Author of anonymous 'resistance' op-ed has written a book about Trump

Image: President Donald Trump is silhouetted against a U.S. flag as he hold
President Donald Trump is silhouetted against a U.S. flag as he holds a campaign rally in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Oct. 11, 2019. Copyright Leah Millis Reuters
Copyright Leah Millis Reuters
By Dareh Gregorian with NBC News Politics
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The book, described as "a shocking first-had account of President Trump and his record," is being published on Nov. 19.

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The author of ananonymous opinion article about the "resistance" inside President Donald Trump's administration has written a book.

The book — titled "A Warning" and credited to "Anonymous" — will be published on Nov. 19, Twelve, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group, announced Tuesday.

The publisher described it as an "unprecedented behind-the-scenes portrait of the Trump presidency" from the same senior administration official in the Trump administration who wrote the essay published in the The New York Times last year. The "explosive book offers a shocking first-hand account of President Trump and his record," the company said in a press release.

The author, who plans to remain anonymous, did not take an advance to write the 272-page book, and plans to use a "substantial" amount of any royalties "to non-profit organizations that focus on government accountability" and "supporting those who stand up for the truth in repressive countries around the world," the statement said.

There was no immediate response from the White House, but Trump excoriated the anonymous writer after the column was published. The president demanded that then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions investigate, saying the person posed a threat to national security.

"A Warning," a book from an anonymous senior Trump administration official, will be published by Javelin in November.
"A Warning," a book from an anonymous senior Trump administration official, will be published by Javelin in November.Javelin

The op-ed writer, identified by The Times as a senior official in the Trump administration, wrote that "many of the senior officials in [Trump's] own administration" were working against Trump from within "to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations."

"[W]e will do what we can to steer the administration in the right direction until — one way or another — it's over," the person wrote. "We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what's right even when Donald Trump won't."

The Times said in a note at the top of the essay that the paper took the "rare step" of publishing an unsigned piece because "we believe publishing this essay anonymously is the only way to deliver an important perspective to our readers."

Between accusing the writer of treason and demanding an investigation, Trump also questioned whether the person was real.

"Does the so-called 'Senior Administration Official' really exist, or is it just the Failing New York Times with another phony source?" he tweeted. "If the GUTLESS anonymous person does indeed exist, the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!"

While administration officials have denied working to sidetrack the president, former special counsel Robert Mueller's report described instances where high-level personnel avoided carrying out certain orders.

According to Mueller's report, White House counsel Don McGahn sidestepped Trump's demand to fire the special counsel. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he refused to carry out directives from Trump that he thought were illegal.

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