Do you remember that New York Times op-ed by that anonymous and self-righteous Trump administration official published last year titled “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration?” Well, they’re back for a big payday with a new anti-Trump book they wrote anonymously, of course. As would be expected, the liberal media pounced with ABC and NBC gushing about the book in their Tuesday evening newscasts.
ABC’s World News Tonight didn’t spend too much time on the book. Anchor David Muir and chief White House correspondent Jon Karl brought up the book at the end of a report about Trump describing the impeachment proceedings a “lynching”:
Yes, it was announced by the publisher Twelve Books today that anonymous, who remains Anonymous, will have a book out next month, it's called A Warning. As you recall, it described that quiet resistance within the Trump administration and said, quote, “I work for the President, but like-minded colleagues and I have vowed to thwart parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.” David, the article said, “Americans should know there are adults in the room.”
NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell seemed enraptured by the news and dedicated an entire report to the book, which was set to be released news month.
“From the shadows, the voice of anonymous, the Trump insider identified by The New York Times last year only as a senior administration official,” she touted. “Writing the President was ‘impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective.’ Now expanding that slashing critique in a book titled A Warning.”
She then highlighted how furious the original op-ed caused Trump to become:
MITCHELL: The day the column appeared, President Trump erupted.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: So, if the failing New York Times has an anonymous editorial, can you believe it? Anonymous. Meaning gutless. A gutless editorial --
MITCHELL: He later tweeted “treason?” And the hunt was on.
As the apparent counter to Trump’s anger, Mitchell reported that “Tonight, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said, ‘it takes a lot of conviction and bravery to write a whole book anonymously.’”
Mitchell concluded by noting just how bad the timing of the book’s release would be for President Trump. “Due to be published next month, the book will come out just as the President is trying to defend himself from the impeachment threat.”
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
October 22, 2019
6:37:23 p.m. Eastern(…)
DAVID MUIR: Jon Karl with us live at the White House tonight. And Jon, as we also mentioned there, there's news tonight about this administration official who wrote that anonymous op-ed in The New York Times describing, quote, “resistance within the Trump administration.” Now, that person's writing a book?
JON KARL: Yes, it was announced by the publisher Twelve Books today that anonymous, who remains anonymous, will have a book out next month, it's called A Warning. As you recall, it described that quiet resistance within the Trump administration and said, quote, “I work for the President, but like-minded colleagues and I have vowed to thwart parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.” David, the article said, “Americans should know there are adults in the room.”
MUIR: All right, Jon Karl tonight. Thank you, Jon.
NBC Nightly News
October 22, 2019
7:05:06 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: Now to word late today that the anonymous government official who wrote a scathing column last year against President Trump has just written a tell-all book. Here’s Andrea Mitchell with that.
[Cuts to video]
ANDREA MITCHELL: From the shadows, the voice of anonymous, the Trump insider identified by The New York Times last year only as a senior administration official. Writing the President was “impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective.” Now expanding that slashing critique in a book titled A Warning.
PHILIP RUCKER: President Trump is going to want the get to the bottom of who this official is. He has already felt like there are leakers and traitors in his midst. We've seen him freaking out over the last month about the anonymous whistleblower who filed that complaint that has triggered the impeachment proceedings.
MITCHELL: The day the column appeared, President Trump erupted.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: So, if the failing New York Times has an anonymous editorial, can you believe it? Anonymous. Meaning gutless. A gutless editorial --
MITCHELL: He later tweeted “treason?” And the hunt was on. The White House and reporters trying to decode phrases in the column, looking for patterns without success. Then came the denials from Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, the entire cabinet, including many now gone like James Mattis, Kirstjen Nielsen, Nikki Haley, Dan Coats, and Jeff sessions.
Tonight, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said, quote, “it takes a lot of conviction and bravery to write a whole book anonymously.”
[Cuts back to live]
Due to be published next month, the book will come out just as the President is trying to defend himself from the impeachment threat. Lester?
HOLT: Okay, Andrea, thanks.
