WH economist Kevin Hassett has said publicly that if he wrote the anonymous op-ed, the Times has his permission to say so. That's pretty darned deft.
I honestly can't see a loophole in it. It's not just an iron-clad denial, it's self-executing—just offering it proves it's truthful. It's a thing of beauty.
Every reporter asking any WH figure for a statement on the op-ed should ask for a Hassett Denial, and then report it if they decline to offer one.
I thought of the out suggested below, and in theory he could try it, but I can't imagine the Times playing ball. He'd essentially be roping them into a lie.
I mean, if my hunch is wrong here, and this kind of an okey-doke would fly with a paper like the Times, I'm happy to have journalists let me know in replies or privately (anonymously! on background!). But I don't think I'm wrong.
