Vought aims to dismantle the 'deep state.' It's occurring as he assumes office.
The administration's initial actions to terminate thousands of federal employees and dismantle entire agencies prior to Vought assuming office highlight his significant impact at the White House.
TroibNews 
Russell Vought assumes the role of President Donald Trump’s budget chief today with a mission to fundamentally dismantle the federal bureaucracy. However, his initiatives have already begun.
The administration’s initial actions to remove thousands of federal employees and disassemble entire agencies prior to Vought's official start underscore his significant influence within the White House. These measures shed light on his comprehensive strategy to alter the core structure of American governance.
In his first 19 days in office, Trump has issued numerous executive orders and directives, which include revoking civil service protections, freezing federal hiring, and initiating a detailed evaluation of federal spending to ensure that no funds contribute to programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, or other initiatives that contradict his objectives.
The orders reflect Vought's imprint and align with Trump’s overarching goal to dismantle a federal “deep state” that he believes impeded his agenda during his initial term, according to Trump insiders and those familiar with Vought’s views.
Progressive activists, federal employees, and attorneys from across the country are closely scrutinizing the new OMB director—a typically low-profile role that now inspires significant concern regarding potential violations of spending laws and the dismantling of environmental protections, social welfare programs, and other liberal priorities. Conversely, Trump supporters regard Vought as a highly strategic conservative thinker capable of more effectively advancing a vision to reshape government compared to his prior term.
Signs of Vought's power at OMB were already evident prior to his official confirmation on Thursday night. Many of his former associates from his earlier OMB tenure, such as Hugh Fike, Mark Paoletta, and Rachel Cauley, have returned to the office. Additionally, when OMB released a federal spending memo that caused turmoil in Washington, Vought—still awaiting confirmation—collaborated with press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who assured everyone that “the line to his office is open for other federal government agencies.”
The rapid execution of Vought’s ambitious agenda has left the federal government shaken and provides a glimpse of the dramatic changes expected from the start of his tenure: ongoing turmoil, significant adjustments, and a relentless culling of the federal workforce.
“OMB is up to its neck right now executing on the president’s priorities,” remarked a senior White House official familiar with Vought’s previous work, who asked to remain anonymous to share insights about the office’s operations. "Russ will arrive at a time when OMB is being asked to execute a huge swath of the president’s agenda.”
Vought has expressed his desire to inflict “trauma” on the federal workforce, dismantle an elitist structure he believes has long suppressed conservative values, and shake up the American government, which he perceives as being dominated by an “administrative state.” His vision closely aligns with the framework laid out in the chapter he contributed to the Heritage Foundation’s contentious Project 2025 report.
“He's someone who is like a bull in a china shop, as far as his convictions are concerned,” noted a source close to Vought who requested anonymity to describe his approach.
A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget did not comment when requested.
Vought is also expected to advocate for his theory on impoundments, asserting the president's authority to disregard congressional spending directives. He hinted at this agenda when OMB issued a confusingly worded memo last week that appeared to impose a sweeping federal spending freeze before being legally challenged and retracted. A subsequent clarification from the White House indicated that the intended freeze only applied to spending that directly contradicted the president's executive orders.
Former OMB officials from various administrations commented that the somewhat clumsy maneuver seemed atypical for Vought, who is known for his strategic thinking. They anticipate he will eventually present a well-structured argument when addressing this issue in court. Those familiar with Vought assert that he often dedicates his free time to studying budget documents, suggesting he may soon provide new guidance on the funding freeze once he officially takes the reins.
“They’ll wait until they have a clean, clear case to do something, and then they’ll try to move ahead with some authority,” said James Capretta, who previously served as associate director of the White House budget office under George W. Bush. “They’re pretty good at trying to ensure it’s targeted to areas where they believe they might win.”
Democrats in Congress are strategizing potential legal challenges against Vought’s directives, which might escalate to the Supreme Court. Sen. Tim Kaine indicated a willingness to explore mechanisms that would enforce congressional spending decisions.
“The question might be, what might we do, for example, in the budget discussion to kind of foolproof some of it and block [Vought] from doing some of that?” Kaine remarked. “Because it would be unusual to have a budget discussion, vote on a budget, and then immediately start ignoring it.”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, leading House Democratic appropriator, expressed profound concerns about Vought, noting that she has engaged with education and veterans groups to inform them of his plans.
“Russ Vought does not belong in public service. He really should be thrown out. He is a dangerous person to our government and to that opportunity,” DeLauro stated. “You know the name Grover Norquist — shrink government to the size that you can drown it in the bathtub. That's what they are about. That's it. And we're gonna fight him every step of the way.”
