I am troubled by the New York Times anonymous op-ed piece regarding President Trump. Not because of what it contains, but because of the inability to defend oneself against such an anonymous attack. The piece supposedly comes from a “senior official in the Trump administration”, but gives no other information on the source. Is this person partisan? Where they appointed by a previous administration? Do their loyalties lay with another party or politician? Are they in fact privy to the kinds of information and knowledge sufficient to support their claims in this piece? And just what is a “senior official”, anyway?
How do you defend yourself against such an attack without bringing to light the motives and claims of the attacker? And how is that possible with an anonymous author? How would you see this case if it was you being disparaged by an anonymous foe that you could neither question or refute?
Even if every word turns out to be true, I will never again pick up a New York Times. It not the story that is upsetting; it’s that there is no recourse for the accused, and that is simply not right.