WASHINGTON, D.C. Sept. 6 (DPI) – First there were the excerpts from Bob Woodward’s book. Then, yesterday, the most explosive newspaper op-ed  ever published: A screed by an anonymous senior official in the Trump White House who reassured Americans there is a “quiet resistance” on Trump’s own staff, there are adults managing him, and those people are humoring and ignoring his worst impulses.

The avalanche of speculation about who wrote the op-ed has made for amusing reading:  “A tough case to figure out.  Everyone, including probably his children and especially his wife, hate the guy.  The suspects are limitless.”  Another: “It was John Kelly, in the Lincoln bedroom, with a candle stick.”

Of course, an anonymous op-ed in a respected but partisan news organ has triggered a wave of emotion, on all sides, and it will take the outing of the author to bring some clarity and gravity to the situation.

In fact, it’s not clear yet that the anonymous op-ed, or Woodward’s book, will have any meaningful impact on the future of the Trump administration.

Comments on WSJ.com and NYT.com suggest that this “Week of Long Knives” could be the turning point that triggers a constitutional effort to remove Trump. Or, the anonymous nature of the op-ed will simply lead to more partisan warfare:

Anonymous or not, this opinion piece is what a lot of people think.  I’m a Republican, Trump is not.  I’m tired of hearing about all Trump has accomplished.  I suspect every one of his primary opponents would have accomplished as much or more without the drama and hype.

Like 99.99999% of Americans,  I have no way of knowing whether the allegations in the opinion piece are true. What I can plainly see, however,  is the President’s reaction and that is the reaction of a child, not an adult. The President’s reaction in this situation is similar to his many other public displays of juvenile behavior, which leads me to suspect that there might possibly be some truth to these allegations.

I spent my career in Washington and over the decades had some dealings with the WH personnel from top to bottom.   No “senior official” would ever pen such a piece–knowing that it is likely that his name eventually will be revealed–if he hoped to have a future in our Nation’s capital.  Such an individual would never be trusted by anyone again in a town where political loyalty is demanded.  Simply put, he would be cast into the wilderness.   I believe that this op-ed piece was manufactured by anti-Trump operatives and was purposely timed to appear along with the publication of the Bob Woodward’s new opus.  The Trump-hating NYT gladly published the document without questioning its authenticity.

If this were the Obama White House and someone offered to write an anonymous hit-piece for the NYT, not only would they have refused to publish it, but they would have ratted on the source to the Obama White House so that they could quickly ferret him/her out.