The author of an anonymous opinion article about the "resistance" inside President Donald Trump's administration has written a book.
Titled "A Warning" and credited to "Anonymous," it will be published Nov. 19, Twelve, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group, announced Tuesday.
The publisher described it as an “unprecedented behind-the-scenes portrait of the Trump presidency” from the same senior administration official who wrote an opinion article critical of the White House last year in The New York Times. The "explosive book offers a shocking first-hand account of President Trump and his record," the company said in a press release.
The author, who plans to remain anonymous, did not take an advance to write the 272-page book, and plans to give a "substantial" amount of any royalties "to nonprofit organizations that focus on government accountability" and "supporting those who stand up for the truth in repressive countries around the world," the statement said.
Asked for comment, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said, "It takes a lot of conviction and bravery to write a whole book anonymously."
There was no immediate reaction from Trump, who excoriated the anonymous writer after the column was published. The president demanded that then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions investigate, saying the person posed a threat to national security.
The op-ed writer, identified by The Times as a senior official in the Trump administration, wrote that "many of the senior officials in his own administration" were working against Trump from within "to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations."
"We will do what we can to steer the administration in the right direction until — one way or another — it's over," the person wrote. "We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what’s right even when Donald Trump won't."
The Times said in a note at the top of the essay that the paper took the "rare step" of publishing an unsigned article because "we believe publishing this essay anonymously is the only way to deliver an important perspective to our readers."
Between accusing the writer of treason and demanding an investigation, Trump also questioned whether the person was real.
"Does the so-called 'Senior Administration Official' really exist, or is it just the Failing New York Times with another phony source?" he tweeted. "If the GUTLESS anonymous person does indeed exist, the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!"
The op-ed led to rampant speculation about who the author could be. Some focused on the author's use of the word "lodestar," which Vice President Mike Pence had used numerous times in public speeches. Pence denied he was the author and called on the person to resign.
While administration officials have denied working to sidetrack the president, Robert Mueller's special counsel's report described instances where high-level personnel avoided carrying out certain orders.
According to Mueller's report, White House counsel Don McGahn sidestepped Trump's demand to fire the special counsel. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also said he refused to carry out directives from Trump that he thought were illegal.
