"The star of that video, which quickly went viral, was Russell Vought, the president's top budget adviser. More than that, Vought is the architect of Trump's broader plan to fire civil servants, freeze government programs and dismantle entire agencies, and he's a big reason the second Trump administration has been more effective at accomplishing its goals than the first."
"Vought's title is director of the Office of Management and Budget. The OMB directorship is one of the most powerful jobs in Washington, and Vought has used his position to wage a quiet war to change the shape of the entire U.S. government. In Vought's hands, OMB has acted as a choke point for the funding that Congress approves and agencies rely on to run the government."
Russell Vought, as director of the Office of Management and Budget, leverages OMB authority to reshape the federal government by constraining funding and operations. An AI-generated video portrayed him as a scythe-wielding Grim Reaper and went viral, spotlighting his influence. OMB under Vought functions as a choke point for congressional funding, enabling program freezes, personnel actions, and agency dismantling. His behind-the-scenes role in the second Trump administration has accelerated policy objectives and led observers to describe his influence as akin to a shadow president. Vought advanced from the mail room to a central policymaking position.
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