Top White House Official Placed On Leave After Trashing Trump In Sting Operation
The White House has placed a top administration official on leave after a sting operation revealed his deep disdain for President Donald Trump.
Benjamin Ellisten, senior budget analyst and chief financial officer at the White House, told undercover reporter James O’Keefe that Trump is a “crazy man” who “screws everyone up.” Ellisten, who has worked at the White House since 2024, has since been placed on administrative leave, a White House official told the Daily Caller.
“He does not have direct access to the president or senior staff and does not work on the White House campus,” the official told the caller. “Such views expressed by the individual do not reflect those of the patriots who serve admirably in the administration.”
Ellisten was overheard telling O’Keefe’s reporter that Trump was a “mess,” saying they “need to get rid of him.” (RELATED: Trump says he’s ‘seriously considering’ making Venezuela 51st state. Delcy Rodriguez responds)
“He’s crazy,” Ellisten told the undercover reporter. “Literally. He’s invincible. Nothing can stop him, and that’s dangerous.”
Ellisten also criticized Trump’s leadership style, calling it “erratic” and “scary.”
“The way his decisions are so erratic, you would think he was drinking,” Ellisten said. “He doesn’t drink. And that’s what makes it so dangerous that someone who could be of sound mind and body, completely coherent, could be so reckless in their decision-making. It’s scary.”
Ellisten went further to criticize the president’s foreign policy, speculating that he intentionally inflates the price of oil to enrich himself and his family members who have business dealings in the region.
“The president knows he influences how people respond to the stock market,” Ellisten said. “So one of the things that seems to be happening, and is happening a lot, is insider trading. Like, for example, with the war in Iran, the price of oil is high.”
O’KEEFE EXPOSES: The White House Tapes https://t.co/tpK53QpWaW
– James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) May 12, 2026
Maxim Lott, special assistant for domestic policy at the White House, also revealed details about the administration’s “chaotic” inner workings.
“The decision-making processes are a little chaotic,” Lott told the undercover reporter.
“I think it’s just the general tone that, you know, the government right now is a little out of control,” Lott added. “It’s not going to fix itself.”
Lott, who previously served as a producer on John Stossel’s show, also said lower-level officials sometimes make policy decisions on the president’s behalf.
“In theory, everything should come from the president,” Lott said. “But it might come from a level below him, where they’re like, ‘I think I know the president well enough to say what he would say on this.’ It’s like, “Yeah, he would want to do that, it would be popular.” And then, at my level, five levels below or whatever, there is always a lot of discretion to say, this is clearly what he would like to do.
“You don’t say, ‘Well, this will cost $10 million but will save people $20 million.’ There’s no such thing, it’s just “this seems like a good idea” or “the grassroots support this”, okay, just sign.
When O’Keefe’s team contacted Lott, he stood by his comments and said he remains committed to Trump’s agenda.
“I dated someone I thought was a genuine person, but this shows how insidious politics and this city can be,” Lott said in a statement. “Nothing I said was inconsistent with this administration, and I remain fully committed to implementing its agenda.”
