President Donald Trump gave a shoutout to Russell ‘Russ’ Vought, referring to ‘big surprises’ in the coming weeks, and sparking fears about the midterm elections . Trump’s reference to Vought came when he was speaking in Maryland, at a time the Republican is facing fire from both sides over comments made in Nebraska where he suggested Iran should be allowed to ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego .
Then, two weeks before the election, Trump announced Vought’s return as the OMB director. Prior to Vought’s White House service, he spent almost two decades in the conservative movement on Capitol Hill, with roles including Policy Director for the House Republican Conference, Executive Director of the Republican Study Committee, and Legislative Assistant to former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm. He also wrote that the “White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should establish a reputation as the keeper of ‘commander’s intent’. Haberman and Swan noted that his name had initially been left out, but this was protested by Stephen Miller, JD Vance, and others. When Vought arrived, he hit it off with Elon Musk, who at that time was a critical voice in the Trump administration. Vought graduated with a BA from Wheaton College and has a JD from George Washington University Law School. And he IS ‘going to be one of the most important people in the history of the country. I’m grateful for him, AND for the President, two men who make bold moves to renew America, realizing what we are up against and what time it is in our nation’s history.”
In Project 2025, Vought authored a chapter under the section titled ‘Taking the reigns of government’. The fallout over Project 2025 might have diminished Vought’s chances of returning to the Trump administration.
Vought wrote “The modern conservative President’s task is to limit, control, and direct the executive branch on behalf of the American people,” and added “it is the President’s agenda that should matter to the departments and agencies. He is married to Michelle, who praised her husband on X after Trump’s remarks, saying “.@russvought IS fantastic, just as @POTUS says.
As the US heads into the midterm elections on November 3, issues like rising fuel prices, ICE activity across the country, and the Iran war are expected to be on voters’ minds, not to mention the Epstein File fiasco. Vought is director of the Office of Management and Budget since February 2025. His remarks have caused panic ahead of the midterms, where the Republicans will look to hold on to their seats while Democrats look to expand their presence. Several people expressed fears of interference in the midterm elections. Melanie D’Arrigo. executive director of the New York Health Campaign, wrote “Russ Vought, in his official capacity, has the power to interfere in elections by replacing nonpartisan election officials with loyalists, cut critical funding, and block independent election oversight. Trump wants to rig the election, and he’s shouting the quiet part out loud. He, along with Stephen Miller, had become two of Trump’s most critical enforcers by the end of the president’s first term in office, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan noted in their book ‘Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump’.
