Russell Vought

Russell Thurlow Vought is an American political advisor who has held many important roles in government. He became the director of the Office of Management and Budget in 2025 and also served as the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau starting in February 2025. Earlier, he was the acting administrator of the United States Agency for International Development for a few months in 2025.

Vought studied history and political science at Wheaton College and later earned a law degree from the George Washington University Law School. After school, he worked with several lawmakers and became policy director for the House Republican Conference under Indiana representative Mike Pence. He left that job in 2010 to start Heritage Action for America.

When Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election, Vought joined the government. He became deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget in 2018 and later served as its acting director. He played key roles during the 2018–2019 federal government shutdown and was involved in debates over spending and international aid.

After Trump left office in 2020, Vought started the Center for Renewing America, a group that helped shape Republican strategies. He was important in discussions about the 2023 federal budget and the debt-ceiling crisis that year. In 2024, Trump chose Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget again, and the Senate confirmed him in early 2025.

Early life and education (1976–2004)

Russell Thurlow Vought was born on March 26, 1976, in New York. He grew up in New York and Trumbull, Connecticut. He was the only child of Thurlow Bunyea Vought and Margaret Flowers Vought, and was part of a family with six older siblings. Thurlow was a former United States Marine and worked as an electrician, while Margaret taught school and later helped start a Christian elementary school.

Vought went to Wheaton College, where he studied history and political science. He tried to become student body vice president in 1997 but wasn’t successful. Later, he worked with politicians such as Chris Shays from Connecticut and Dan Coats from Indiana. He also worked for Phil Gramm, a senator from Texas. Vought finished his law studies at the George Washington University Law School and became a lawyer in 2004.

Career

Russell Vought began his career by helping a representative from Texas write a bill to save money on government programs. He later worked for a group of Republican lawmakers and helped create plans to reduce spending after Hurricane Katrina.

After the Affordable Care Act was passed, Vought co-founded an organization called Heritage Action for America. He also took part in efforts to change how the government spends money.

In 2018, he became the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. During this time, he helped plan changes to government agencies and supported efforts to cut funding for some programs. His work included organizing budget requests and working with other leaders in the government.

Director of the Office of Management and Budget (2018–2021)

In December 2018, Russell Vought helped plan a strategy to give more power to a leader by moving money from other places. This happened when Congress would not approve funding for a wall. Vought became acting director of the Office of Management and Budget in early 2019 during a time when the government was not fully open for business. He worked to reduce the effects of this closure, such as allowing tax refunds and helping people who needed food assistance.

Vought's time in this role included making tough decisions about money and trying to convince leaders to spend less. He also dealt with requests from lawmakers to share information about aid to other countries, but he refused, saying it was not allowed. Later, he was confirmed to lead the Office of Management and Budget and faced questions about how his team handled important tasks during a big health crisis.

Post-directorship (2021–2024)

In December 2020, Trump named Vought to the United States Naval Academy's board of visitors. When President Biden asked him to leave in September 2021, Vought refused because he believed he had a three-year term. Soon after Biden became president, Vought started two groups to discuss policies: the Center for Renewing America and Citizens for Renewing America. He worked with these groups to support certain ideas, including changes to school teachings and government spending.

Vought played a big role in planning the budget for 2023. He suggested cutting money from some government departments. During a serious discussion about government borrowing limits in 2023, Vought helped guide what some politicians wanted to do. He also talked about changing who leads important parts of the government. After the 2022 elections, Vought shared his thoughts on who should be the next leader of the House of Representatives. He was also planning for possible changes in government jobs if Trump won the 2024 election. Vought worked closely with Trump and helped shape plans for what Trump might do if he became president again.

Director of the Office of Management and Budget (2025–present)

Russell Vought was seen as a possible leader of the White House as early as February 2024. After Donald Trump won the election in November 2024, Vought was chosen to be the leader of the Office of Management and Budget. He was officially approved for this job by the Senate in February 2025.

Since becoming the leader in February 2025, Vought has supported big changes in how the government works. He helped enforce rules to cut down on spending and change how government offices operate. He also took on extra roles, becoming the temporary leader of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and later the temporary leader of the United States Agency for International Development.

Political positions

Russell Vought is known for his strong support of traditional conservative ideas. He has talked about wanting to change rules around pollution and has praised leaders who support certain family values. He also believes in strict rules for people coming into the country and has talked about important government jobs needing more control.

Vought thinks carefully about how money is spent in the government. He has spoken about cutting costs and changing how some government groups work. He also has ideas about how the country should behave in the world, often saying less involvement in other countries' matters is better.

Personal life

Russell Vought met his first wife, Mary MacLean, in Washington, D.C.. They worked together for Mike Pence and had two daughters before divorcing in 2023. One of their daughters has a health condition called cystic fibrosis. In November 2025, Russell married Michelle Martin, who works for an organization called Citizens for Renewing America.

In August 2025, a man named Colin Demarco went to Russell’s home in Arlington, Virginia. He was carrying a bag and wearing a mask and gloves. Security cameras recorded him looking through the mailbox and asking a neighbor about Russell. Later, investigators found notes about plans to harm Russell, along with weapons. Demarco was arrested and faced charges related to these actions.