump’s 1,725.
This op-ed comes after excerpts from Bob Woodward’s upcoming book Fear: Trump in the White House were reported on in the Washington Post Tuesday. In the book, a number of staffers trash the president, including John Kelly, who reportedly called Trump “an idiot” and said that the White House was now “crazytown.”
Trump responded in a tweet Wednesday, writing, “Isn’t it a shame that someone can write an article or book, totally make up stories and form a picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact, and get away with it without retribution or cost.”
Apart from this staffer’s anonymous op-ed, the New York Times has published a number of questionable opinion articles since Trump took office. Columnist Bret Stephens (supposedly a conservative) proposed repealing the Second Amendment last October.
The Times’ editorial board also has no problem with outright bigotry. They hired Sarah Jeong and kept her on staff even after a number of racist tweets towards white people were revealed.