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A senior Pentagon official has been suspended after he was secretly filmed calling President Donald Trump a “textbook narcissist” and criticizing changes at the Department of Defense. Right-wing activist James O’Keefe—founder of the far-right Project Veritas, known for its videos that capture individuals disclosing information about their employers—published a hidden-camera sting Wednesday that showed Brandon Newsom, the director of business operations for the U.S. Navy, complaining about changes at the DOD.Newsom can be heard saying he hopes to “stay and stick it out” at the Pentagon, in the hopes that he can “undo whatever’s been done [by the Trump administration].” Pressed on what exactly he would undo, Newsom appeared to say that his work “challenges [his] morals.”When asked what he would change, Newsom said he didn’t think there should be “one specific prayer service,” referring to the monthly Christian prayer services started by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The services have been widely criticized for violating the First Amendment prohibition against establishing a state religion. Newsom also called Trump a “textbook narcissist,” and described the Iran war as “completely stupid” and “driven by one man’s ego.” Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao announced Wednesday that Newsom had been placed on administrative leave as the agency determined next steps. “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 wrote on X.

Republicans are trying to take JD Vance down, leaving the vice president worried about his political future. The Washington Post reports that Vance is getting hit with attacks online from within the GOP, with sources close to him claiming it’s a planned “op” to hurt his prospects. Vance has faced backlash in recent months over his involvement in negotiations with Iran, which led to an already collapsed ceasefire agreement, and over what critics claim are decisions that go against President Trump, according to the Post. He is even being compared to Republican bogeymen like former President Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders. Vance’s inner circle believes it’s all aimed at preventing his ascension to the GOP’s 2028 nomination for president. Unnamed sources close to Vance complained to the Post that the criticism isn’t genuine and comes from a planned “op.” But Vance’s allies are trying to spin the attacks, claiming that coordinated opposition from “establishment” and “neoconservative” Republicans could actually help him. “Loud Washington establishment voices form an online cacophony,” Steve Cortes, a conservative commentator, told the Post, “but they do not remotely represent the consensus views of Republican voters.”Vance also took heat from many Republicans for criticizing Israeli opposition to the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding last month, even though his criticism didn’t go that far. Those attacks were renewed earlier this month after Vance sat for an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, in which he said that paid influencers were attacking him in “dishonest ways.” “You know, my response to that is, ‘Well, go to hell,’” Vance said to Rogan. “I’m going to do what I have to do for the American people. I represent Americans first, and that’s the way that I’ve tried to do this job.”Vance leads 2028 Republican presidential primary polls ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others, and even Trump seems to favor him as his successor. As the presidential election looms closer, Vance is going to be hit with more attacks and rival candidates will soon emerge. Will Vance overcome them, or will another candidate capitalize?

The post Ken Paxton Touts His Efforts to Fight Voter Fraud. His Senate Opponent Is Now Accusing Him of Committing It. appeared first on ProPublica.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is fed up with the chaos boiling in his own caucus.The Louisiana lawmaker invited a handful of Republicans into his “ceremonial room” last week to salvage a bipartisan veterans bill, a party priority that had been threatened by a few unruly Republicans.Representative Anna Paulina Luna was in that room. She had opposed the massive military benefits package, arguing against veterans’ pay bumps over concerns that it could cut down disability claims. She started yelling at Iowa Representative Zach Nunn, who supported the measure, before turning her ire toward Johnson.And that’s when the soft-spoken speaker lost it.“I’m sick of this shit,” Johnson snapped, according to multiple sources in the room that spoke to NOTUS.The outburst was out of character for Johnson, who proceeded not only to apologize to Luna but also kneeled before the elementary-school-age son of Representative Gabe Evans to express his regret for cursing in front of him. Ultimately, Johnson was forced to return to a strategy that has practically become normal due to the seemingly insurmountable disagreements from a small faction within his party: He pulled the bill.A small band of conservatives have repeatedly disrupted the Republican agenda, refusing to be team players and making governing impossible, according to several lawmakers that spoke with NOTUS.“It creates anger and resentment,” retiring Nebraska Representative Don Bacon told the digital news outlet. “We want to get things done, and dysfunction’s not good.”A collection of far-right lawmakers have learned that they can effectively hold their votes on important measures hostage in order to get what they want—a tactic that has not only worked, as Johnson placates them to win over his party’s razor-thin majority, but has also endlessly frustrated other Republicans.“The Republican conference is a diverse gathering of people, some of whom are really effective at getting things done and others who are more interested in knocking things down,” South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson told NOTUS.But the disruptive blueprint is nothing new—at least not in recent history. In 2023, a band of eight Republicans—led by disgraced former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz—used the same strategy to oust Kevin McCarthy after the former House speaker failed to rein the group in. Johnson had better watch out that his party doesn’t do the same.