slate thinks the OP writer is Huntsman "The Obvious Suspect"

[NRaleighLiberal]

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/09/new-york-times-op-ed-anonymous-writer-trump.html

The quest to unmask the New York Times op-ed writer has been filled with speculation. But the article’s prose points to one person in particular.
By WILLIAM SALETAN

SEPT 07, 2018

Who wrote the anonymous op-ed against President Trump in Wednesday’s New York Times? All we know for certain is what the Times disclosed: that it’s a “senior official in the Trump administration.” But the most likely author, based on the op-ed’s content and style, is the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman.

Huntsman is an obvious suspect for several reasons. The article’s themes are classic Huntsman: effusive about conservative policies, blunt about low character. In 2016, he made the same points for and against Trump. The topic that gets the most space and detail in the piece is Huntsman’s current area, Russia. (As Slate’s Fred Kaplan points out, Trump has been circumventing and undermining Huntsman.) The prose, as in Huntsman’s speeches and interviews, is flamboyantly erudite. The tone, like Huntsman’s, is pious. And the article’s stated motive—“Americans should know that there are adults in the room”—matches a letter that Huntsman wrote to the Salt Lake Tribune in July. In the letter, Huntsman, responding to a columnist who thought the ambassador should resign rather than keep working for Trump, explained that public servants such as himself were dutifully attending to the nation’s business.

Like other suspects, Huntsman has issued a statement to deflect accusations that he wrote the Times op-ed. But the statement—actually just a tweet—doesn’t come from Huntsman. It comes from the spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. The full text reads, “Amb Huntsman: Come to find, when you’re serving as the U.S. envoy in Moscow, you’re an easy target on all sides. Anything sent out by me would have carried my name. An early political lesson I learned: never send an anonymous op-ed.”

That’s a non-denial denial. The Times has already said that the author’s “identity is known to us.” So the piece can’t have been sent anonymously. It must have carried the author’s name. Which means the statement from Huntsman’s spokesperson is technically accurate, even if he wrote the piece. And no matter what he says, he’s still the most likely suspect—at least until somebody else steps forward to claim responsibility—because the piece is full of telltale words and phrases. Here are some of them.

snip - what follows is a point by point analysis - read at the link

[ProfessorGAC]

1. The Ambassador Is A White House Official?

Not government. Not state department. White House.

As an ambassador, isn't he in Moscow most of the time, so exactly how would he be a moderating influence, regularly, from 6,000 miles away.

Not getting their conclusions.

[underpants]

4. Maybe he's in regular contact with people in the WH

That does seem a bit of an actual stretch that he could keep that close of tabs BUT it would also be a good cover for him.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Yeah, I Guess

But, i'm not buying it. Besides, i'm on the "it's more than one person" train.

[Hoyt]

2. Huntsman is definitely not as deplorable as a lot of GOPers, but still . . . . .

[underpants]

3. Charles Pierce's wife thinks it's Kellyanne

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211103680

[MosheFeingold]

5. His daughter

Is a shill on Faux news.

I suspect, if true, she'll be drummed out of the building.

[wishstar]

8. His daughter Abby just left Fox and started on ABC's The View this past Tuesday

so it would be good timing if he is the author since she started new gig with mainstream network on day before op ed came out.

[MosheFeingold]

9. With Meghan McCain

Who also despises Trump.

While I am happy for someone to attack Trump, this was pretty cowardly. If you are going to protest, put your name on it and resign.

And Huntsman strikes me as the cowardly type. He's very much a backstabber, like Romney.

I never understood why Obama appointed him ambassador. I get crossing-the-isle and all that, but the guy is just slimey.

[UTUSN]

11. Daughter on The View said it wasn't her pa, but denials are worthless for now

[Corgigal]

7. Ok, press.

Stop playing clue and let's find out if our president is crazy. Get some off the cuff video, show us.

It's just all of our lives.

[duforsure]

10. Bannon

Or Jared

[GeorgeGist]

12. Nope ...

he's in MOSCOW.