Undercover Video Shows White House Staffer Calling Trump ‘Dangerous’

Popular political activist and journalist James O’Keefe published a new undercover report this week showing two White House staffers speaking critically against President Donald Trump and advocating for his departure.

The footage, aired on O’Keefe’s program “On The Inside,” shows the two men in conversations with an undercover operative the group describes as a date arranged through online platforms.

Trump Allegedly Played No Role in Some of His Policies

Maxim Lott, identified by O’Keefe Media as a Special Assistant to the President for the Domestic Policy Council, appears in the recording describing how decisions move through the council.

Lott says some decisions may not come directly from Trump, but from staff who think they “know the president well enough” to predict what he would say.

Also, he acknowledged that Trump may not even know the Domestic Policy Council is working on certain issues.

Owen Shroyer, who hosted the program in O’Keefe’s absence, argued that the footage shows White House staff shaping domestic policy without direct input from President Trump.

In the recording, Lott gave one example involving spam phone calls. According to the report, Domestic Policy Council staff had been working on ways to block or prosecute robocalls based on what they believed Trump would support, rather than from a direct order by the president.

At the end of the broadcast, Shroyer read a written response from Lott. While Lott did not deny the meeting took place, he rejected the suggestion that he was working against the administration.

“Nothing I said was contradictory of this administration. I remain fully committed to helping carry out its agenda,” the statement said.

Ellisten’s Alleged Remarks on Trump, the Ballroom, and Oil

Elliston, identified by O’Keefe Media as a senior budget analyst and funding manager in the Executive Office of the President, makes the sharper claims in the report.

He tells the undercover journalist that Trump is “dangerous” and says his colleagues do not know he holds those views.

The White House Executive allegedly said “We’ve got to get rid of Trump.”

In the clip, Elliston appears to say Trump is reckless because he believes “nothing can stop him.”

“He literally is invincible, nothing can stop him. And that’s dangerous,” Elliston says in the transcript.

The report also shows Elliston discussing budget issues inside the administration.

He raises concerns about private donations for the White House ballroom renovation, claims taxpayer money could be used to retrofit a Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar, and alleges possible insider trading linked to Iran policy and oil prices. These claims are presented in the report but are not independently verified in the transcript.

In the clips, Ellisten alleges that figures around the administration are benefiting financially from price moves in crude after escalations with Iran, claims O’Keefe Media itself flags as unverified but newsworthy.

Political Fallout Inside the White House

O’Keefe Media has not released the full unedited footage, and the segments have not been independently verified.

The program said its team attempted follow-up calls to both men on air, with Ellisten offering no substantive comment and Lott’s written statement standing as the only direct response from either official.

The two clips, posted to O’Keefe’s X (Twitter) account, have drawn calls from Trump allies for the White House to terminate both officials and for an inspector general or congressional inquiry into how widely such views are held within the administration.

However, some users have also highlighted Owen Shroyer as an individual with a strong anti-Trump stance, after turning against the president over strong Israel support, Iran strikes, and unfulfilled “America First” promises.

“Not a good look having Owen report on this. I think it will be hard for most to look past his hatred for President Trump,” one user highlighted.

The White House has not publicly addressed the recordings.

Whether the footage leads to personnel action, formal investigations, or fades, as several prior O’Keefe campaigns have, will likely depend on how the West Wing chooses to respond in the days ahead.