Wikileaks gets roasted for obvious prediction of who wrote that NYT Trump op-ed

No s***, Sherlock.
 By 
Johnny Lieu
 on 
Wikileaks gets roasted for obvious prediction of who wrote that NYT Trump op-ed
Who wrote the anti-Trump New York Times op-ed? Credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

It's the question everyone wants to know. Just who is the Trump staffer that wrote an anonymous New York Times op-ed ragging on their boss?

Over the past 24 hours, people have tried to figure out which one of Trump's chums described the president as amoral and impulsive, claiming staffers are doing what they can to stop him from messing things up.

The Washington Post reported Trump aides were trying to analyze language patterns to rat out the insider.

CNN published a list of 13 suspects, which includes the likes of Jeff Sessions and Vice President Mike Pence. The latter denied penning it. The BBC looked at sentence length, and compared them with the earlier writings of certain Trump staffers.

Also on the hunt were the boffins at WikiLeaks, hunching over their computers to perform an impressive-sounding "statistical analysis," looking at the language used in the anonymous op-ed.

They did all that work, only to reveal findings that are glaringly obvious: The op-ed was likely written by, wait for it -- an older, conservative male. Like, no shit, Sherlock.

You don't have to be a political expert to know that the Trump administration is mainly made up of males, especially those with an affinity for conservative politics, and are older.

An analysis from The Atlantic in March found that twice as many men compared to women were appointed to positions within the Trump administration.

Suitably, people on the internet roasted WikiLeaks for its underwhelming (yet let's face it, hilarious) revelation.

Now that we're back to square one after that disappointment, please, if you could let us know, did you write the op-ed?

Mashable Image
Johnny Lieu

Mashable Australia's Web Culture Reporter.Reach out to me on Twitter at @Johnny_Lieu or via email at jlieu [at] mashable.com

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
OpenAI launches age prediction for teen safety
OpenAI logo on a phone screen.

How online prediction markets got people betting on nuclear war
A collage shows a prediction market screen, an image of a detonated nuclear bomb, and Polymarket's logo

Nikki Glaser's Golden Globes monologue brutally roasts both celebrities and the government
Nikki Glaser speaks onstage during the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards. Overlaid quote: "The Golden Globes: without a doubt, the most important thing that's happening in the world right now."

Stephen Colbert roasts Trump over low State of the Union ratings
A man in a suit on a talk show stage points and winks at the camera. The caption at the bottom reads, "If I were CBS, I'd cancel him."

Jimmy Kimmel trolls Trump with old footage of him talking about Obama and Iran
Jimmy Kimmel presents his show.

More in Life
How to watch Chelsea vs. Port Vale online for free
Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea reacts

How to watch 'Wuthering Heights' at home: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi's controversial romance now streaming
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi embracing in still from "Wuthering Heights"

How to watch New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers online for free
Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders warms up

How to watch Mexico vs. Belgium online for free
Israel Reyes of Mexico reacts

How to watch Brazil vs. Croatia online for free
Vinicius Junior #10 of Brazil leaves

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!