New fallout from anonymous op-ed about Donald Trump
The anonymous writer of the New York Times op-ed piece may have accomplished at least one goal: turning a paranoid White House and administration into an even more intensely paranoid team. Vanity Fair has an article about how Jared and Ivanka are pointing at John Kelly as the culprit. Others are accusing Dan Scavino, Jr. of it, or Dan Coats, or [pick your “senior administration official”].
Supporters of Trump are arguing that the act was seditious and should be punished. For example, Judicial Watch wrote an op-ed response that the act is sedition: “The anonymous senior administration official who wrote the anti-Trump tirade published by The New York Times as an op-ed is a seditious traitor who must be identified and prosecuted for illegal conduct.”
Farrell has been ridiculed for the piece, and informed that is not what the anonymous writer did and it is not punishable. Kellyanne Conway was on Sunday talk shows spinning a bizarre case for treason and sedition, arguing the op-ed writer might be doing illegal things beyond the four corners of the op-ed piece. She said, “If this is someone who has access to information and is using it,” they may have committed treason.
Sedition is defined as “conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.” Treason is defined as “the crime of betraying one’s country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government.”
The op-ed author did neither by writing the op-ed. Read it closely. It touts the accomplishments of the administration and, except for the instability of the president, believes the country is doing well and applauds the main initiatives.
Walter Shaub tweeted on Sunday: “I’m in TEARS laughing at a Dan Scavino video that Trump retweeted. Scavino’s video shows a montage of Trump set to Grieg’s Hall of the Mountain King. Could Scavino have written the Op Ed? Here’s the refrain from the song: Madness reigns In the Hall of the Mountain King Oh yeah.”
The Mad King will continue to rage and seek out the newest “Anonymous” and continue to demonstrate the very behaviors that got him labeled as a madman in the op-ed piece.
Daniel is a lawyer writing and teaching about SCOTUS, and is the author of the book “The Chief Justices” about the SCOTUS as seen through the center seat.