Trump's rage over the anonymity of the whistleblower may seem excessive, but it has its own logic. Anonymity means Trump can't give the person an insulting nickname, can't call him or her ugly or fat, can't use his surrogates to smear and intimidate. He can't make it personal. And if Trump can't make it deeply personal somehow, his only alternative is to challenge the whistleblower's account on its merits, on factual grounds, which Trump knows is impossible. THAT is why he's so frustrated. His foe's anonymity disarms him." ~ Jay Bookman via Twitter