A string of Donald Trump’s most senior Cabinet members denied responsibility on Thursday for an explosive account of how his own team was trying to to frustrate the president’s wishes.
Mike Pence, the Vice-President, and Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State, were among those to issue denials as Mr Trump railed against the “deep state” and as supporters spoke of an “administrative coup”.
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It followed publication of a New York Times opinion piece – written by what the newspaper said was a “senior administration official” – claiming Cabinet members discussed removing the president from power and were working to protect the country from his “worst inclinations”.
Meanwhile Washington was consumed by a high-stakes guessing game as armchair analysts parsed the text for clues to the author’s identity.
Amid reports that Mr Trump cut an increasingly paranoid figure, the result was the extraordinary spectacle of high-ranking officials being forced to distance themselves from the article.
Who is the anonymous Trump administration official?
Mike Pence, the Vice-President, denied any involvement after online sleuths said the use of the word “lodestar” was consistent with several of his speeches.
“The New York Times should be ashamed and so should the person who wrote the false, illogical, and gutless op-ed,” said his spokesman.
Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State, said, “It’s not mine,” during a visit to India.
The roiling storm began with publication of an op-ed piece a day earlier. It claimed that Cabinet members had discussed using the 25th Amendment – designed to deal with incapacitated presidents – to remove Mr Trump from power. They decided not to do so, said the anonymous author, for fear of triggering a constitutional crisis.
“It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room,” continues the author. “We fully recognise what is happening. And we are trying to do what’s right even when Donald Trump won’t.”
At a glance | 25th Amendment
The account chimed with revelations in Bob Woodward’s new book that aides removed papers from Mr Trump’s desk before they could be signed or quietly ignored orders.
The White House reacted on Thursday by publishing the telephone number for The New York Times opinion desk for anyone wanting to know the identity of “the gutless loser”.
Sarah Sanders, spokeswoman, said: “The media’s wild obsession with the identity of the anonymous coward is recklessly tarnishing the reputation of thousands of great Americans who proudly serve our country and work for President Trump.”