Anonymous Trump Official Speaks Out -- Treason or Public Service?

Sept. 6 (UPI) -- One of Donald Trump's senior White House staff has made a truly unprecedented move against their ultimate boss. The staffer anonymously published an opinion piece in the New York Times, in which the individual described a dilemma: Should the White House's employees stand by and watch a president who they see as "a threat to the health of our republic," or should they quietly work to resist what they see as Trump's "amoralism" and "misguided impulses"? Trump reacted to the piece in his usual style, accusing the author of "treason" and demanding the New York Times hand over their name.

It is easy to see the op-ed and ensuing furor as just one more indicator of the abject state of the Trump presidency. But the incident also poses a much more profound dilemma: When the elected politician they serve is a liability to the public, should staffers speak out and challenge them publicly, or remain loyal and do their boss' bidding?

Among commentators, researchers and staffers themselves, there are two major schools of thought. On one side are the loyalists, who take the view that staffers should be unquestioning servants. According to loyalists, since politicians are elected officials with popular mandates, their orders must be carried out. A staffer's role, then, is to find the most effective and efficient way to do that.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)