Overview

• Trump said he would meet OMB Director Russ Vought, whom he called "of Project 2025 fame," to discuss which agencies to cut during the shutdown.
• Vought helped craft Project 2025 at the Heritage network, including a chapter on the executive office, before taking the helm at OMB.
• OMB has instructed agencies to prepare for terminations rather than routine furloughs, with Vought telling House Republicans layoffs could begin within days, according to reporting.
• Some Republicans were quietly frustrated by Trump's post highlighting Project 2025, as Maggie Haberman noted while calling prior claims of his distance from it "absurd."
• Several Project 2025 contributors now hold senior roles, including Vought, Tom Homan, John Ratcliffe, Stephen Miller and FCC chair Brendan Carr, aligning personnel with the plan's agenda.