ation ▁review , ▁challeng ed ▁the ▁government ' s ▁apparent ▁attempt ▁to ▁out ▁the ▁author ' s ▁identity ▁( as ▁with ▁other ▁inner - circle ▁wh ist leb low ers ), ▁and ▁said ▁the ▁department ▁was ▁just ▁trying ▁to ▁int im id ate ▁them . ▁ ▁Author ship ▁The ▁Associ ated ▁Press ▁the or ized ▁that ▁public ▁curiosity ▁over ▁the ▁author ' s ▁identity ▁may ▁res emble ▁the ▁public ▁r iddle ▁that ▁occurred ▁after ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁Primary ▁Colors , ▁a ▁roman ▁à ▁cle f ▁on ▁the ▁Bill ▁Cl inton ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁president ial ▁campaign . ▁ ▁The ▁author ▁said ▁they ▁would ▁reve al ▁their ▁identity ▁at ▁some ▁point . ▁ ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 2 0 2 0 , ▁President ▁Donald ▁Trump ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁knows ▁the ▁identity ▁of ▁the ▁author ▁but ▁refused ▁to ▁release ▁the ▁author ' s ▁identity ▁to ▁the ▁public . ▁ ▁Re views ▁Ron ▁El ving ▁of ▁N PR ▁gave ▁the ▁book ▁a ▁positive ▁review , ▁pra ising ▁its ▁" s ust ained ▁presence ▁of ▁surprising ly ▁high - mind ed , ▁intellectual ▁discussion ." ▁ ▁Carlos ▁L oz ada ▁of ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁p anned ▁the ▁book , ▁critic izing ▁its ▁lack ▁of ▁revel ations ▁and ▁acc using ▁it ▁of ▁creating ▁more ▁" no ise ". ▁ ▁In ▁her ▁review ▁for ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁Book ▁Review , ▁Jenn ifer ▁Sz al ai ▁gave ▁the ▁book ▁a ▁negative ▁review , ▁asking , ▁" How ▁can ▁a ▁book ▁that ▁has ▁been ▁den