These officials have denied writing the Trump ‘resistance’ op-ed

On Wednesday afternoon, the New York Times published an anonymous, scathing op-ed written by a “a senior official in the Trump administration” that called the president “amoral.” The author claimed to be part of a resistance within President Trump’s White House to “frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.”

Washington quickly moved from gasping over the substance of the piece to feverishly guessing who wrote it, forcing Trump administration officials to react.

Here, we’re tracking which officials have issued denials and what their denials said. This story will be updated.

“The Vice President puts his name on his Op-Eds. The @nytimes should be ashamed and so should the person who wrote the false, illogical, and gutless op-ed. Our office is above such amateur acts.” — Jarrod Agen, Pence’s deputy chief of staff and communications director, via Twitter

“It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the New York Times, a liberal newspaper that has attacked this administration relentlessly, chose to print such a piece and if that piece is true, if it’s accurate … They should not well have chosen to take a disgruntled deceptive bad actor’s word for anything and put it in their newspaper … It’s not mine.” — Pompeo, at a news conference

A Carson spokesperson told Guardian political reporter Ben Jacobs that the HUD secretary did not write the NYT op-ed.

“Speculation that the New York Times op-ed was written by me or my Principal Deputy is patently false. We did not. From the beginning of our tenure, we have insisted that the entire IC remain focused on our mission to provide the President and policymakers with the best intelligence possible.” — Coats in a statement

“Secretary Nielsen is focused on leading the men & women of DHS and protecting the homeland - not writing anonymous & false opinion pieces for the New York Times… These types of political attacks are beneath the Secretary & the Department’s mission.” — Tyler Houlton, DHS press secretary, in a statement to the Hill

“@stevenmnuchin1 is honored to serve @POTUS & the American people. He feels it was irresponsible for @nytimes to print this anonymous piece. Now, dignified public servants are forced to deny being the source. It is laughable to think this could come from the Secretary.” — Tony Sayegh Jr., assistant secretary for public affairs at the Treasury Department, via Twitter

“No,” said Haley when asked by New York Times reporter Michael Schwirtz if she wrote the op-ed, according to a tweet from him.

“Director Mulvaney did not write the op-ed,” according to a Mulvaney spokeswoman, Bloomberg News reporter Jennifer Jacobs wrote on Twitter.

A Justice Department spokesperson told CNN that Sessions did not author the op-ed.

“It was not his op-ed,” chief Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White told CNN when asked if Mattis penned the essay.

“I am not the author of the New York Times OpEd, nor do I agree with its characterizations. Hiding behind anonymity and smearing the President of the United States does not make you an ‘unsung hero’, it makes you a coward, unworthy of serving this Nation.” — Perry in a statement on Twitter

“Secretary Azar did not write the op-ed,” HHS spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley told CNN.

“No,” said the agency’s press secretary, Timothy Barrett, when asked if Haspel wrote the op-ed, according to Post reporting.

“I did not write and am thoroughly appalled by this op-ed. I couldn’t be prouder of our work at Commerce and of @POTUS.” — Ross in a statement via Twitter

“I support President Trump @POTUS 100% and am honored to serve in his cabinet. Whoever wrote the op-ed should resign.” — Wheeler in a statement via Twitter

“.@BetsyDeVosED is not a Washington insider and does not play Washington insider games. She has the courage of her convictions and signs her opinions. She is not the author of the anonymous @nytimes op-ed” — Education Department press secretary in a statement via Twitter

“Neither Secretary Wilkie nor anyone else at VA wrote the op-ed.” — VA spokesman Curt Cashour to the Wall Street Journal

"The Secretary does not play these sophomoric Washington games. He is definitively not the author." — a department spokesman to the Hill

"No, Secretary Perdue did not write the op-ed." — department spokesman to NBC News

“Of course not,” Conway told NBC News when asked about writing the op-ed.

“I am not author of the anonymous @nytimes op-ed. @realDonaldTrump has a clear governing vision for the country and his record of results is remarkable. I am proud to serve as a member of President Trump’s @Cabinet to advocate on behalf of America’s 30 million small businesses.” — McMahon in a statement via Twitter

“No,” replied a department spokeswoman to Politico when asked if Zinke or Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt wrote the essay.

“No,” McGahn said when reporters asked if he wrote the op-ed, according to a tweet from CBS News reporter Alan He.

“Come to find, when you’re serving as the U.S. envoy in Moscow, you’re an easy target on all sides. Anything sent out by me would have carried my name. An early political lesson I learned: never send an anonymous op-ed.” — Huntsman in a statement on Twitter via embassy spokeswoman Andrea Kalan

“For those who have inquired, this is to confirm that Secretary Chao is not the author of the op-ed." — department spokeswoman Marianne McInerney to CNN