DOW • Navy • Woke Agenda

Deep State in the Pentagon waiting to undo everything Hegseth and Trump have accomplished

23 July 2026

Senior Pentagon bureaucrat: “The way I look at it is… when the election changes… I want to stay and stick it out so that when the time comes, I can undo whatever’s been done.” The Executive Orders need to be codified into law so we don’t return back to the nightmare.

By James O’Keefe on X

Meet Brandon Newsom, a senior official in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy for 16 years. He oversees corporate operations supporting Secretary Hegseth, including HR, IT, security, facilities, records management, and implementation of executive orders.

This is our latest installment of exposing dissent within the deep state. Our hidden-camera investigations pull back the curtain on how the government operates behind closed doors.

In this undercover investigation Brandon discusses exact policies he would like to see changed under a future administration, including the federal government’s faith service program and schedule policy/career workforce reforms.

The first program policies he would seek to reverse is the Pentagon’s monthly voluntary faith service policy. This is a Christian monthly prayer worship service, readings from the Bible, and sermons from pastors. Brandon would like to provide a prayer service for all religions instead of just Christian faith services.

The second policy Brandon says he would seek to reverse is the schedule policy/career reform, a federal workforce change that moves certain senior career employees in policy-related roles into a new personnel category. Supporters argue it gives elected leaders more accountability over officials who help shape policy, while critics argue it could weaken protections traditionally afforded to career civil servants.

When I ask whether he has the authority to reverse said policies, the official responds: “I don’t have the authority to do that, but I have the influence.”

He argues that the real power of long-serving career bureaucrats lies in the positions they hold, saying, “It’s not about me, it’s about the position.”

Explaining why he has remained in government for 16 years despite disagreeing with the administration’s direction, Brandon says, “The way I look at it is… when the election changes… I want to stay and stick it out so that when the time comes, I can undo whatever’s been done.”

Brandon also shares his personal views on President Trump, telling me, “I think Trump is a narcissist.” He further criticizes the administration’s decision-making on Iran, stating, “Yeah. I think it’s [War in Iran] completely stupid, but it’s driven on one man’s ego to me in my own personal opinion.”

Brandon hints that he knows more about what goes on behind the scenes in Washington, telling me, “I’ve seen some things. In true D.C. nature, you don’t always reveal everything in D.C.”

Brandon also claims many of the Pentagon contracts cut under DOGE were data-related before major data contracts were later awarded to Palantir. When asked why, he suggests the company’s relationships with senior Pentagon officials may have played a role, stating, “That’s what it appears.” Palantir was later awarded up to $10 billion in U.S. Army data contracts.

Ironically, Brandon even acknowledges that I could be a reporter. “I mean, you could be a news reporter,” he says before continuing the conversation.

This begs the question: If a government director says he can slow or reverse a sitting President’s agenda, who really governs the country? Is it the individual Americans elect or the career officials who outlast every administration?

And maybe the biggest mystery of all: Why do government officials in D.C. keep spilling secrets to me when I’m just wearing a mustache.

For the record, Brandon Newsom is not related to California Governor Gavin Newsom.

UPDATE: Navy Secretary Hung Cao responded,

“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. 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.”

Yes:

Ret USAF Colonel, combat fighter pilot:

TEXT: STAFF
STAFF
STAFF
STAFF

What makes Hegseth so effective is that he has a staff that is smart and fully aligned.

He cleared the office on Day 1.

He was not afraid to cut people with questionable agendas. Caldwell’s firing turned out to be based on false rumors (Caldwell is a fantastic guy), but Hegseth took no chances.

He also wasn’t afraid to pull incredible staff from the Dems. Buria served under Lloyd Austin but was a too performer and was willing to realign with the mission.

OSD, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, was transformed from one of the absolute worst cabals in DC into one that actually executes the president’s agenda.

Nearly everyone who has been kicked out or sidelined from this administration fell for the same reason: unwillingness to make the hardest staff decisions.

Mike Waltz did a fantastic job (IMHO), but there were leaks and staff too comfortable in the swamp. Some of them were fully aligned but the perception undermined effectiveness.

Many of the least effective Trump appointments happened because someone hit the easy button and vacuumed in congressional staffers.

A few of Phelan’s staff are fantastic. Some flat out undermined his efforts. Many just gave him bad advice.

Every single position – uniform and civilian – needs to be ruthlessly evaluated.

@HungCao_VA
was given no notice. He is being handed a massive job in the middle of a naval war and is expected to hit the deck running.

It is going to be very tempting for him to slide into the Secretary of the Navy office, get up to speed, and deal with the staffing mess later. I truly hope he resists that temptation.

Hung had several opportunities to throw people under the bus to land this appointment, or to manhandle admirals to push his own agenda independent of his former boss. Plenty of people on the inside were encouraging him to do exactly that. He refused.

Before that, he had the opportunity to win a Senate seat through underhanded tactics. He refused.

This is a stand up guy.

This is an EOD officer, trained to fly in and lead whatever team is on hand.

He is trained to perform in the worse conditions with whatever people are on hand.

So here is my concern. If he does not deal with the staffing issues immediately, he will build loyalty with a suboptimal team. He will keep making do because he does not want to throw people he has worked with daily for weeks or months under the bus.

He will just keep making do, because he is a stand up guy and making do is what EOD trains you to do.

That approach might work for nearly any other position in DC. It will not work for Secretary of the Navy.

It will not work because shipbuilding and reforming Navy culture is a monumental task. Many very smart people I know and trust say it’s an impossible task.

I have zero doubts about his leadership ability. Zero.

But it didn’t matter how good Joe Torre was as a leader. He wouldn’t have won a single championship without the Core Four and a solid lineup of sluggers behind them.

Hung needs his Core Four. He needs sluggers. Fast.

In Washington DC,

Personnel is Policy

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1 Comment

  • Him and the rest of those yahoos need out! No pension, no benefits! Nothing. They are the enemy of America.

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