One of the most memorable stories of the summer was that of @NatSecWonk, the snarky anonymous tweeter who regularly skewered Washington journalists and national security elites, and was unmasked as White House staffer Jofi Joseph.
Joseph’s bosses and colleagues were not spared @NatSecWonk’s ridicule. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon was blasted for his alleged penchant for hiring young and attractive females. Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter had "one of the largest [egos]" in town, and Obama national security adviser Ben Rhodes was just a "P.R. flack" who couldn’t make a "substantive case on foreign policy."
Joseph was axed shortly after the White House discovered his online identity, and the Daily Beast’s Josh Rogin later revealed his Twitter persona.
However, speculation persists over whether he was also behind another anonymous Twitter handle known as @DCHobbyist—a self-professed patron of Washington’s escort scene.
@DCHobbyist’s account was abruptly locked after the Daily Beast story broke.
Prior to that, @DCHobbyist had described himself as a "hobbyist in search of an upscale [Girlfriend Experience] with a striking young beauty" and tweeted about his trysts with prostitutes, sex industry commentary, and observations on national security.
Joseph may go down in history as one of the most prolific and eclectic pseudonymous tweeters in Washington. He was certainly one of the most engaging, vicious, and bitingly snarky ones. To say @NatSecWonk is missed would be an exaggeration—but we wouldn’t mind seeing a tell-all book about the White House’s bumbling national security team in 2014.
