After Kicking Elon Musk Out of the White House, Trump Quickly Finds Successor to Run His Government Efficiency Department

In a move signaling a shift from the flashy presence of Elon Musk to a more traditional conservative fiscal strategist, President Donald Trump is set to replace Musk at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with his longtime budget officer Russell Vought. This transition marks a crucial moment in Trump’s administration as it gears up for an aggressive restructuring of federal government spending and regulatory frameworks.

Russell Vought, currently the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is expected to absorb much of the operational responsibilities Musk has been overseeing at DOGE. According to sources close to the White House and a detailed report by the Wall Street Journal, Vought’s portfolio will include managing efforts to recoup federal funds, working closely with Congress on budget issues, reclassifying federal employees under Schedule F, and pushing forward the 2025 budget proposal.

The budget plan is notable for its stark reductions in government funding and regulatory rollback initiatives.

Vought has long been a key figure behind the scenes, praised by Musk for his lower-profile yet crucial role in the administration’s push to reduce federal regulations. His work aligns closely with President Trump’s stated goal of eliminating ten federal regulations for every new one imposed, a central pillar of the administration’s deregulatory agenda.

While Musk brought a high-profile, tech-centric sheen to DOGE, Vought’s appointment signals a return to a more politically entrenched, ideologically conservative approach.

However, Vought’s ascension is certain to intensify opposition from Democrats and progressive activists. He was a principal architect of Project 2025, a conservative manifesto that many on the left describe as a blueprint for drastic rollback of the social safety net. Project 2025 calls for deep cuts to Social Security and Medicare and even advocates for dismantling the Department of Homeland Security altogether.

Although President Trump has sought to distance himself from parts of the manifesto during his campaign, Vought’s close association with it raises alarms about the future direction of federal policy under DOGE.

Despite the backlash, Trump’s choice of Vought underscores his commitment to implementing severe budget cuts and a hardline stance against what the administration deems wasteful government spending. The effects of these policies have already been felt, as several federal agencies have been downsized or shuttered altogether, sparking protests from public sector workers and their supporters.

In the months ahead, DOGE under Vought is expected to intensify its focus on regulatory reduction. A key driver will be compliance with a February executive order that directed agency heads to begin rescinding “unlawful rules,” a mandate that could dramatically alter the landscape of federal regulation.

This push aligns with Trump’s longstanding campaign promise to slash red tape and stimulate economic growth by limiting government interference.

One of the more controversial initiatives Vought will likely prioritize is Schedule F, an executive order from Trump’s first term that stripped thousands of high-level federal employees of their employment protections. Although the Biden administration reversed this directive, Trump reissued it upon regaining office, and Vought is expected to aggressively pursue its implementation.

Critics argue that Schedule F undermines the merit-based civil service system and politicizes federal bureaucracy.

Alongside regulatory reform, Vought will push Congress to approve Trump’s $9.3 billion rescissions package aimed at clawing back funds from agencies including the State Department, USAID, National Public Radio, and PBS. These cuts are part of a broader attempt to shrink government spending and redirect resources according to the administration’s priorities.

However, Vought’s budget-cutting zeal has not gone unchallenged, even within the Republican Party. A significant point of contention involves his stance on military spending.

While Vought advocates for capping military budget increases and allowing only a limited boost through the budget reconciliation process, this approach clashes with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s expectation of annual increases in military funding.

Republican members of Congress, who had been assured by Hegseth of rising defense budgets, have expressed surprise and frustration at the White House’s suggestion that the military’s financial growth would be confined to a one-time reconciliation adjustment. They warn that limiting increases in this way could leave the military underfunded over the long term and have pointed fingers at Vought for creating this budgetary shortfall.

Vought’s reasoning for favoring the reconciliation process over the standard budget procedure stems from his desire to prevent Democrats from achieving parity between military and domestic spending. By channeling military increases through reconciliation, the administration hopes to block automatic matching hikes in social and domestic programs.

This strategy reflects a core conservative fiscal principle aimed at restraining the expansion of government social spending.

Vought’s original 2025 budget proposal calls for a $163 billion reduction in nondefense discretionary spending, signaling a significant tightening of federal expenditures outside the military. Yet, the proposal also includes a plan to add about $120 billion to pending legislation via reconciliation to bolster military spending.

This dual approach embodies the tension between fiscal austerity and national security priorities that currently divides the administration and Congress.

Ultimately, the replacement of Elon Musk with Russell Vought to lead the Department of Government Efficiency illustrates President Trump’s pivot from a high-profile, technology-driven narrative to a more conventional, ideologically conservative policy implementation phase. Vought’s fiscal conservatism and commitment to regulatory rollback are poised to shape the federal government’s operations deeply in the coming years, with implications for social programs, regulatory agencies, and the military budget.

While Musk’s tenure brought innovation and public attention to government efficiency efforts, Vought’s leadership promises a focus on hardline budget discipline and politically charged reforms that will provoke fierce debate and resistance from Democrats and even some Republicans alike. As the administration presses forward with its agenda, the political and social consequences of these sweeping changes will likely dominate headlines and policymaking well into the future.