Trump's Shutdown Strategy: The Rise of Russell Vought

Mon Oct 13 2025 22:43:36 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In the midst of a government shutdown, Donald Trump is leveraging conservative strategies to reshape federal spending under the guidance of Russell Vought, who has emerged as a key figure in budget cuts aimed at 'Democrat agencies'.

As the U.S. government shutdown unfolds, Donald Trump has signaled his intention to wield the 'Project 2025' strategy to enforce significant budget cuts, especially targeting Democrat-endorsed programs. Russell Vought, a notable figure in conservative budgeting circles and director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, is positioned to play a critical role in this effort. Trump's portrayal of Vought as the 'grim reaper' for government programs underscores a precarious political landscape as budgetary decisions loom large.

Donald Trump had a warning to Democrats. Soon he will decide what 'Democrat agencies' he would cut and whether those reductions would be temporary or permanent. He said the government shutdown, which began on Tuesday, had afforded him an 'unprecedented opportunity'.

I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, he posted on his Truth Social website on Thursday morning.

Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, may not be a household name, but Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for governing put together primarily by former Trump officials like Vought when the Republicans were out of power, featured prominently during last year's presidential campaign.

The 900-page policy document contained proposals for dramatic reductions in the size of federal government, expanded presidential authority, rigorous immigration enforcement, a nationwide abortion ban, and other elements of an ultra-conservative social agenda. It was frequently touted by Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris as Trump's 'dangerous plan' for the future if he were to win.

At the time, seeking to reassure undecided voters, Trump tried to distance himself from the policy document. I know nothing about Project 2025, Trump wrote in July 2024. I disagree with some of the things they're saying and some of the things they're saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.

Now, however, Trump is using the conservative blueprint as a threat to get Democrats to agree to his budgetary demands. And he is holding up Vought, who authored a chapter on the use of executive power, as a kind of budgetary angel of death, ready to take a scythe to government programs near and dear to Democrats.

In case that particular metaphor wasn't clear, on Thursday night Trump shared an AI-generated parody music video on Truth Social with Vought portrayed as the grim reaper, set to altered lyrics of Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper.

On Capitol Hill, Republican leaders have echoed Trump's characterization of Vought as the White House heavy. We don't control what he's going to do, Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said. This is the risk of shutting down the government and handing the keys to Russ Vought. Senator Mike Lee of Utah told Fox News that Vought had been preparing for this moment since puberty.

Vought, who cut his teeth as a congressional staffer for Republican budget hawks and helped run the lobbying arm of the Heritage Foundation, has a wealth of experience digging through the intricacies of the federal budget.

Now, Trump has threatened to unleash Vought at a time when their cuts might be deeper and more durable than those instituted earlier this year. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich noted that Vought and his team have been preparing for exactly these circumstances while they were in the political wilderness during the Biden years.

They all knew a government shutdown was possible, he said. I think they had decided early on that you're only going to get the scale of change they want if you're very tough and very determined and every chance you get, you take the opportunity.

Vought has already announced major infrastructure projects are on hold, citing the need for a review of potentially illegal racial hiring practices, and he's cancelled nearly $8 billion in clean energy projects across 16 states, all of which supported Harris in last year's presidential race.

Republicans have been warning of dire consequences of the shutdown, while some party members express concern that such budgetary cuts could turn public sentiment against them if the shutdown prolongs.

While the current political climate presents challenges, the drive for budgetary cuts remains a central focus for Trump and Vought as they navigate this unprecedented period of government shutdown.