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The anonymous op-ed in the New York Times that has the entire political punditry talking and wondering whodunit is a sign of how bad things are right now. It’s not a shock. This type of thing was inevitable from the moment Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination. Many of us saw it, including many of those who are now in full support of Trump and now criticizing the person that many are now dubbing “Deep State Throat”.
When we argued that we couldn’t support Trump as President because he was unfit in so many ways, we were told not to worry because there would be good people around him ensuring that he doesn’t do anything crazy. Yet now when someone is telling us that there are actually people around Trump doing just that very thing, we’re told that these same people are traitors and cowards who need to resign.
But that change of heart was also predicted and inevitable. The investment in Trump is just too great now for so many.
Don’t get me wrong, I also believe that the anonymous writer is a coward and that this is not the right path to take if he/she truly believes what was written.
I am in agreement with Rick Wilson in that the best thing for this person to do is come forward and publicly make the charges…name names and put in all out there.
The only path is to get into the daylight as fast as you can, not like Omarosa, but as a true whistleblower and patriot. Your only value now is in pulling down the entire system. First movers in the collapse of this White House get a book deal. The future of the tenth asshole who escapes this White House who says, “I saw all this crazy, terrible, illegal, dangerous stuff and still tried to help” is exactly zero. Here’s their future: “Welcome to Arby’s.”
Rick Wislon @ The Daily Beast
I’m not going to make any guesses on who this person is. It could be one of dozens of people who I am confident have the same feelings as expressed in the op-ed, including all of those who are coming out today denying that they wrote it and feigning shock at such thoughts against our President. Spare me the nonsense, these guys are not fooling anyone…well, at least anyone that hasn’t already fallen for the entire Trump con.
Axios is now exclusively reporting that after the anonymous op-ed hit “two senior administration officials reached out to Axios to say the author stole the words right out of their mouths.”
“I find the reaction to the NYT op-ed fascinating — that people seem so shocked that there is a resistance from the inside,” one senior official said. “A lot of us [were] wishing we’d been the writer, I suspect … I hope he [Trump] knows — maybe he does? — that there are dozens and dozens of us.”
Axios
LOL
Sorry, this really isn’t that funny. It really is a total mess. But it was a completely avoidable mess. If only people had listened. Many of us were vehemently warning of this type of thing before the election. In my own lengthy pre-election diatribe against Trump, I explained how bad it would be:
We’ve seen how difficult it is for anyone to talk any sense into Trump while he’s been trying to put his “best foot forward” in this process seeking the presidency. Once he obtains the full power, there is no reason to believe that he will listen to anyone ever again. When he has been consistently rewarded for his behaviors with large, adoring fans, and the election to President, he will take that to mean that he has done NOTHING wrong. Ever. He will double-down on his instincts and behaviors and it will be a 4 year train-wreck, while the Republicans constantly have to spin, walk back, explain what he really meant, repudiate, or defend the indefensible.
Me, Pre-Election 2016
But does that mean it’s time for “I told you so’s”? No, far from it. My ultimate issues with getting behind Trump was what it will do for the long-term…how it will affect the conservative movement going forward. For that, we will not have a clear picture until after the 2020 election and beyond (but we may start to get an idea with the upcoming mid-term election).
As for the anonymous writer, I believe it is somebody who thinks the end is near for Trump. He/she sees the walls crumbling down around them. This op-ed is an attempt to provide cover for himself and others who are setting the stage to claim that they were never really “with” Trump so we should consider them as heroes for protecting us from Trump rather than as complicit minions of Trump. This is about their future prospects.
However, if this person were truly honorable, he/she would step forward, claim ownership of the op-ed, and fully inform the American people about what is going on. Again, Rick Wilson is right.
You want to excuse yourself by telling us that for all the military, diplomatic, economic, political, and moral hazards into which Donald Trump has steered this nation, you’ve moved the tiller to help avoid the rocks. Slow clap. If you argue that you’re doing a great job, I should note that Frederick Fleet, the Titanic’s lookout, did ring the doomed ship’s warning bell and shouted to the bridge, “Iceberg, right ahead!” After all, only part of the ship hit the iceberg, right?
Rick Wislon @ The Daily Beast
Kudos, though, for displaying some vague survival instinct. It’s obvious you know that you need a marker on the board for when the walls close in for the last time. You need to apply that survival instinct and look to the near future. Half measures and anonymous op-eds aren’t enough, not by a long shot.
