There’s widespread speculation about the identity of the anonymous author who infamously penned an op-ed in The New York Times claiming he was part of the resistance inside the Trump administration.
Writing in The New Republic, former speechwriter for President Clinton David Kusnet made connections between former Pentagon aide Guy Snodgrass’s new memoir, “The Holding Line” and the anonymous author’s new book, “A Warning.”
Reading Snodgrass’s Pentagon memoir, Holding the Line, makes the clues to Anonymous’s identity apparent. As in A Warning, the sentences and paragraphs are pithy and punchy. Every chapter in both books begins with an inspiring but not cliché quotation from a historic figure. Many passages in the books are remarkably similar: the ordeal of conducting a Pentagon briefing for Trump; national security staffers exchanging appalled asides about Trump’s conduct of foreign policy via Twitter; and the arguments for why American alliances strengthen national security and why immigration policy shouldn’t be based on building a border wall. In particular, both books stress that, when briefed about international alliances, Trump derails discussions by griping about how allies are stiffing the U.S., from allegedly miserly NATO contributions to ostensibly one-sided trade policies. [...]
I suspect, based on my own close reading of the text, that the author is an apolitical retired Navy commander who became chief speechwriter for former Defense Secretary James Mattis."
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Fox News’s Trace Gallagher then interviewed Snodgrass and pressed him about whether he was the anonymous author.
“If you look at the article, the author, David Kusnet, pretty much hits all the high points, I mean he makes a very good case,” Gallagher said. “The question is, are you anonymous?”
“Great question, as you mentioned, I have a book out right now with my name on it called ‘Holding The Line,’ Snodgrass said. “I do appreciate that The New Republic said the writing was excellent across both books, but if I was going to make an announcement like that I would come into the studio with you in New York City.”
“So you are not denying that you are Anonymous,” Gallagher said.
“I just heard this reporting as I was coming over to the studio, I got invited on to talk about national security,” Snodgrass replied. “There is a lot to talk about there.”
“Why not just deny it outright? You said you just heard about it on your way to the studio but you sent out the tweet today not really denying it,” Gallagher continued.
“It’s the latest in a long series of D.C. parlor games, not unique to this point in time, it’s been going on for decades,” Snodgrass responded.
Guy Snodgrass refuses to confirm or deny authoring the book “Anonymous”
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) November 25, 2019
“I was going to make an announcement like that I’d do it right, I’d come into the studio with you there in New York City”
pic.twitter.com/Uhg76lNxwR
Adding another layer of Washington intrigue to the story, attorney for the Ukraine whistleblower Mark Zaid is also representing Snodgrass.
If I couldn't be connected enough to current events, now my client @GuySnodgrass, whose new memoir I helped get published by suing @DeptofDefense, is suspected of also being #Anonymous.
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) November 25, 2019
When it rains it pours. https://t.co/dQHYBRavGM
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