Trump's Shutdown Strategist: The Man Behind the Mass Firings

"In a brazen move, President Trump has seized on the government shutdown to reshape the federal workforce and punish detractors, with Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought taking center stage. Vought, a longtime Republican operative, has been quietly amassing power within the executive branch, using the shutdown to trigger mass layoffs across federal agencies. "We are going to have to lay some people off if the shutdown continues," Vice President JD Vance warned reporters, echoing Vought's memo that landed in agency in-boxes last week. With the shutdown now in its second day, Vought's plan to deconstruct the government is unfolding, raising questions about the future of federal agencies and the impact on American citizens. "We don't like that. We don't necessarily want to do it," Vance said, but the Trump administration is pushing forward, determined to remake the federal workforce in its image. As the shutdown drags on, one thing is clear: Russ Vought's vision for a smaller, more pliable government is taking shape, with devastating consequences for thousands of federal employees.",
"tags": ["russ vought", "trump", "shutdown", "mass layoffs"]
}