--- title: These Trump Officials Deny Writing Anonymous NY Times Op-Ed description: Several members of President Donald Trump's administration have denied writing an anonymous New York Times op-ed that criticizes Trump canonical: https://time.com/5389034/trump-new-york-times-op-ed-denial/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-09-06T20:08:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-12T17:45:56.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: These Trump Administration Officials Deny Writing the Anonymous New York Times Op-Ed og:description: Several high-ranking members of the administration denied taking part og:url: https://time.com/5389034/trump-new-york-times-op-ed-denial/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt59c27140027af286/6989398bfb4eacd78e89792b/donald-trump-op-ed-tweet.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6720 og:image:height: 3780 og:image:alt: President Trump Hosts The Amir Of The State of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah At The White House og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: These Trump Administration Officials Deny Writing the Anonymous New York Times Op-Ed twitter:description: Several high-ranking members of the administration denied taking part twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt59c27140027af286/6989398bfb4eacd78e89792b/donald-trump-op-ed-tweet.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # These Trump Administration Officials Deny Writing the Anonymous New York _Times_ Op-Ed > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=1c0f1b07-9450-4379-99ed-01c5da26ca8b&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: These Trump Administration Officials Deny Writing the Anonymous New York Times Op-Ed [Watch (HLS stream): These Trump Administration Officials Deny Writing the Anonymous New York Times Op-Ed](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EgrtVFUM.m3u8) (1:19)  _Published 2018-09-06. Several members of President Donald Trump’s administration have denied writing an anonymous New York Times op-ed that criticizes Trump, as people speculate over who could be behind the article._ by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 12, 2023 5:45 PM UTCPublished: Sep 6, 2018 8:08 PM UTC by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 12, 2023 5:45 PM UTCPublished: Sep 6, 2018 8:08 PM UTC Several members of President Donald Trump’s administration have denied writing an anonymous [New York _Times_ op-ed that criticizes Trump](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/opinion/trump-white-house-anonymous-resistance.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage), as people speculate over who could be behind the article. Vice President Mike Pence [issued a denial](http://time.com/5388483/mike-pence-denies-writing-anonymous-op-ed/) Thursday, after online sleuths connected him frequently saying the word “lodestar” to its use in the op-ed to refer to John McCain. A spokesperson for the Pence’s office issued a statement denying he was behind the op-ed on Twitter. > [](https://twitter.com/VPComDir/status/1037656944348221440) Others quickly followed suit to distance themselves from the _Times_ op-ed, which claims there is an effort by a group of conservative administration insiders who are working against Trump. In a tweet Wednesday evening, Trump called for the Times to reveal the anonymous writer behind the op-ed, calling the person who wrote it “GUTLESS.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he did not write the op-ed while speaking with reporters in New Delhi Thursday. “It’s not mine,” he said. Dan Coats, Director of National Intelligence, also said he did not write the op-ed in a statement. “Speculation that The New York _Times_ op-ed was written by me or my Principal Deputy is patently false,” he said. “We did not. From the beginning of our tenure, we have insisted that the entire IC remain focused on our mission to provide the President and policymakers with the best intelligence possible.” First Lady Melania Trump also weighed in to address the writer of the op-ed through her spokesperson. “Unidentified sources have become the majority of the voices people hear about in today’s news,” Trump said in a statement. “People with no names are writing our nation’s history.” > [](https://twitter.com/StephGrisham45/status/1037743744496402432) Swift denials followed from others in the Trump administration. Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross said he “did not write and am thoroughly appalled by this op-ed.” > [](https://twitter.com/SecretaryRoss/status/1037756392814325760) Secretary of Energy Rick Perry also said he was not behind the piece. > [](https://twitter.com/SecretaryPerry/status/1037750389800689665) U.S. Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin denied authoring the op-ed through a spokesperson. > [](https://twitter.com/tony4ny/status/1037719549045616641) Secretary of Education Betsy Devos issued a statement denying she wrote the op-ed. > [](https://twitter.com/EDPressSec/status/1037768163285446657) Linda McMahon, administrator of the Trump Administration’s Small Business Council. also denied writing the op-ed. > [](https://twitter.com/SBALinda/status/1037772691967823873) Ambassador to Russia Jon Hunstman released a statement denying writing the op-ed through his spokesperson, Andrea Kalan. > [](https://twitter.com/USEmbRuPress/status/1037751354507309063) White House counsel [Don McGahn](http://time.com/5381999/don-mcgahn-emmet-flood-white-house-counsel/), who is leaving his position after the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, told reporters “no” when asked if he had penned the op-ed. National Security Adviser John Bolton also said “no” in response to those asking if he had written the piece. “As General Sherman said, ‘no,'” a spokesperson for Bolton tweeted. > [](https://twitter.com/GMarquis45/status/1037832433603948545) ## Transcript Well I think it's a disgrace. The anonymous editorial published in the New York Times represents a new low in American journalism. And I think the New York Times should be ashamed. And I think whoever wrote this anonymous editorial should also be ashamed as well. Anyone who would write an anonymous editorial smearing this President who's provided extraordinary leadership to this country should not be working for this administration. They ought to do the honorable thing and they ought to resign. Mr. McGahan did you write that op- ed? No. I come from a place where if you're not in a position to execute the commanders until you have a singular option. and it's to leave. This person said, according to the New York Times chose not only to stay but to undermine what President Trump and this adminstration are trying to do and I have to tell you, I just find the media's efforts in this regards to undermine this adminstration incredibility disturbing. [ UNKNOWN ] And I'll answer your other question directly because I know someone will say, gosh, he didn't answer the question. 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