Federal budget reports and announcements from the Office of Management and Budget

Trump Names Budget Hawk Russell Vought as OMB Director, Signaling Support for Project 2025 Reforms

Nov 23, 2024, 12:15 AM

President-elect Donald Trump has selected Russell Vought, a prominent conservative and budget hawk, to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in his upcoming administration, marking Vought's return to the role he previously held. Vought met with Trump in Florida this week before his appointment was confirmed. As a key architect of Project 2025, a controversial plan aimed at restructuring the federal government to enhance presidential power, Vought wrote a chapter on transforming the executive office. His appointment signals Trump's intention to pursue aggressive reforms, including working with the Department of Government Efficiency to cut government spending and reduce waste. Vought has previously asserted that the president has authority to unilaterally claw back spending without Congress. His return to the OMB underscores the incoming administration's focus on implementing the America First agenda and dismantling the bureaucracy that supporters refer to as the "deep state." The selection is notable given Trump's earlier denial of knowledge about Project 2025, suggesting a stronger alignment with its objectives.