Trump reveals Musk's DOGE replacement, and liberals are already crying about it

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Disclaimer: The article may include the author's opinions.

Following Elon Musk’s departure from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Donald Trump’s top budget official, Russell Vought, is expected to assume a leading role in advancing the administration’s cost-cutting agenda.

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As reported by the New Republic, Vought, who currently heads the White House Office of Management and Budget is likely to oversee a broad set of responsibilities at DOGE, including the reclassification of federal workers, coordination with Congress to recover taxpayer funds, and the advancement of the proposed 2025 budget that prioritizes steep cuts in federal spending.

Vought, who has previously been commended for his efforts to curtail regulatory excess, has remained in favor of President Trump’s pledge to eliminate unnecessary regulations, aiming to remove ten for every new one implemented, while his his appointment to lead this initiative is part of a larger strategy to cut the federal bureaucracy’s size and power.

Vought is also known for his involvement in Project 2025, a conservative policy framework that has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who have portrayed it as a roadmap for a second Trump term. The document had called for bold structural reforms, including the dismantling of the Department of Homeland Security and reductions in entitlement spending proposals that stirred fierce opposition among left-leaning voters before the election.

Vought remained a crucial component of Trump’s budgetary policy and is now anticipated to carry out important aspects of Musk’s downsizing plan, despite efforts by political rivals to undermine the program. Following significant closures and workforce reductions, a number of federal departments have already experienced protests and public outcry.

Under a presidential directive issued in February, agency leaders were instructed to begin revoking what were deemed unlawful regulations. As a result, DOGE’s immediate focus is anticipated to remain on regulatory rollback, with Vought positioned to accelerate the pace of dismantling entrenched bureaucratic rules.

A renewed focus is also expected on Schedule F, a Trump-era executive order that removed civil service protections for thousands of senior federal employees. Although the measure had been paused under the Biden administration, it was reinstated after Trump’s return to office.

Vought is further expected to lead efforts to push through a $9.3 billion rescission package, which aims to recover funds from agencies such as PBS, USAID, the State Department, and National Public Radio institutions often associated with left-leaning influence in government.

His uncompromising position on cutting federal spending, however, has caused conflict even among Republicans. According to reports, Vought and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have disagreed on military budget levels. Hegseth and many congressional Republicans had expected a new rise in defense spending, while Vought had advocated keeping it at its current levels.

Instead, the administration’s proposal has suggested that any future defense increases be routed through the budget reconciliation process. This approach left some lawmakers concerned about long-term funding reliability for the armed forces. Vought has remained resistant to the notion of parity, which would involve raising domestic nondefense spending in lockstep with military allocations.

According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, Vought’s initial budget plan called for a $163 billion cut to discretionary nondefense spending while proposing a $120 billion increase via reconciliation to reinforce legislative initiatives without raising baseline budget levels. In doing so, Vought has continued to pursue a path of disciplined, targeted government restraint, one designed to realign the federal apparatus with constitutional limits and fiscal responsibility.