WASHINGTON, DC—The Express Tribune reports that an investigative report from the O’Keefe Media Group (OMG) revealed several controversial remarks by a former FBI agent and (now former) Pentagon consultant.
Jamie Mannina met in a series of undercover meetings with a journalist from OMG and slammed President-elect Donald Trump and his nominee to head the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth.
Mannina, who held a senior advisory role with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was fired after the OMG video became public. Joint Staff Public Affairs Spokesman Joseph Holstead emailed OMG to inform them of the firing.
Mannina is a typical DC swamp rat. He worked as a special agent with the FBI and then as a special assistant to Hillary Clinton. After Clinton lost to Trump in 2016, he worked on counterintelligence, focusing on Russian and Chinese espionage efforts, which he claimed influenced the 2016 election. In the undercover recordings, he expressed the belief that foreign interference compromised that election.
Mannina was asked about Trump and referred to him as “a sociopathic narcissist” primarily driven by self-interest. He further claimed that President-elect Trump will try to remain in office at the end of his term, which is laughable. He said he held that belief because Trump would attempt to avoid legal issues after his term ends.
Mannina also discussed attempting to interfere in Trump’s second term (isn’t that an insurrection?) and had been speaking to several retired military officers, including admirals and major generals, to explore ways to corral Trump in his second term. He expressed disappointment that Kamala Harris was shellacked in November’s election and hoped he would achieve a significant position with the National Security Leaders for America, an organization focused on warning the American people about perceived national security risks posed by a second Trump presidency.
Mannina, who was deeply involved in the 2016 and 2020 elections, boasted about his efforts to defeat Trump. He claimed to have published over 100 opinion pieces in outlets such as The Huffington Post and The Hill, arguing that Trump posed a threat to the Constitution. More recently, Mannina began ghostwriting articles for retired generals instead of using his name, which he said was an effort to challenge Trump’s influence.
Mannina then took to criticizing Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary, Army veteran and double Bronze Star recipient Pete Hegseth. He accused Hegseth of infidelity, alcoholism, and sexual assault allegations despite the lack of anyone going on the record making such claims, which are all based on anonymous “sources.” Mannina’s comments, which could potentially damage Hegseth's reputation, suggested that Hegseth was unfit for leadership.
Mannina expressed reservations about the upcoming Trump administration and his place in it. He noted that his transparency during the undercover interviews was “unusual,” but he felt compelled to divulge information he normally would keep quiet.
After the undercover interviews, OMG sought to confirm Mannina’s claims. The Joint Staff of Public Affairs denied that Mannina was an advisor to General Charles Brown, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, or the Joint Chiefs in general. They confirmed that Mannina worked as a contracted employee with Booz Allen Hamilton in the Joint Staff’s J6 C4 & Cyber Division. However, they emphasized that his personal views did not reflect the official stance of US military leadership.
They further wrote that his comments didn’t represent the views of General Brown, who is poised to be President-elect Trump’s principal military advisor. The Joint Chiefs further said they are looking forward to working with the Trump administration.
Comments
2025-01-22T09:49-0500 | Comment by: Philip
Gee, I hope President Trump's advisors fully and unapologetically vet General Brown. A series of questions should include a full accounting of any advice that Mannina offered to General Brown. The National Security Leaders for America appears to be a group of activists that target non-liberals in order to sabbatage their governing effectiveness.
2025-01-22T10:07-0500 | Comment by: Philip
Gee, I hope President Trump's advisors fully and unapologetically vet General Brown. A series of questions should include a full accounting of any advice that Mannina offered to General Brown. The National Security Leaders for America appears to be a group of activists that target non-liberals in order to sabotage their governing effectiveness.
2025-01-26T20:25-0500 | Comment by: Carlton
Treason. Arees the military criminals and court martial them . Try the civilians. Line them all up .