WASHINGTON: Russell Vought, the powerful head of the Office of Management and Budget, is using the US government shutdown to deliver shock therapy to American bureaucracy.
The right-wing ideologue has become perhaps the most powerful man in Washington after Donald Trump himself during this fiscal crisis.
White House officials have indicated that mass firings of federal workers are imminent rather than the usual temporary unpaid leave during shutdowns.
Trump has specifically tasked Vought with identifying which Democratic agencies to recommend for significant budget cuts.
The former president even posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social depicting Vought as the grim reaper walking through Washington with a scythe.
Vought is implementing the far-right governance blueprint called Project 2025, which he helped author during the Biden administration.
Trump had initially distanced himself from the ultra-conservative policy plan during his reelection campaign but now refers to Vought as the project’s famous architect.
Democratic lawmaker Rosa DeLauro accuses Vought of having engineered the shutdown to advance his radical agenda.
She claims he has been scheming to dismantle essential government functions with no regard for working-class Americans who depend on them.
Government shutdowns occur when lawmakers fail to pass an annual budget bill to fund federal operations.
Vought graduated from an evangelical Christian college before earning a law degree and working as a Republican staffer and conservative lobbyist.
He previously served as OMB director during Trump’s first term and spent the Biden years planning for a conservative government takeover.
The budget chief wants to institute efficiency in what he sees as a bloated federal bureaucracy through aggressive executive action.
Vought recently described the US government as a woke and weaponized administrative state resisting presidential directives.
He was swiftly confirmed for his current position in February 2025 after Trump’s election victory.
Tech tycoon Elon Musk initially wielded the cost-cutting chainsaw during the administration’s early months.
Sources indicate Vought disagreed with parts of Musk’s approach despite supporting overall reduction goals.
The OMB director has openly called for creating trauma within government bureaucracies that he claims hate the American people.
Vought believes all executive power must be vested in the executive branch rather than distributed throughout government agencies.
His agenda includes burying foreign aid, ending federal funding for public broadcasting, and rolling back numerous regulations.
The budget chief recently expressed excitement about being involved in this transformative governmental restructuring. – AFP
