The shutdown's quiet power broker: What to know about Russ Vought

"Vought said Monday, as the funding gap began, that the Trump administration would begin firing federal workers within days. He had previously threatened mass layoffs if a shutdown began. Vought called the shutdown deadline a "very critical juncture" on Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast last month."

"In the Trump White House, Vought stands out for knowing how the bureaucracy works and how to navigate it. "He cares a lot about understanding all the details so he can maximally weaponize things," Bobby Kogan, a former OMB staffer during the Biden administration told Axios earlier this year. "He's incredibly effective." Behind the scenes: Vought felt sidelined by Elon Musk's role with the Department of Government Efficiency, the New York Times reported in September."

"Before joining the first Trump administration, Vought was the vice president of Heritage Action for America, a sister organization to the Heritage Foundation. He advocated for deep cuts to Medicaid, the Education Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) - all of which the Trump administration began executing this year. Last month, Vought said he didn't believe the Government Accountability Office, Congress' watchdog, should exist."

Russell Vought announced that the administration would begin firing federal workers within days as a funding gap began, after previously threatening mass layoffs if a shutdown occurred. He called the shutdown deadline a "very critical juncture." He understands bureaucratic processes and leverages details to advance policy. He felt sidelined by Elon Musk's role with the Department of Government Efficiency and pushed to make DOGE cuts permanent. Before the administration he served as vice president of Heritage Action for America and advocated deep cuts to Medicaid, the Education Department and USAID. He stated that the Government Accountability Office should not exist and advised the president on agency cuts.

Read at Axios