Trump calls on CNN to fire Miles Taylor after he reveals himself as ‘Anonymous’

President Trump on Wednesday called for Miles Taylor and others to be fired after the former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official revealed that he was the “anonymous” writer behind a New York Times op-ed and subsequent book that were highly critical of Trump.

Taylor left the administration last year and currently works for CNN as a contributor.

Who is Miles Taylor? Said he was “anonymous”, but I don’t know him – never even heard of him. Just another @nytimes SCAM – he worked in conjunction with them. Also worked for Big Tech’s @Google. Now works for Fake News @CNN. They should fire, shame, and punish everybody….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2020

….associated with this FRAUD on the American people!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2020

A spokesperson for CNN confirmed to The Hill that Taylor would be staying on as a contributor.

Taylor drew widespread attention Wednesday after he came forward as the anonymous “senior administration official” behind an op-ed for the Times in 2018 that blasted Trump and sought to portray himself as part of a “resistance” in the government seeking to rein in the president’s worst impulses.

The former Trump administration official, who had served as a chief of staff at DHS before leaving the agency last year, had denied being “Anonymous” when pressed in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper in August.

Cooper asked Taylor in the interview, “There was an op-ed, there was a book, by someone calling themselves ‘Anonymous.’ Are you aware of who that is?”

“I’m not,” Taylor replied. “That was a parlor game that happened in Washington, D.C., of a lot of folks trying to think of who that might be. I’ve got my own thoughts about who that might be —”

“You’re not ‘Anonymous?’ ” Cooper pressed.

“I wear a mask for two things Anderson: Halloween and pandemics. So no,” Taylor stated.

“I wear a mask for two things, Anderson: Halloween and pandemics. So, no,” says @MilesTaylorUSA, when asked by @AndersonCooper if he is the author of the op-ed book written by someone called Anonymous. pic.twitter.com/sPjs4OoAnp

— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) August 21, 2020

Washington Post media reporter Erik Wemple tweeted Wednesday afternoon that a CNN spokesperson had told him Taylor would remain with the network.

CNN also indicated that Taylor would be on the network for a prime-time interview Wednesday night.

Wemple pointed to Taylor’s August interview with the network, tweeting, “CNN cannot have it both ways — slamming Trump for his lies, yet condoning a very big and blatant one by its own contributor.”

A CNN spox just told me that Miles Taylor will remain a contributor despite lying to Anderson Cooper. CNN cannot have it both ways — slamming Trump for his lies, yet condoning a very big and blatant one by its own contributor.

— ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) October 28, 2020

Before revealing his identity as “Anonymous,” Taylor had already been a vocal critic of Trump and had endorsed his Democratic rival, Joe Biden.

In August, he published an op-ed in The Washington Post saying, “After serving for more than two years in the Department of Homeland Security’s leadership during the Trump administration, I can attest that the country is less secure as a direct result of the president’s actions.” 

Taylor also appeared in an ad for the group Republican Voters Against Trump. In the ad, Taylor said, “What we saw, week in and week out, and for me, 2 1/2 years in that administration, was terrifying.” 

Critics on both side of the political spectrum have criticized Miles for his actions. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted after the news came out about Taylor, “This is everything people hate about Washington — two-faced liars who push their own agendas at the expense of the People.”

Others criticized Taylor for appearing to have supported the administration’s policy that led to family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Guy Cecil, chairman of the largest Democratic super PAC in the U.S., tweeted, “Even now, Miles Taylor alternately tries to rationalize & distance himself from the immoral and unjust family separation policies. His column, book, TV contract & who he supports for President doesn’t change the fact that he was part of the team that did this irreparable harm.”

Taylor published his book, “A Warning,” in November 2019.