As we reported the other day, the White House has now transferred top NSC official Victoria Coates to the department of Energy:
AXIOS – Deputy national security adviser Victoria Coates will be reassigned as a senior adviser to Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, the National Security Council said Thursday…
But they are saying she’s not ‘Anonymous’:
“The White House leadership rejects rumors that have circulated recently and does not put any stock in the suggestion that Victoria Coates is the author of ‘A Warning’ or the related op-ed in the New York Times,” says a senior administration official.
Rather, they are claiming her transfer has been in the works for weeks:
“Dr. Coates’ transition to the Department of Energy has been in the works for several weeks and reflects the continued trust and confidence the administration places in her as she takes on this sensitive role at the Department of Energy, where she will continue working to implement the president’s agenda,” the official added.
In some ways it makes sense that if Coates were actually anonymous and the White House knew that with certainty, they wouldn’t just move her to Energy. Rather, they’d dump her. But it’s also possible they aren’t sure if she is or isn’t, and because of that they want to get her out of the NSC.