Donald Trump's "erratic" and "amoral" behaviour is "detrimental" to America's health, an anonymous official has warned in an explosive op-ed in a leading US daily and said many top officials are working diligently to frustrate parts of the President's agenda and his "worst inclinations".
The nearly unprecedented attack on the President drew a sharp reaction from Trump who termed the op-ed as "treason" and "gutless".
In The New York Times op-ed "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration", the official, identified only as "a senior official in the Trump administration", said President Trump is facing a test to his presidency unlike any faced by a modern US leader.
"Many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of (Trump's) agenda and his worst inclinations," claimed the writer, who The Times, in a tweet, identified as a 'he'.
The daily, which rarely publishes anonymous articles, said it did not disclose the name of the senior official in the Trump administration on the request of the author, whose "identity is known to us and whose job would be jeopardised by its disclosure".
The official said, "To be clear, ours is not the popular 'resistance' of the left. We want the administration to succeed and think that many of its policies have already made America safer and more prosperous".
"But we believe our first duty is to this country, and the president continues to act in a manner that is detrimental to the health of our republic.
"That is why many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr Trump's more misguided impulses until he is out of office," the writer said.
However, Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, lashed out at the daily, saying that "anonymous, meaning gutless, editorial."
The writer claimed. "Most are working to insulate their operations from his whims."