Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao ordered Brandon Newsom onto administrative leave after an undercover recording captured the longtime official criticizing President Donald Trump and claiming he could reverse administration policies.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A senior Pentagon adviser was placed on administrative leave Wednesday after the O’Keefe Media Group released hidden-camera footage in which he criticized President Donald Trump, questioned the war in Iran and claimed he had the influence to undo actions taken by the administration.
Brandon Newsom, a senior official in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, was removed from duty while the department reviews his conduct and determines whether additional action is warranted.
“The Department of the Navy takes the conduct shown in this video extremely seriously. Such statements and apparent intent to leverage a position to undermine the policies and direction set by our elected leaders are inappropriate and incompatible with the standards expected of Department personnel,” Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said in a public statement.
“Effective immediately, this individual has been placed on administrative leave while we determine next steps to ensure accountability and protect the integrity of our mission,” Cao said.
The disciplinary action followed the release of an undercover video recorded by O’Keefe Media Group founder James O’Keefe, who wore a mustache and glasses while meeting Newsom during what was presented as a date.
O’Keefe identified Newsom as a 16-year official within the Office of the Secretary of the Navy whose responsibilities include overseeing administrative operations connected to the department’s leadership.
“Meet Brandon Newsom, a senior official in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy for 16 years. He oversees corporate operations supporting Secretary Hegseth, including HR, IT, security, facilities, records management, and implementation of executive orders,” O’Keefe said.
During the recorded conversation, Newsom suggested that his position gave him the ability to influence how administration policies were carried out inside the Pentagon.
“I’ve seen some things. In true D.C. nature, you don’t always reveal everything in D.C,” Newsom told O’Keefe.
“I have the influence…., I can undo whatever’s been done,” he said.
Newsom also offered a sharply critical personal assessment of Trump.
“I think Trump is a narcissist,” Newsom said.
He then criticized the administration’s handling of the conflict with Iran, describing the war as unnecessary and driven by the president’s personal motivations.
“Yeah. I think it’s [War in Iran] completely stupid, but it’s driven on one man’s [President Trump] ego to me, in my own personal opinion,” Newsom said.
At one point in the conversation, Newsom told the disguised O’Keefe, “I mean, you could be a news reporter.”
The recording also captured Newsom discussing the Pentagon’s monthly voluntary Christian prayer service. He indicated that he intended to seek a reversal of the program.
O’Keefe framed the comments as evidence of a broader conflict between elected presidents and career government officials who remain inside federal agencies across multiple administrations.
“This begs the question: If a government director says he can slow or reverse a sitting President’s agenda, who really governs the country? Is it the individual Americans elect or the career officials who outlast every administration?” O’Keefe said.
The Navy’s response focused not merely on Newsom’s criticism of Trump but on his stated willingness to use his government position to obstruct or reverse policies established by elected leadership.
Cao said such conduct would be inconsistent with the standards expected of Navy Department personnel and could undermine the integrity of the department’s mission.
Newsom’s placement on leave took effect immediately. The department did not announce how long the review would take or specify what disciplinary measures could follow.
The video’s release and the Navy’s rapid response place renewed scrutiny on the role of career officials in carrying out presidential directives, particularly when those officials privately oppose the policies they are responsible for implementing.
Original article
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