Russell Vought may not be a household name, but he wields enormous power. As perhaps the most powerful person in the Trump administration, he arguably has more power than the Secretary of Treasury to set fiscal policy. Since he was undersecretary for transportation policy over two decades ago, his portfolio has grown tremendously. Today, he’s the leading intellectual force behind the conservative governance blueprint described under the hood of Project 2025. This largely joint initiative by former Trump officials is intended to reshape the way the federal government does business, radically shrinking it in the process.
Vought’s odyssey began as a young congressional staffer for Republican budget hawks. There he truly honed his skills working the angles of the labyrinthian federal budget. After that, he became deputy director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for President Trump’s first term. Inspired to follow this adventurous career path, in 2019 he received a big promotion — to be director. Upon Trump’s return to power earlier this year, Vought was reappointed to lead the budget office, underscoring his importance in the administration’s fiscal agenda.
In doing so, he’s established a powerful reputation for his dogged, methodical approach to budgetary issues. People mock his professorial style or call him a bean-counter. To be sure, Vought’s public statements are an indication of this no-nonsense approach, his fiscal conservatism, and commitment to bravery. He has expressed grave concerns about the state of the nation’s finances, stating, “For Russ, for myself, for anybody who’s in the budget space, this country is going bankrupt.”
In recent months, Vought has blazed a conservative, anti-government path through federal operations, pushing for extreme measures to shrink government. His time in office has already witnessed the closing or decimation of several other agencies and the even more violent chop-chop of whole departments. His extreme stance is a direct manifestation of his goal to become “the man who destroys the deep state.” This phrase encapsulates what he’s trying to accomplish and how people see his crusade.
Vought’s role in Project 2025 highlights his impact on the expanding power of the executive branch. He even wrote the definitive chapter on how future administrations can use these powers to cut the red tape and increase efficiency in government. His vision reverberates throughout the conservative movement and has long struck a chord with supporters of limited government.
Vought’s experience extends past the orbit of normal budgeting. He has joined forces with tech titans including Elon Musk on projects including the creation of Government Efficiency Department (Doge). Both partners in this collaboration are committed to melding new ways of thinking about governance with gold-plated budgetary discipline.
Although he’s operated under the radar, Vought’s rulings have real-world consequences, often delaying high-profile infrastructure projects. As he recently revealed, two of his biggest initiatives in New York City and Chicago are indeed stalled. These delays arrive amid a federal review into possible discriminatory racial hiring practices. This decision reflects the Administrator’s clear commitment to adhering to regulatory structures. It highlights the adversarial context of federal oversight.
As the standoff continues from possible government shutdowns and hardliners on both sides, like Newt Gingrich, point to Vought’s as a logical player in these conversations. “They all knew a government shutdown was possible,” Gingrich remarked, suggesting that Vought’s fiscal strategies are designed to provoke necessary dialogues about government spending.
Vought’s radical, ideological approach has found sympathetic ears and strong critics around the political establishment. Richard Stern, who has worked alongside him, asserted that Vought was “ahead of his time in the first term and right on time now.” This sentiment encapsulates the idea, as held by the aforementioned conservatives, that Vought’s strategies are necessary in order to realize any substantial reform.
Yet the OMB post is a powerful position by its nature, though sometimes this power depends on the ambition of the director. As Stern puts it, “OMB is an intrinsically powerful position, but it has almost never been wielded as such.” He further elaborated that previous directors tended to “caretake and allow the bureaucracy to slowly grow,” contrasting this with Vought’s proactive stance.
Whether they are right or wrong, Vought’s calculated gambles reflect a gutsy break from budgetary orthodoxy. Perhaps most importantly, he appears willing to challenge entrenched bureaucratic structures iconoclastically. Yet he fearlessly treads this murky waters. He is absolutely right that even when doing the right thing is politically risky, it must be done. If you continue as you are, this country is going to collapse.