In addition to fundamentally restructuring the federal government, Vought faces the task of managing the president’s budget, typically due to Congress in February but often submitted late. Federal funding is set to lapse in mid-March as Congress navigates budget reconciliation legislation to promote several of Trump’s key priorities, including tax reform and border security.
“It’s very easy to make the job just managing incoming, which I think is frankly largely what they did during the first term,” a former OMB official from the George W. Bush administration observed. “The challenge is, Trump very much seems to want to transform government. Can you actually move beyond just dealing with immediate pressures to implement significant reforms?”
Vought is the only member from Trump’s first Cabinet returning to the same role. He first joined OMB in 2020, succeeding Mick Mulvaney as director after Mulvaney became chief of staff.
Over his extensive career in Washington, Vought has cultivated a reputation as a staunch fiscal conservative advocating for balanced budgets and lower taxes, closely resonating with the populist, America First rhetoric of the MAGA movement. He is also recognized for his provocateur nature—able to evoke strong reactions from others—while remaining deeply committed to conservative beliefs, as noted by individuals familiar with him.
“If you're really convinced that progressivism imperils the nation, imperils a healthy culture, you're going to really want to attack it. He's a nice guy, and he's a civil guy, but he would view progressivism as a genuine, contemptible force that needs to be disempowered. And I think that he really wants to see progressives lose,” one source familiar with Vought remarked.
Vought, a devout Christian, is viewed by social conservatives as a champion of their cause within the administration. He has referred to himself as a “Christian nationalist,” a label some believe he has embraced provocatively.
“I don't think it was wise of him to take that term necessarily, but there's also probably a little bit of provocateur in that,” the source commented. “Like, ‘If the left is calling me that, sure. Why the hell not? Let's just run with it.’”
His outspoken nature and ambitious agenda have also attracted numerous detractors who see him as a threat to American democracy. Some Democrats attempted a last-minute effort to block his confirmation. Ultimately, Vought was confirmed late Thursday with a 53-47 vote.
Vought’s agenda aligns closely with the objectives of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, recently focused on USAID as it examines federal records to identify areas for spending cuts. It remains unclear whether Vought and Musk will be able to coordinate their efforts or find themselves at odds.
“He’s not a pushover. He takes this very seriously. So when he’s not able to accomplish the president’s goals at first, he doesn’t surrender. He doubles down,” a former senior White House official explained. “I think we saw a lot of scenarios in the last administrations where secretaries, various individuals, would get stymied by their own bureaucracies and kind of just surrender to it a little bit. And that was extremely frustrating. Russ is not that way.”
Jennifer Scholtes contributed to this report.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
The administration’s initial actions to remove thousands of federal employees and disassemble entire agencies prior to Vought's official start underscore his significant influence within the White House. These measures shed light on his comprehensive strategy to alter the core structure of American governance.
In his first 19 days in office, Trump has issued numerous executive orders and directives, which include revoking civil service protections, freezing federal hiring, and initiating a detailed evaluation of federal spending to ensure that no funds contribute to programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, or other initiatives that contradict his objectives.
The orders reflect Vought's imprint and align with Trump’s overarching goal to dismantle a federal “deep state” that he believes impeded his agenda during his initial term, according to Trump insiders and those familiar with Vought’s views.
Progressive activists, federal employees, and attorneys from across the country are closely scrutinizing the new OMB director—a typically low-profile role that now inspires significant concern regarding potential violations of spending laws and the dismantling of environmental protections, social welfare programs, and other liberal priorities. Conversely, Trump supporters regard Vought as a highly strategic conservative thinker capable of more effectively advancing a vision to reshape government compared to his prior term.
Signs of Vought's power at OMB were already evident prior to his official confirmation on Thursday night. Many of his former associates from his earlier OMB tenure, such as Hugh Fike, Mark Paoletta, and Rachel Cauley, have returned to the office. Additionally, when OMB released a federal spending memo that caused turmoil in Washington, Vought—still awaiting confirmation—collaborated with press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who assured everyone that “the line to his office is open for other federal government agencies.”
The rapid execution of Vought’s ambitious agenda has left the federal government shaken and provides a glimpse of the dramatic changes expected from the start of his tenure: ongoing turmoil, significant adjustments, and a relentless culling of the federal workforce.
“OMB is up to its neck right now executing on the president’s priorities,” remarked a senior White House official familiar with Vought’s previous work, who asked to remain anonymous to share insights about the office’s operations. "Russ will arrive at a time when OMB is being asked to execute a huge swath of the president’s agenda.”
Vought has expressed his desire to inflict “trauma” on the federal workforce, dismantle an elitist structure he believes has long suppressed conservative values, and shake up the American government, which he perceives as being dominated by an “administrative state.” His vision closely aligns with the framework laid out in the chapter he contributed to the Heritage Foundation’s contentious Project 2025 report.
