Russell Vought

Russell Vought
42nd & 44th Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Assumed office
February 7, 2025
PresidentDonald Trump
DeputyDan Bishop
Preceded byShalanda Young
In office
January 2, 2019 – January 20, 2021
Acting: January 2, 2019 – July 22, 2020
PresidentDonald Trump
DeputyDerek Kan
Preceded byMick Mulvaney
Succeeded byShalanda Young
Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Acting
Assumed office
February 7, 2025
PresidentDonald Trump
DeputyZixta Martinez
Preceded byScott Bessent (acting)
Succeeded byJonathan McKernan (nominee)
Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget
In office
March 14, 2018 – July 22, 2020
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byBrian Deese
Succeeded byDerek Kan
Personal details
Born
Russell Thurlow Vought

(1976-03-26) March 26, 1976 (age 50)
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Mary Vought
​
(div. 2023)​
Children2
EducationWheaton College (BA)
George Washington University (JD)

Russell Thurlow “Russ” Vought (born March 26, 1976) is an American political aide and government official who has been the 44th Director of the Office of Management and Budget since 2025. He served in this role before from 2020 to 2021 as the 42nd director. He was also the Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2018 to 2020. Before this, he was the vice president of Heritage Action for seven years. He also was a legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Phil Gramm.

In January 2019, Vought became Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget. On March 18, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate him to be the full-time Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought became the permanent director on July 22, 2020. He left office in January 2021 after the inauguration of Joe Biden.

In 2021, Vought founded the organization the Center for Renewing America, which is focused against critical race theory. He is involved with Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation plan that wants to reshape the federal government.

In November 2024, President-elect Trump nominated Vought to be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget again for his second administration.

Vought has been seen as a Christian nationalist who wants the government and society to have some parts of Christianity forced onto them while supporting some parts of separation between church and state.

Early life

Vought was born in Illinois. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College and his Juris Doctor from the George Washington University Law School.

Vought worked for Heritage Action, the lobbying group of The Heritage Foundation. He was the executive director and budget director of the Republican Study Committee, the policy director for the Republican Conference of the United States House of Representatives, and a legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Phil Gramm.

First Trump administration

Deputy OMB Director

In April 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Vought to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 28, 2018, in a 50–49 vote. Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote.

In 2019, Vought was one of nine government officials who rejected a subpoena to testify before Congress in relation to the Trump–Ukraine scandal and the administration's decision to freeze military aid to Ukraine.

First OMB Director tenure

Vought being sworn in as OMB Director in July 2020

On January 2, 2019, when OMB Director Mick Mulvaney became acting White House chief of staff. This caused Vought to become the acting OMB director. On March 18, 2020, Trump announced his plans to nominate him to be the permanent OMB Director. Vought was confirmed by the Senate on July 20, 2020, by a vote of 51–45; and was sworn in two days later.

On September 4, 2020, Vought published an OMB memo, supported by Trump, telling federal agencies to identify all contracts or other agency related to any training on "critical race theory" or "white privilege".

After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, he and his transition team said that Vought made it harder for the presidential transition by not allowing the incoming Biden officials to meet with OMB staff. Vought defended his actions, saying the that OMB had given funding for the transition and that there had been more than 45 meetings with Biden officials.

After first Trump administration

In January 2021, Vought started an organization called the Center for Renewing America and an advocacy group called American Restoration Action. The groups were aimed at keeping Trump's movement active after he left the White House. He also became a critic of critical race theory.

During the 2024 presidential election, Vought was involved with Project 2025. The project consists of a series of conservative and right-wing policy proposals from The Heritage Foundation to change the United States federal government.

Return to the Trump administration

Second OMB Director tenure

On November 21, 2024, President-elect Trump nominated Vought to be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget again for his second administration.

Vought appeared before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on January 15, 2025. During the hearing, Vought did not promise to spend all the money given by the United States Congress to the federal government. The committee approved his nomination in a 11–0 vote, with all 9 Democrats and 1 Independent boycotting the vote due to the recent federal spending freeze. The Senate voted 53–47 on February 6 to approve his nomination.

After taking office the next day, Vought was also made acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Notes

  1. ↑ Vought was Acting Director from January 2, 2019, to March 31, 2020, during Mulvaney's term as Acting White House Chief of Staff; Vought continued in that position until being sworn in on July 22, 2020.

