Donald Trump Wants Jeff Sessions To Investigate Writer Of ‘New York Times’ Op-Ed

On Friday, President Donald Trump says he wants Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate the identity of the author of an anonymous op-ed that was published in the New York Times on Wednesday.

“I think it is national security. I would say Jeff should be investigating who the author of that piece is because I really believe it is national security,” Trump told reporters traveling with him Friday on Air Force One. “We’re going to take a look at what he had, what he gave, what he’s talking about, also where he is right now,” Trump added.

The president said the anonymous essay presents a national security concern because this person still is in the government and shouldn’t be attending high-level meetings.

“Suppose I have a high level national security and he has got a clearance — we talk about clearances a lot recently — and he goes into a high-level meeting concerning China or Russia or North Korea or something and this guy goes in,” Trump said. “I don’t want him in those meetings.”

Asked if the government also would take legal action against the New York Times for publishing the article, he responded that his administration is “looking at that right now.”

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In the two days after publication, Trump has lashed out at the anonymous author, as well as the newspaper for publishing the piece.

The author, who was only described as a “senior official in the Trump administration,” issued scathing criticism of the president. They claimed to be part of a larger group of people who are leading a “quiet resistance” within the administration.

More than two dozen cabinet, cabinet-level and other top officials in the Trump Administration rushed to deny they were behind the editorial on Thursday.

Article by Steven Abendroth