At the beginning of former President Donald Trump's term, chaos oozed from of every corner of the West Wing, well beyond the norm for presidential transitions. Inexperienced sycophants and would-be petty tyrants clashed daily with the supposed "adults in the room" in a battle for the new president's limited attention span. Russell Vought is working to ensure that should Trump win a second term, things will be different.
As a former head of the Office of Management and Budget, Vought isn't a household name like former White House adviser Steve Bannon or even as known among the political set as Trump's immigration ghoul, Stephen Miller. But as a recent profile of him in The Washington Post suggests, he's set to be a major player if Trump returns to the White House. Even more concerning, Vought displays a combination of MAGA zealotry and familiarity with Washington's workings that makes him a uniquely dangerous figure for the future of the country.
This is a preview of Hayes Brown's latest article. Read the full column here.
