Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Wednesday said he has “a pretty good idea who wrote” an anonymous bombshell New York Times op-ed that is highly critical of President Trump.
The editorial penned, by a senior Trump administration official, has dominated media coverage since it was published Wednesday afternoon, overshadowing the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
“The New York Times this afternoon wrote a remarkable op-ed piece,” Carlson said on while hosting his show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
{mosads}“It was written anonymously. It’s the work of someone who claims to be an official inside the Trump administration, a member of the underground resistance within the West Wing,” he continued.
“We think we’ve got a pretty good idea who wrote this piece,” Carlson added. “We’ve called the White House for comment on it tonight, but until we can confirm the identity, of course, we’re not going to accuse anyone in public. We’ll keep you posted on that.”
The op-ed, titled “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration,” openly questions the president’s mental health while declaring that the author and others within the administration are attempting to “thwart” Trump’s “worst inclinations.”
Carlson underscored some notable aspects of the piece, which included the host paraphrasing the author’s portrayal of the president as an “unpredictable and mercurial boss who is light on policy detail and given to say outlandish things.
Carlson called the characterization “true” while noting that Trump’s public and private persona are the same and therefore should not be surprising.
“He’s governing exactly as you would imagine he would,” Carlson said.
“Trump’s attempts to do what he promised to do on the campaign are not a travesty, they are a sign the system is working as designed.”
The Times said in a disclaimer before the op-ed that the writer’s identity is “known” to the newspaper, but said the official requested the piece be published anonymously.
The newspaper stated that the official’s “job would be jeopardized” if they were identified.
The newspaper explained its extraordinary decision to publish the piece without naming the writer, saying, “We believe publishing this essay anonymously is the only way to deliver an important perspective to our readers.”