Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats Daniel (Dan) Ray CoatsFBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump, Biden renew push for Latino support Former Intel chief had 'deep suspicions' that Putin 'had something on Trump': book MORE on Thursday categorically denied that he was the source of an anonymous New York Times op-ed that sharply criticized President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE.

“Speculation that The New York Times op-ed was written by me or my Principal Deputy is patently false. We did not,” Coats said in a statement. “From the beginning of our tenure, we have insisted that the entire [intelligence community] remain focused on our mission to provide the President and policymakers with the best intelligence possible.”

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Speculation has run rampant in Washington since Wednesday's publication of an op-ed written by a “senior official in the Trump administration” claiming to be “part of the resistance” within the administration.

Subsequent opinion pieces published by CNN and the Weekly Standard have suggested Coats may have authored the New York Times op-ed. Former Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE aide Philippe Reines included Coats's deputy, Sue Gordon, on a list of 18 individuals who he said may have authored the controversial piece.

Trump tapped Coats, a former Republican senator from Indiana, in January 2017 to serve as director of national intelligence.

Signs of strains in their relationship emerged this summer following the president’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, when Trump appeared to question the U.S. intelligence community’s findings about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Trump's remarks prompted Coats to issue a rare statement affirming the intelligence community’s assessment as sound and “fact-based.”

Coats later said he was unsure of what was discussed during Trump’s one-on-one meeting with Putin. He also seemed surprised when he first learned that the White House had floated the possibility of a second Trump-Putin meeting in Washington. Coats said at a later point that his “awkward” response was not intended to “be disrespectful or criticize the actions of the president.”

Updated at 10:18 a.m.