Trump Cabinet Members Deny Role in Explosive NYT Anonymous Op-Ed

Members of President Donald Trump's Cabinet and other top advisers took the extraordinary step Thursday of issuing public denials that they authored the bombshell New York Times op-ed attributed to an anonymous senior official in the administration.

Vice President’s Mike Pence's office was among the first to publicly deny any role, with communications director Jarrod Agen taking to Twitter to declare that “the Vice President puts his name on his Op-Eds” and that his entire office is “above such amateur acts.”

Defense Secretary James Mattis, who is traveling in India, also issued a firm denial through chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana White, who said plainly: "It was not his op-ed."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, also overseas, asked whether he was the author, blasted the New York Times for publishing what he said was "a disgruntled deceptive bad actor's word," and calling on the author, "if it's accurate" that they are a senior administration official, to take their "singular option, that is to leave."

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats also put his denial on the record, saying neither he nor his most senior staffer, were behind the essay, calling such speculation “patently false.”

“Speculation that The New York Times op-ed was written by me or my Principal Deputy is patently false. We did not,” Coats said in a statement. “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.”