Anonymous' vows to unveil identity as 2020 heats up
Source: Politico
The anonymous Trump administration official who set Washington ablaze with an op-ed detailing an insider plot to restrain President Donald Trump has vowed to expose their identity as the 2020 election heats up.
Trump will hear from me, in my own name, before the 2020 election, the official declared in a Reddit Ask Me Anything session on Tuesday night. The anonymous official is promoting a new book, A Warning, which describes Trump as a threat to the country and dangerously unfit for the Oval Office.
As far as anonymity is concerned, I will not keep my identity shrouded in secrecy forever, the official added. I am not afraid to use my own name to express concern about the current occupant of the Oval Office. Donald Trump has not heard the last of me.
A potential revelation of the authors identity would solve one of the more curious mysteries at the heart of this presidency who wrote the 2018 New York Times op-ed that described administration officials working to undermine the presidents own wishes. The editorial arrived at the height of the dramatic leaks coming out of the White House and sparked a frenzied guessing game within the administration and sent amateur sleuths across the country digging for clues.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/27/anonymous-author-identity-074189
Tiggeroshii
(11,088 posts)Bets anyone?
jalan48
(13,881 posts)It's a slippery slope we are starting down IMHO.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)working to stop him.
jalan48
(13,881 posts)sources attempting to undermine his/her administration. The Republicans have shown us they have no ethics when it comes to politics.
DrToast
(6,414 posts)Why do you think a Democrat working for a Democratic President would just make shit up?
jalan48
(13,881 posts)side is in power expect the same thing from Republicans. Are we ready for that?
reACTIONary
(5,771 posts)... anonymous to the public or not. Without anonymity, the ability to understand what is going on behind the scenes would be crippled. That goes for any administration Democratic as well as Republican.
In fact the SCOTUS has held anonymity to be a necessary corollary to the right to free speech.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)every single day.
Suppose some Anonymous had risen up in the Obama administration. He couldn't have pointed to anything nefarious Obama was doing, because we could a SEE what Obama was doing. We can also see and hear every day what Trump is doing.
jalan48
(13,881 posts)It's not about reality with the Republicans.It's about manipulating public opinion through the use of disinformation. I think accepting the use of anonymous sources will make this easier to spread disinformation. Whistle blowers are different, they can remain anonymous because there is a formal process for their accusations.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)be able to evaluate his credibility.
But for now we have to rely on whistleblowers.
jalan48
(13,881 posts)JonLP24
(29,322 posts)Accuracy depends on sourcing policy & the editor.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)Decades later we learned it was Mark Felt, the #2 guy at the FBI. Was he wrong to do that?
Aquaria
(1,076 posts)They're simply supposed to bow their heads and keep working and doing nothing about the wrong they see committed?
Yeah. That's always a good thing. Just shut up and follow orders. Worked so well for the Nazis and all, didn't it?
jalan48
(13,881 posts)reACTIONary
(5,771 posts).... including ANONYMOUS freedom of speech.
So whats wrong with exercising your freedom of speech?
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)the subject of attacks from Trump and his thugs. I can't blame anyone who doesn't trust the Whistleblower protection act anymore.
Meanwhile, Mark Felt was safe in anonymity, protected by the WA Post for decades, until he voluntarily came forward.
uriel1972
(4,261 posts)These people are dangerous and don't care one whit for the law.
Thekaspervote
(32,787 posts)Judi Lynn
(160,598 posts)and degrading to the entire world.
Do you believe Trump should be protected in his savage criminality?
There has never been a Democratic President remotely like Trump and if one came into office he should not be protected by anyone.
jalan48
(13,881 posts)anonymous sources report on him or her. Given the current behavior of of Republicans I don't think that would be necessary.
DrToast
(6,414 posts)Anonymous isnt just some yahoo writing from their basement. Their identity is known to The NY Times
A Republican couldnt just pretend to be part of a Democratic Presidents administration and make stuff up to get published.
jalan48
(13,881 posts)There seems to be a naive belief that if we've done no wrong it will be Ok. Think Hillary Clinton and the Republicans.
Dr Hobbitstein
(6,568 posts)It is a known source by those who are publishing the information (ie, the New York Times). They wish to remain anonymous to the public.
Deep Throat was also anonymous to the public. But not to Woodward and Bernstein.
This is normal in journalism to protect important sources.
jalan48
(13,881 posts)reACTIONary
(5,771 posts)https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/08/donald-trump-news-tweet-north-korea-fox-and-friends
All news organizations use anonymous sources.
Dr Hobbitstein
(6,568 posts)Like Reed Richards reaching.
reACTIONary
(5,771 posts).... this is absolutely, positively nothing new. You have heard of Watergate, haven't you?
PatSeg
(47,567 posts)but we've never had a president like Trump, not even close. He has been the exception to almost every rule.
cstanleytech
(26,317 posts)somehow managed to do so they would have been impeached long ago.
jalan48
(13,881 posts)may be right this time but will it be right when the target is a Democratic President and the anonymous information is a lie?
Aquaria
(1,076 posts)What fricking EVIDENCE do you have that it's disinformation? What evidence do you have that this source is lying about what s/he has seen inside the loony bin that is now the White House?
When a President is doing things that hurt the country, civil servants are SUPPOSED to speak up, in whatever way they can! Just what the hell do you think that oath they all take is about? It's not a fricking shut up and following orders oath. It's to do the right thing for the people, not for one transitory leader.
What is WRONG with you to be sniveling about such a ridiculous thing as someone revealing the scandalous and frightening behavior of an obvious criminal lunatic to the citizens whose lives are very much in that idiot's hands?
jalan48
(13,881 posts)you will get it.
reACTIONary
(5,771 posts)... I think s/he is correct. There are ways outside of the naming of the informant to assess if the information is credible.
And as far as preventing the "other side" from abusing anonymity - good luck with that. It ain't going to happen no matter what the NYT does.
reACTIONary
(5,771 posts)Welcome to DU!
justgamma
(3,666 posts)all the BS he's gotten away with, what in the heck have they stopped him from doing? Did someone hide the football? What?
KSNY
(315 posts)Judi Lynn
(160,598 posts)Filthy traitorous dirt bags will hunt him to the end of the earth to Epstein him, he will need a lot of people working to keep him alive.
He could find a much easier way to be gratified than by endangering his own life forever.
People willing to put everything on the line and totally change their own lives to strip away the concealment of a born monster are heroes no matter how many racist fascist evil greedy scums they enrage.
KSNY
(315 posts)There are official channels to file complaints. If anonymous has done that, then I agree with you about bravery.
If he/she has not done that then motivations become complex.
safeinOhio
(32,714 posts)Never, hes not connected to anyone, Id bet.
moonscape
(4,673 posts)believe-it-when-I-see-it folder. Unless s/he thinks s/hes on the verge of being outed anyway.
maxsolomon
(33,384 posts)He hasn't heard the 1st of you!
Dopers_Greed
(2,640 posts)...after they've sufficiently cashed in.
Yavin4
(35,445 posts)That may give Trump a heart attack.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)That is about all I narrowed it down to. One of the last straws for them was when Trump wanted to raise the flag from half mast following McCain's death.