The man behind Trump's push for an all-powerful presidency

"Vought, who also directed the White House Office of Management and Budget in President Donald Trump's first term, had spent four years in exile from power. He worked through Joe Biden's presidency from an old row house near the Capitol, where he complained of pigeons infesting his ceiling and coordinated with other Trump loyalists to draw up sweeping, detailed plans for a comeback."

"Vought, a numbers wonk who rarely raises his voice, could barely contain his frustration, telling colleagues that he felt sidelined and undermined by the haphazard chaos of the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, according to six people with knowledge of his comments who, like others interviewed for this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution."

Russell T. Vought prepared the Trump administration's 2026 budget when Elon Musk's cost-cutting team unilaterally removed items Vought had planned to keep. Vought expressed frustration at being sidelined by the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency and warned his staff that 'DOGE' would break things and officials would have to pick up the pieces. Vought previously directed the Office of Management and Budget and spent four years planning a conservative comeback, analyzing past mistakes and devising steps to expand presidential control over the executive branch, including cutting spending, firing employees, controlling independent agencies and deregulating the economy.

Read at Boston.com