You probably recall that Anonymous first wrote an editorial for The New York Times in 2018 and followed it up with a 2019 book called “A Warning” that was scathingly critical of Donald Trump. Taylor resigned from DHS in 2019 and went public with his criticisms of Trump this summer. Shortly before the Republican convention, he endorsed Joe Biden.
Yet, in August, he denied being Anonymous.
Here’s what Miles Taylor said on CNN (where he’s now a paid contributor) when asked directly if he’s the “Anonymous” author: https://t.co/M3DqTZ1olN
— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) October 28, 2020
Today, he revealed the truth.
In a statement, Taylor wrote:
Much has been made of the fact that these writings were published anonymously. The decision wasn’t easy, I wrestled with it, and I understand why some people consider it questionable to levy such serious charges against a sitting President under the cover of anonymity. But my reasoning was straightforward, and I stand by it. Issuing my critiques without attribution forced the President to answer them directly on their merits or not at all, rather than creating distractions through petty insults and name-calling. I wanted the attention to be on the arguments themselves. At the time I asked, “What will he do when there is no person to attack, only an idea?” We got the answer. He became unhinged. And the ideas stood on their own two feet.
To be clear, writing those works was not about eminence (they were published without attribution), not about money (I declined a hefty monetary advance and pledged to donate the bulk of the proceeds), and not about crafting a score-settling “tell all” (my focus was on the President himself and his character, not denigrating former colleagues).
Taylor writes that his condemnation of Trump “has taken a considerable toll” on him, including his “marriage, finances and personal safety.” He pays homage to others who have taken risks to stand up to Trump, such as Fiona Hill, Elizabeth Neumann, Olivia Troye and Alexander Vindman. He implores us all to do our part and, at the very least, vote Trump out of office:
These public servants were not intimidated. And you shouldn’t be either. As descendants of revolutionaries, honest dissent is part of our American character, and we must reject the culture of political intimidation that’s been cultivated by this President.
…
I was wrong, however, about one major assertion in my original op-ed. The country cannot rely on well-intentioned, unelected bureaucrats around the President to steer him toward what’s right. He has purged most of them anyway. Nor can they rely on Congress to deliver us from Trump’s wayward whims. The people themselves are the ultimate check on the nation’s chief executive. We alone must determine whether his behavior warrants continuance in office, and we face a momentous decision, as our choice about Trump’s future will affect our future for years to come. With that in mind, he doesn’t deserve a second term in office, and we don’t deserve to live through it.
Taylor foresees that the divisiveness and hostilities Trump has stoked will not disappear if he leaves office. He ends with this:
Heed Lincoln’s words. We must return to our founding principles. We must rediscover our better angels. And we must reconcile with each other, repairing the bonds of affection that make us fellow Americans.
Twitter seems torn:
Now especially notable that this "anonymous" op-ed made no mention among Trump's abrogations, of the morally depraved policies toward migrant men, women and children, the Muslim ban, or the near-ban on admitting refugees. Family separations began in 2017. https://t.co/sRZfc2poHZ https://t.co/NhHYFsjzsA
— Joy VOTE & MASK UP!! Reid 😷) (@JoyAnnReid) October 28, 2020
Democrats too busy attacking Miles Taylor rather than going back through his book to ask him details about the events he saw and revealed months ago are out of their *fucking* minds.
You want purity? Attack Miles. You want victory? ASK HIM FOR SPECIFICS ABOUT WHAT HE WROTE.— Kurt "Mask Up, Vote Early" Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) October 28, 2020
It's just hard to reconcile his words with his actions. His actions were monstrous. pic.twitter.com/Fhma1QLhj2
— Kergeey (@kergeey) October 28, 2020
And then there's this:
PROOF: Miles Taylor, who now admits to being “Anonymous,” once told us he was NOT Anonymous. He LIED!
This is everything people hate about Washington — two-faced liars who push their own agendas at the expense of the People. This is the epitome of the swamp! ⬇️ https://t.co/cNz1Fgpz5g— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 28, 2020
