Brandon Newsom, a senior Pentagon official is no longer employed by the Department of the Navy after a hidden-camera video appeared to show him criticizing President Donald Trump and discussing plans to reverse some of the administration’s policies.
Who is Brandon Newsom and what happened?
Brandon Newsom is the former head of business operations for the Department of the Navy and he is no longer working at the department, according to acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao.
Newsom was placed on administrative leave earlier this week after footage emerged showing him criticizing President Donald Trump. It is not clear whether Newsom voluntarily left his position or whether he was fired, per Newsweek. The Pentagon referred queries on Newsom’s departure to the US Navy.
Newsom was secretly filmed by right-wing activist James O’Keefe, who published the clips online.
What did Newsom say in the hidden-camera video?
In the footage, released on July 22, Wednesday, Newsom said 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].” When asked what he would undo, he talked of “a lot of times” when working at the Pentagon “challenges my morals,” saying he would not have “one specific prayer service” and would undo employee “schedule policy.”
Newsom 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 said in a statement, “The Department of the Navy takes the conduct shown in this video extremely seriously.” He added, “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.” Cao further said, “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.”
Ht.com couldn’t independently verify the video.
Pentagon’s wider shake-up under Hegseth
Newsom’s exit comes amid a bigger shake-up at the Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who wants to remove “woke” values, including DEI programs, from the military. Hegseth has blocked several promotions and removed top officials, including Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the Navy, and General CQ Brown, as per Newsweek.
Other officials fired include Lt General Jeffrey Kruse, who lost his job in August 2025 after his agency said US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites were less effective than Trump claimed.
In April, three Pentagon officials, Dan Caldwell, Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll were placed on leave over leak investigations they called unjust. In a joint statement, they wrote, “We are incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended. Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door,” per Newsweek.
