Russell Vought Set to Lead DOGE After Elon Musk Departure

Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's top budget official and director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, is set to take over operations at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) following Elon Musk's planned departure. Vought has been a close partner of Musk and is expected to continue aggressive federal budget cuts, including advancing a 2025 budget proposal that significantly reduces government funding and reclassifies federal workers. He is a key architect of Project 2025, a conservative manifesto advocating for deep cuts to Social Security and Medicare and the elimination of the Department of Homeland Security, which has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and liberal voters. Vought is also likely to focus on rescinding regulations deemed unlawful under a recent executive order and push forward Schedule F, aimed at removing job protections for thousands of high-level federal employees, a move previously blocked by the Biden administration. Additionally, Vought plans to maneuver substantial defense budget allocations through budget reconciliation, despite opposition from Republican national security hawks who prefer traditional appropriations. His appointment signals a continuation of Musk's austerity efforts in government, even as Musk prepares to retreat to his private business ventures.