The White House has placed a senior administration official on administrative leave after undercover footage released by conservative investigative journalist James O’Keefe sparked widespread attention and criticism. The secretly recorded conversations featured comments that were highly critical of President Donald Trump and the administration, prompting an immediate response from the White House.
The official at the center of the controversy is Benjamin Ellisten, who served as a senior budget analyst and funding manager within the Executive Office of the President. According to the recordings, Ellisten made several remarks expressing frustration with Trump’s leadership, referring to the president as a “madman” and suggesting that his decisions were creating problems throughout the administration. He also described Trump as “erratic” and “scary,” claiming the president’s unpredictable leadership style was a source of concern.
Following the release of the footage, a White House official confirmed that Ellisten had been placed on administrative leave while the matter is reviewed. The official emphasized that Ellisten did not have direct access to President Trump or senior White House staff and did not work on the White House campus. The administration also stated that the opinions expressed in the recordings did not represent the views of the employees who continue to serve the president and the country.
The undercover videos were produced by journalists affiliated with O’Keefe, whose investigations have frequently targeted government agencies, media organizations, and political figures. The latest recordings quickly gained traction across conservative media outlets and social media, where supporters of the president argued that they revealed continued internal opposition to Trump within the federal government.
In the conversations, Ellisten also speculated about the administration’s handling of issues involving Iran and global energy markets. He suggested that certain policy decisions could potentially benefit business interests connected to Trump’s family and mentioned what he believed looked like insider trading. However, no evidence was presented in the recordings to support those allegations, and they remain unverified.
The videos also included remarks from Maxim Lott, a special assistant on domestic policy. Lott described portions of the administration’s internal decision-making process as chaotic, saying some policies appeared to be driven more by political instincts and public support than detailed cost-benefit analysis. After the recordings became public, Lott responded by saying his comments had been taken out of context. He explained that he believed he had been speaking privately with someone he trusted and reaffirmed his commitment to carrying out the administration’s agenda. As of the latest reports, there was no indication that Lott had been placed on leave or faced disciplinary action.
The incident represents another high-profile undercover investigation targeting federal employees during Trump’s second administration. O’Keefe and his organization have increasingly focused on exposing internal criticism among government officials, particularly those viewed by Trump’s allies as insufficiently supportive of the president’s policies. The administration has consistently argued that internal resistance from career bureaucrats and political appointees undermined key priorities during Trump’s first term and has made identifying and removing officials considered disloyal a central part of its efforts since returning to office.
