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Trump Hails OMB Chief as 'Darth Vader,' Praises Cuts to Democratic Projects During Shutdown

The president elevated Russ Vought’s Project 2025–aligned budgeting that leverages the funding lapse to erase opposition priorities.

Overview

  • At a Rose Garden lunch for Republican senators, Trump asked OMB Director Russ Vought to stand and labeled him “Darth Vader,” a nickname reporting indicates the president coined himself.
  • Trump lauded Vought for targeting Democratic priorities and cited the $20 billion Gateway Tunnel in New York as an example he said was being cut.
  • Reporting describes Vought as linked to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and using shutdown discretion to delay or cancel programs in Democratic-leaning states.
  • The shutdown has stretched into a fourth week with nearly 750,000 federal workers furloughed and many essential employees, including military personnel, working without pay.
  • State agencies warn that SNAP benefits could run out for recipients in early November if funding is not restored, heightening pressure as the impasse persists.