The O’Keefe Media Group released an undercover video of a senior Pentagon advisor condemning President Trump, calling him a “narcissist.”
The official, Brandon Newsom, has served in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy for 16 years, O’Keefe explained. Newsom oversees operations supporting War Secretary Pete Hegseth, including HR, IT, security, records, and the implementation of executive orders, among other responsibilities.
“I’ve seen some things. In true D.C. nature, you don’t always reveal everything in D.C,” Newsom told O’Keefe, adding that he has “the influence” and can “undo whatever’s been done.” He specifically stated that he “would not have [Christian] prayer service.”
“This begs the question: If a government director says he can slow or reverse a sitting President’s agenda, who really governs the country?” O’Keefe asked. “Is it the individual Americans elect or the career officials who outlast every administration?”
He went on to call President Trump a “textbook narcissist” and said he believes the war in Iran is “completely stupid.” Newsom noted that he thinks the conflict is “driven on one man’s ego to me, in my own personal opinion.”
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao condemned Newsom’s comments.
“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,” said Cao. “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.”
