Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said Office of Management and Budget head Russell Vought has been dreaming of a government shutdown “since puberty.”
Lee first made the comments in an interview on Fox News.
“OMB Director @russvought has been dreaming about—and meticulously preparing for—the Schumer Shutdown since puberty,” Lee posted on X. “This is going to empower Trump—and the American people This is going to be the Democrats’ worst nightmare.”
OMB Director @russvought has been dreaming about—and meticulously preparing for—the Schumer Shutdown
since puberty
This is going to empower Trump—and the American people
This is going to be the Democrats’ worst nightmare pic.twitter.com/PW23nYlrM6
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) October 2, 2025
The 49-year-old Vought has spearheaded the Trump administration’s response to the alleged “Schumer shutdown.” That response appears to include mass firings across the government in addition to standard government shutdown procedures.
Vought sent out a notice to all government agencies hours before the shutdown to start preparing to execute their standard procedures. He also warned them not only to furlough some personnel but also to prepare to lay off employees.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that layoffs were “imminent.”
Vought met with President Donald Trump on Thursday to discuss “temporary or permanent” spending cuts that could hurt Democrats regardless of whether they cooperate with Republicans and reopen the government.
Trump detailed his meeting with Vought on Thursday morning, saying he was to speak with him about which “Democrat agencies” should be cut.
“I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent. I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly,” he posted on Truth Social.
Vought said on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast last month that the shutdown deadline is “a very critical juncture” and that Republicans have Democrats “in a very good position, where they should be with us to fund the government.”
Democrats have targeted Vought at a critical time for the OMB director.
“What a surprise: Russ Vought is breaking the law, and for what? To bend the knee to Trump and his billionaire buddies. Ripping funding away from only blue states will raise utility bills for EVERYONE. It’s not rocket science. Vought is unfit to serve in this or any administration,” Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) posted on X.
MIKE LEE TO INTRODUCE BILL TO ADDRESS DAMAGES TO PUBLIC LANDS BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Merkley was reacting to some of the first cuts enacted by Vought during the shutdown. The OMB director announced Wednesday that “$8 billion in Green New Scam funding” would be canceled.
It’s unclear when the government shutdown will end. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said weekend votes are unlikely if the Senate doesn’t vote to open the government on Friday.