Fresh Air The ‘Shadow President’ Dismantling The Government
73 snips
Oct 30, 2025 
Andy Kroll, an investigative reporter for ProPublica, dives into the intriguing world of Russell Vought, former Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Kroll paints Vought as a 'shadow president' seeking to undermine federal independence. They discuss Vought's strategy of using shutdowns as leverage, his radical constitutionalist views, and how he blends culture wars with budget cuts. Kroll also highlights the long-term implications for public service and predicts looming legal battles over executive power.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
OMB As A Power Choke Point
- Russell Vought uses OMB to radically expand presidential power and dismantle federal agencies.
- He frames bureaucracy as a 'deep state' that must be weakened to restore presidential control.
Independence Is Not Constitutional, He Says
- Vought argues independent agencies don't exist under his constitutional view and the president should control them.
- He specifically targets DOJ independence as illegitimate precedent rather than law.
Funding Freezes Create Administrative Chaos
- OMB normally apportions funds to prevent agencies running out mid-year but Vought froze appropriations with open-ended reviews.
- These freezes created chaos because agencies lacked timetables and reasons for the hold-ups.