Russell Thurlow "Russ" Vought is an American political aide and government official born on March 26, 1976. He has held several key roles in the U.S. government, most notably as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Vought first served as the 42nd Director of OMB from 2020 to 2021 and was recently reappointed as the 44th Director in 2025 by President Trump[1][5]. Prior to his roles at the OMB, Vought worked extensively in Washington D.C. with grassroots and public policy organizations. He served as the Vice President of Heritage Action for America for seven years and held positions on Capitol Hill, including as Policy Director for the House Republican Conference and as Executive Director of the Republican Study Committee[3][5]. Vought also worked as a legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Phil Gramm[3]. As OMB Director, Vought was instrumental in implementing President Trump's policy and deregulatory agendas. He issued a memo directing the cancellation of contracts that included training on critical race theory and white privilege, aligning with his conservative stance[2]. Vought is also a key author of the Project 2025 plan, which aims to reshape the federal government with a focus on executive branch power[2]. In 2021, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank focused on combating critical race theory[1][2]. Recently, he was nominated again for the OMB Director position by President-elect Trump in November 2024, marking his return to this role in 2025[1]. Vought's work continues to influence conservative policy initiatives, particularly through his involvement with Project 2025 and the Center for Renewing America.