Mattis Aide Denies Being 'Anonymous'

Not me, says Guy Snodgrass. The former speechwriter for ex-defense chief James Mattis went on CNN Tuesday and denied speculation that he is the anti-Trump author known as Anonymous. "No, I’m not the writer," he said. And a bit later: "To put it to rest, no I’m not the author of A Warning. I’m not the anonymous op-ed writer." Snodgrass emerged as the leading contender after David Kusnet, a former speechwriter for Bill Clinton, made the case in the New Republic that Snodgrass is the guy. Kusnet compared writing in A Warning to writing in Snodgrass' own memoir, Holding the Line, and found a "striking resemblance."

The theory made waves because Kusnet used similar sleuthing to sniff out Joe Klein as the author of Primary Colors back in the 1990s before Klein fessed up. So case closed that Snodgrass is not Anonymous? Not quite. Mediaite points out that Anonymous wrote that he would publicly deny being the author if asked. And Fox News notes that Klein denied writing Primary Colors before eventually admitting it. (More President Trump stories.)