References

  1. ↑ Emma Green (June 8, 2017). "Bernie Sanders's Religious Test for Christians in Public Office". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  2. ↑ Edwards, Jane (April 10, 2017). "Russell Vought to Be Nominated OMB Deputy Chief". ExecutiveGov. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  3. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts". The White House. April 7, 2017. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  4. ↑ Graff, Garrett (August 13, 2008). "The Insider: Russell Vought". Washingtonian. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  5. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts". The White House. Archived from the original on 2020-03-18. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  6. ↑ "Republicans, spurred by an unlikely figure, see political promise in critical race theory". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
  7. ↑ Mascaro, Lisa (August 29, 2023). "Conservatives are on a mission to dismantle the US government and replace it with Trump's vision". Associated Press News.
  8. 1 2 "Trump taps Russ Vought, one of the authors of Project 2025, to lead budget office again". CBS News. November 21, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  9. ↑ Reinhard, Beth (June 8, 2024). "Trump loyalist pushes 'post-Constitutional' vision for second term". The Washington Post.
  10. ↑ Kiernan, Paul (July 20, 2020). "Senate Confirms Russell Vought as Head of White House Budget Office". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  11. ↑ Edwards, Jane (April 10, 2017). "Russell Vought to Be Nominated OMB Deputy Chief". ExecutiveGov. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  12. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts". The White House. April 7, 2017. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  13. ↑ Graff, Garrett (August 13, 2008). "The Insider: Russell Vought". Washingtonian. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  14. ↑ Mejdrich, Kellie (February 28, 2018). "Mike Pence Breaks Another Tie Senate Vote". Roll Call. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  15. ↑ Emma, Caitlin (July 20, 2020). "Senate confirms Russ Vought to be White House budget chief". Politico. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  16. ↑ Kiernan, Paul (2020-07-20). "Senate Confirms Russell Vought as Head of White House Budget Office". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  17. ↑ Wilhelm, Colin (December 14, 2018). "Former Heritage Action executive Russell Vought to act as Trump administration budget chief". Washington Examiner. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  18. ↑ Lemire, Jonathan; Colvin, Jill; Lucey, Catherine (December 15, 2018). "Budget Head Mulvaney Picked as Trump's Acting Chief of Staff". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  19. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2020-03-18 – via National Archives.
  20. ↑ Kiernan, Paul (July 20, 2020). "Senate Confirms Russell Vought as Head of White House Budget Office". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  21. ↑ "M-20-34 Training in the Federal Government (September 4, 2020)" (PDF). Retrieved 2021-06-18 – via National Archives.
  22. ↑ Dawsey, Josh; Stein, Jeff (September 4, 2020). "White House directs federal agencies to cancel race-related training sessions it calls 'un-American propaganda'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
  23. ↑ Liptak, Kevin (December 31, 2020). "Trump budget director accuses Biden team of 'false statements' in latest transition spat". CNN. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  24. ↑ Nichols, Hans; Markay, Lachlan (January 26, 2021). "Scoop: Former OMB director to set up Pro-Trump think tanks". Axios. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Combatting Critical Race Theory in Your Community: An A to Z Guide On How To Stop Critical Race Theory And Reclaim Your Local School Board". Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  26. ↑ "Advisory Board". The Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  27. ↑ Mascaro, Lisa (August 29, 2023). "Conservative Groups Draw Up Plan to Dismantle the US Government and Replace It with Trump's Vision". Associated Press News. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  28. ↑ Scholtes, Jennifer (2025-01-15). "Trump's pick for budget chief echoes his 'power of the purse' dreams". Politico. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  29. ↑ Herman, Alice (2025-01-30). "Democrats refuse to vote on Trump budget pick: 'So clearly unfit for office'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
  30. ↑ Groves, Stephen (2025-02-07). "Senate confirms Project 2025 architect Russell Vought to lead powerful White House budget office". Associated Press. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  31. ↑ Cowley, Stacy (2025-02-08). "A Trump appointee, Russell Vought, takes over consumer bureau after Musk team arrives". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-02-09.

Other websites

Government offices
Preceded by
Scott Bessent
Acting		 Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Acting
2025–present		 Succeeded by
Jonathan McKernan
Nominee
Political offices
Preceded by
Brian Deese		 Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget
2018–2020		 Succeeded by
Derek Kan
Preceded by
Mick Mulvaney		 Director of the Office of Management and Budget
2019–2021
Acting: 2019–2020		 Succeeded by
Rob Fairweather
Acting
Preceded by
Matthew Vaeth
Acting		 Director of the Office of Management and Budget
2025–present		 Incumbent