Jonah writes about what might have motivated the op-ed writer and guesses the author is positioning himself for the recriminations game. That surely could be part of the motive, but there’d be a much more straightforward way to do that — resign and take his concerns public under his own name. That would wash his hands of this White House much more effectively than the anonymous op-ed.
What makes the op-ed a better option? It exacts much more of a price on Trump and the administration. It seems obvious to me that this op-ed was meant to wound Trump more than anything else. A resignation might be a big story — if this person is indeed very senior — but an anonymous op-ed of someone still working in the administration is much more of a bombshell. It is more lurid and will stay in the news cycle longer. It is also much better calculated to trigger Trump into an over-reaction, which is at cross-purposes with the author’s stated goal of tamping down the president’s worst instincts. The clear tell of the malicious intent, though, is the mention of McCain, a reference sure to infuriate Trump and a sign that this author is probably writing out of disgust over Trump’s treatment of McCain.
I believe good people need to serve in this administration — and they are — and that they should be steering Trump away from his worst impulses. But this op-ed works to sabotage that effort. It is a dishonorable act and there’s no justification for the author continue to work for this president. He should resign, if he’s not discovered and fired first.