Ex-Homeland Security official outs himself as ‘Anonymous’, the author of a withering attack on Trump

Miles Taylor (R) identifies himself as "Anonymous' author of attack on Donald Trump

Credit: Tim Godbee/Department of Homeland Security

Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, has identified himself as "Anonymous", the author of a corruscating condemnation of the Trump presidency.

Mr Taylor’s withering broadside, which was published in September 2018, painted a devastating portrait of the chaos that prevailed inside the White House after Mr Trump took office.

The article, which infuriated Mr Trump, also triggered a frantic flurry of speculation as Washington insiders tried to guess the author. Such was the excitement that bookmakers even offered odds on the identity of Anonymous.

In his original article — which was later expanded into a bestselling book — Mr Taylor said he and other people inside the administration were trying to "frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations."

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A Republican, Mr Taylor was one of a number of Trump appointees who rapidly became disillusioned with his administration.

He resigned from the Department of Homeland Security in June 2019 and has since been a vocal critic of Mr Trump, releasing a video just ahead of the Republican National Convention in which he endorsed Joe Biden.

Mr Taylor’s decision to identify himself as "Anonymous" comes with the presidential election only days away.

"Make no mistake,  I am a Republican and I wanted this president to succeed," he wrote in a statement released on Thursday. 

"That is why I came into the administration with John Kelly and it’s why I stayed on as Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security.

"But too often in times of crisis, I saw Donald Trump prove he is a man without character, and his personal defects have resulted in leadership failures so significant that they can be measured in lost American lives.

"I witnessed Trump’s inability to do his job over the course of two and a half years. 

"Everyone saw it, though most were hesitant to speak up for fear of reprisals."

He added that like-minded officials spent years trying, often unsuccessfully, to ameliorate some of Mr Trump’s poor decisions.

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"The election" he added, " is a two-part referendum: first on the character of a man and second, on the character of our nation.

"That’s why I’m also urging fellow Republicans to put country over party, even if it means supporting Trump’s Democratic opponent."

Trump campaign spokesman and former White House aide, Hogan Gidley,  swiftly hit back.

“This is the least impressive, lamest political ‘reveal’ of all time. I worked with DHS officials while I was in the White House, and even I had to research who Miles Taylor was. 

"He’s just another standard-issue arrogant, Washington, DC swamp bro who loved President Trump until he figured out he could try to make money by attacking him."