Senior Pentagon Official Suspended After Bashing Trump on Hidden Camera
Newsweek · C · trust 36/100
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. A senior Pentagon official has been placed on leave after he was secretly filmed criticizing President Donald Trump's administration and the changes it has implemented at the Department of Defense.
Right-wing activist James O'Keefe released a video on Wednesday reportedly showing Brandon Newsom, a senior official in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, being filmed with a hidden camera. Newsweek has not independently verified the footage.
In the footage, Newsom can be heard saying that he wanted to "stay and stick it out" at the Pentagon, adding: "so that way, when the time comes, I can undo whatever's been done [by the Trump administration]."
He also called Trump "a textbook narcissist," and described the Iran war as "completely stupid" and "driven by one man's ego."
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao later said that Newsom had been suspended.
"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," he wrote on X.
"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."
This is a developing story. More to follow.
Read the original at Newsweek →
Open in TruthVane →