A new article from The New Republic suggests that former Pentagon aide Guy Snodgrass, who wrote speeches for Defense Secretary James Mattis, may have been the anonymous author of the infamous New York Times op-ed attacking President Donald Trump and the author of the new book “A Warning.”
David Kusnet, a former speech writer for former President Bill Clinton, wrote at The New Republic:
Reading Snodgrass’s Pentagon memoir, Holding the Line, makes the clues to Anonymous’s identity apparent. As in A Warning, the sentences and paragraphs are pithy and punchy. Every chapter in both books begins with an inspiring but not cliché quotation from a historic figure. Many passages in the books are remarkably similar: the ordeal of conducting a Pentagon briefing for Trump; national security staffers exchanging appalled asides about Trump’s conduct of foreign policy via Twitter; and the arguments for why American alliances strengthen national security and why immigration policy shouldn’t be based on building a border wall. In particular, both books stress that, when briefed about international alliances, Trump derails discussions by griping about how allies are stiffing the U.S., from allegedly miserly NATO contributions to ostensibly one-sided trade policies.
Fox News’ Trace Gallagher pressed Snodgrass about the matter during an interview on the network, noting that Snodgrass tweeted out a link to The New Republic and wrote: “The swirl continues…”
The swirl continues…https://t.co/BCth6lqnLM
— Guy Snodgrass (@GuySnodgrass) November 25, 2019
“If you look at the article, the author, David Kusnet, pretty much hits all the high points, I mean he makes a very good case,” Gallagher said. “The question is, are you anonymous?”
“Great question, as you mentioned, I have a book out right now with my name on it called ‘Holding The Line,’ Snodgrass said. “I do appreciate that The New Republic said the writing was excellent across both books, but if I was going to make an announcement like that I would come into the studio with you in New York City.”
“So you are not denying that you are Anonymous,” Gallagher pressed.
“I just heard this reporting as I was coming over to the studio, I got invited on to talk about national security,” Snodgrass replied. “There is a lot to talk about there.”
“Why not just deny it outright? You said you just heard about it on your way to the studio but you sent out the tweet today not really denying it,” Gallagher continued.
“It’s the latest in a long series of D.C. parlor games, not unique to this point in time, it’s been going on for decades,” Snodgrass responded.
Guy Snodgrass refuses to confirm or deny authoring the book “Anonymous”
“I was going to make an announcement like that I’d do it right, I’d come into the studio with you there in New York City”
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) November 25, 2019
Mother Jones reporter Dan Spinelli pressed Snodgrass on whether he was anonymous, to which Snodgrass responded, “No comment at this time.”
This @newrepublic piece posits that former Mattis aide Guy Snodgrass is "Anonymous." I sent the article to Snodgrass, who texted back, "Fun." When I pressed him on whether it was true, he replied, "No comment at this time." https://t.co/yHDClvhjRw
— Dan Spinelli (@danspinelli902) November 25, 2019
Attorney Mark S. Zaid, who is the attorney for the CIA whistleblower, says that Snodgrass is a client of his, writing on Twitter: “If I couldn’t be connected enough to current events, now my client @GuySnodgrass, whose new memoir I helped get published by suing @DeptofDefense, is suspected of also being #Anonymous. When it rains it pours.”
If I couldn't be connected enough to current events, now my client @GuySnodgrass, whose new memoir I helped get published by suing @DeptofDefense, is suspected of also being #Anonymous.
When it rains it pours. https://t.co/dQHYBRavGM
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) November 25, 2019
Investigative journalist Jordan Schachtel highlighted a series of tweets from Snodgrass, writing: “Some interesting tweets from Guy Snodgrass, who has not confirmed nor denied that he is the individual who wrote the anonymous op-ed in The NYT, in which this person claimed they were part of the “resistance” inside of the Trump Admin:”
Some interesting tweets from Guy Snodgrass, who has not confirmed nor denied that he is the individual who wrote the anonymous op-ed in The NYT, in which this person claimed they were part of the "resistance" inside of the Trump Admin: https://t.co/WzYFB7gwPt
— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) November 25, 2019
Schachtel continued by highlighting tweets from Snodgrass on John McCain and on the Democrats’ narrative on Russia and Ukraine.
Disagrees with Trump foreign policy, advancing Dems' false narrative about Russia & Ukrainehttps://t.co/OSO2srCMX1
— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) November 25, 2019
Schachtel added, “Has serious case of TDS. Check:”
Has serious case of TDS. Check: https://t.co/mZ6tOCTvoD
— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) November 25, 2019