As far as I can tell, most of the commentary on the anonymous op-ed piece has focused on: Who did it? Should he have done it? Why’d he do it? Another question is, What about the content? Is it true or false? Does it matter or not?
Many have said, “The op-ed writer did a terrible disservice, because now the president will be more agitated and erratic than ever.” Fair enough. But what does this say about our current situation? A president who is a psychological tinderbox is problematic. A president you have to walk on eggshells around is problematic. Grace under pressure is an important quality in a leader. So is coolness.
In the last couple of years, we have not had a crisis — not from abroad, anyway. That won’t keep up forever. What then?
Speaking of abroad: In the face of criticism springing from the Bob Woodward book and the op-ed piece, the president tweeted, “Kim Jong Un of North Korea proclaims ‘unwavering faith in President Trump.’ Thank you to Chairman Kim. We will get it done together!”
Kim is a murderous dictator who presides over a gulag state, the worst place in the world for human beings. Trump published, and reveled in, a testimonial from him. This should have every Republican and every conservative gagging. Every person, really.
Yet the tweet has barely caused a ripple. How is that so? Part of it is the “new normal.” Part of it is partisanship: “He’s our guy, so what can you say?”
Senior officials are now having to deny, explicitly, that they wrote the famous, or infamous, op-ed. I’m reminded of Rex Tillerson — who refused to deny that he had called the president a “moron.” I admired Tillerson for this. It was awkward as hell, but there was something in him that prevented him from lying.
Finally, I recall a Washington guessing-game, from the 1990s: Who wrote Primary Colors? The cover said “Anonymous.” Some people guessed Christopher Buckley (including Charles Krauthammer). It turned out to be Joe Klein, the political writer for Time. It was a wonderful novel — a page-turner — in addition to being politically shrewd.