“He's someone who is like a bull in a china shop, as far as his convictions are concerned,” noted a source close to Vought who requested anonymity to describe his approach.
A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget did not comment when requested.
Vought is also expected to advocate for his theory on impoundments, asserting the president's authority to disregard congressional spending directives. He hinted at this agenda when OMB issued a confusingly worded memo last week that appeared to impose a sweeping federal spending freeze before being legally challenged and retracted. A subsequent clarification from the White House indicated that the intended freeze only applied to spending that directly contradicted the president's executive orders.
Former OMB officials from various administrations commented that the somewhat clumsy maneuver seemed atypical for Vought, who is known for his strategic thinking. They anticipate he will eventually present a well-structured argument when addressing this issue in court. Those familiar with Vought assert that he often dedicates his free time to studying budget documents, suggesting he may soon provide new guidance on the funding freeze once he officially takes the reins.
“They’ll wait until they have a clean, clear case to do something, and then they’ll try to move ahead with some authority,” said James Capretta, who previously served as associate director of the White House budget office under George W. Bush. “They’re pretty good at trying to ensure it’s targeted to areas where they believe they might win.”
Democrats in Congress are strategizing potential legal challenges against Vought’s directives, which might escalate to the Supreme Court. Sen. Tim Kaine indicated a willingness to explore mechanisms that would enforce congressional spending decisions.
“The question might be, what might we do, for example, in the budget discussion to kind of foolproof some of it and block [Vought] from doing some of that?” Kaine remarked. “Because it would be unusual to have a budget discussion, vote on a budget, and then immediately start ignoring it.”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, leading House Democratic appropriator, expressed profound concerns about Vought, noting that she has engaged with education and veterans groups to inform them of his plans.
“Russ Vought does not belong in public service. He really should be thrown out. He is a dangerous person to our government and to that opportunity,” DeLauro stated. “You know the name Grover Norquist — shrink government to the size that you can drown it in the bathtub. That's what they are about. That's it. And we're gonna fight him every step of the way.”
In addition to fundamentally restructuring the federal government, Vought faces the task of managing the president’s budget, typically due to Congress in February but often submitted late. Federal funding is set to lapse in mid-March as Congress navigates budget reconciliation legislation to promote several of Trump’s key priorities, including tax reform and border security.
“It’s very easy to make the job just managing incoming, which I think is frankly largely what they did during the first term,” a former OMB official from the George W. Bush administration observed. “The challenge is, Trump very much seems to want to transform government. Can you actually move beyond just dealing with immediate pressures to implement significant reforms?”
Vought is the only member from Trump’s first Cabinet returning to the same role. He first joined OMB in 2020, succeeding Mick Mulvaney as director after Mulvaney became chief of staff.
Over his extensive career in Washington, Vought has cultivated a reputation as a staunch fiscal conservative advocating for balanced budgets and lower taxes, closely resonating with the populist, America First rhetoric of the MAGA movement. He is also recognized for his provocateur nature—able to evoke strong reactions from others—while remaining deeply committed to conservative beliefs, as noted by individuals familiar with him.
“If you're really convinced that progressivism imperils the nation, imperils a healthy culture, you're going to really want to attack it. He's a nice guy, and he's a civil guy, but he would view progressivism as a genuine, contemptible force that needs to be disempowered. And I think that he really wants to see progressives lose,” one source familiar with Vought remarked.
Vought, a devout Christian, is viewed by social conservatives as a champion of their cause within the administration. He has referred to himself as a “Christian nationalist,” a label some believe he has embraced provocatively.
“I don't think it was wise of him to take that term necessarily, but there's also probably a little bit of provocateur in that,” the source commented. “Like, ‘If the left is calling me that, sure. Why the hell not? Let's just run with it.’”
His outspoken nature and ambitious agenda have also attracted numerous detractors who see him as a threat to American democracy. Some Democrats attempted a last-minute effort to block his confirmation. Ultimately, Vought was confirmed late Thursday with a 53-47 vote.
Vought’s agenda aligns closely with the objectives of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, recently focused on USAID as it examines federal records to identify areas for spending cuts. It remains unclear whether Vought and Musk will be able to coordinate their efforts or find themselves at odds.
“He’s not a pushover. He takes this very seriously. So when he’s not able to accomplish the president’s goals at first, he doesn’t surrender. He doubles down,” a former senior White House official explained. “I think we saw a lot of scenarios in the last administrations where secretaries, various individuals, would get stymied by their own bureaucracies and kind of just surrender to it a little bit. And that was extremely frustrating. Russ is not that way.”
Jennifer Scholtes contributed to this report.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
