An aerial view of the Pentagon, taken in 2025. The huge, Arlington County, Virginia, home of the U.S. military has one fewer employee after an undercover video went public last week. (Artem Onoprienko / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
By C. Douglas Golden July 27, 2026 at 8:32am
A director of business operations in the Pentagon is out of a job after he was allegedly caught on a hidden camera bragging that he would be able to reverse the Trump administration’s agenda after President Donald Trump left office.
Brandon Newsom, who last week was a senior director in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, thought he was on a gay date when he made the remarks. However, he was actually sitting down with a disguised James O’Keefe, best known for his work as the founder of Project Veritas.
In the video published Wednesday afternoon, Newsom called Trump “a textbook narcissist” and promised that he could “undo whatever’s been done” by his appointees.
“I want to stay and stick it out, so that way, when the time comes, I can undo whatever’s been done,” he said. “I have the influence.”
He also said that the job “challenges my morals,” adding that he would eliminate “prayer service” if at all possible.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth conducts a monthly prayer service for those who wish to take part.
Newsom also called the war in Iran “completely stupid, but it’s driven on one man’s [Trump’s] ego” and said that “in true D.C. nature, you don’t always reveal everything in D.C.”
He revealed enough that Newsom — who, according to O’Keefe, “oversees corporate operations supporting Secretary Hegseth, including HR, IT, security, facilities, records management, and implementation of executive orders” — was almost immediately suspended.
“The Department of the Navy takes the conduct shown in this video extremely seriously,” acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao wrote in a post on the social media platform X on Wednesday evening.
“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.
“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.”
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… https://t.co/7Drq968QT0
— Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao (@SECNAV) July 22, 2026
On Sunday, Cao announced that Newsom “is no longer employed by the Department of the Navy.”
The individual is no longer employed by the Department of the Navy https://t.co/tTiMU8jEeH
— Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao (@SECNAV) July 26, 2026
It is unclear whether Newsom was fired or left of his own accord.
Whichever it was, O’Keefe celebrated the move on his X account.
Sec of Navy announces TERMINATION of the guy who told me (in disguise) he wants to “undo” Trump’s policies.
Who in the Deep state should I sting next? https://t.co/0QNzY5VTUC
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) July 27, 2026
“Who in the Deep state should I sting next?” he wrote late Sunday.
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C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he’s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014.
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he’s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties).
Birthplace
Morristown, New Jersey
Education
Catholic University of America
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Topics of Expertise
American Politics, World Politics, Culture
