Two White House officials were caught on undercover video admitting to making policy decisions without President Trump’s direct input, with one staffer openly calling for the president’s removal and now placed on administrative leave.

Officials Admit To Bypassing Presidential Authority

Maxim Lott, a Special Assistant to President Trump on the White House Domestic Policy Council, told an undercover journalist from O’Keefe Media Group that domestic policy decisions frequently happen based on what officials think Trump would want, rather than direct presidential guidance. Lott admitted that policies move forward simply because they feel like good ideas or because the base supports them, without formal cost-benefit analysis or presidential approval. He described a process where officials at levels below the president make decisions by assuming they know Trump well enough to predict his preferences.

Budget Analyst Calls For Trump Removal

Benjamin Ellisten, a Budget Analyst Manager within the Executive Office of the President, went further in his statements captured on video. He told the undercover journalist that the administration needs to remove Trump from office, calling the president a madman and stating that Trump is ruining things for everybody. Ellisten emphasized that his coworkers cannot know his true feelings about the sitting president. When O’Keefe Media Group contacted him for comment, Ellisten claimed he had no idea what they were talking about and quickly ended the phone call.

Immediate Consequences And Official Responses

Following the video release on Tuesday, Benjamin Ellisten was placed on administrative leave from his position. Maxim Lott responded to requests for comment by stating he went out with someone he believed was genuine, highlighting the insidious nature of politics in Washington. Lott insisted that nothing he said contradicted the administration and that he remains fully committed to carrying out the president’s agenda. The recordings raise serious questions about the extent of independent policy-making within the White House and whether unelected officials are advancing their own preferences rather than implementing the president’s directives as elected by American voters.