Why did the Navy fire Brandon Newsom? Pentagon official criticizes Trump’s hidden camera video for triggering exit
Brandon Newsome, senior Pentagon The official is no longer employed by the Navy Department after a hidden camera video showed him criticizing the president Donald Trump and discuss plans to reverse some of the government’s policies.
Who is Brandon Newsom? What happened?
Brandon Newsom is the former director of business operations at the U.S. Department of Commerce navy Acting Navy Secretary Cao Hong said he no longer works for the department.
Newsom was placed on administrative leave earlier this week after videos emerged of him criticizing President Donald Trump. It’s unclear whether Newsom left voluntarily or was fired. newsweek. Pentagon refers inquiries about Newsom’s departure to Defense Department U.S. Navy.
Newsom was secretly filmed by right-wing activist James O’Keefe and the footage was posted online.
What did Newsom say in the hidden camera video?
In a video released on Wednesday, July 22, Newsom said he wanted to “stay at the Pentagon and stay the course,” adding, “So that, when the time comes, I can undo everything that has been done.” [by the Trump administration]” When asked what he would cancel, he spoke of “the many times” that “challenged my morals” while working at the Pentagon and said he would not conduct “one specific prayer service” and would eliminate “schedule policies” for employees.
Newsom also called Trump a “textbook narcissist” and described the Iran war as “utter stupidity” and “driven by one man’s ego.”
Acting Secretary of the Navy Cao Hong said in a statement, “The Department of the Navy takes the conduct in this video extremely seriously.” He added, “Such comments and the clear intention to use the position to undermine the policies and direction set by our elected leaders are inappropriate and inconsistent with the standards expected of department personnel.” Cao further said, “The individual has been placed on administrative leave, effective immediately, while we determine next steps to ensure accountability and protect the integrity of our mission.”
Ht.com was unable to independently verify the video.
Wider Pentagon shakeup under Hegseth
Newsom’s exit comes amid a larger reorganization of the Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who wants to eliminate “woke” values, including DEI programs, from the military. According to Newsweek, Hegseth blocked several promotions and ousted several senior officials, including Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the Navy, and General CQ Brown.
Other officials fired include Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Cruz, who lost his job in August 2025 after his agency said U.S. strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities were not as effective as Trump claimed.
In April, three Pentagon officials, Dan Caldwell, Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, were suspended over a leak investigation that they said was unfair. “We are deeply disappointed with the way our service at the Department of Defense ended. Unnamed Pentagon officials made baseless attacks on our character as we left,” they wrote in a joint statement, Newsweek reported.
