Pentagon Insider Caught Plotting to Reverse Trump Policies, Placed on Leave

In a covert interview conducted by James O’Keefe, longtime Pentagon staffer Brandon Newsom, director of business operations in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, admitted he intended to remain in his post to “undo whatever’s been done” by the Trump administration after an election shift. He labeled the president a “textbook narcissist,” dismissed U.S. policy toward Iran as “stupid,” and said he would leverage his influence despite lacking formal authority.

The remarks illustrate what the author describes as a broader problem of career civil servants prioritizing personal ideology over constitutional duty. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao promptly placed Newsom on administrative leave, urging removal. The piece calls for stricter enforcement of loyalty to the chain of command and warns that such internal resistance harms readiness and signals division to adversaries.