GOP Senator: Project 2025 Creator Has Dreamt About This Since Puberty
Republicans all know the havoc Russell Vought is about to unleash this shutdown.

The GOP has gone fully mask-off as it brings the hammer of austerity down on Democratic voters as punishment for their senators not capitulating to Trump’s funding bill.
“This is what they’re doing. They’re doing it deliberately, it’s going to harm [Democrats],” said Republican Senator Mike Lee, referring to Trump and OMB Director (and Project 2025 mastermind) Russell Vought ripping funding away from blue states, holding crucial projects hostage.
“Because Russ Vought, the OMB director, has been dreaming about this moment—preparing this moment—since puberty,” the Utah senator continued. “Russ Vought has a plan, and that plan is going to succeed in further empowering Trump. This is gonna be the Democrats’ worst nightmare, and it’s of their own making.”
Lee: This is what they're doing, doing it deliberately. It's going to harm them. Russ Vought has been dreaming about this moment since puberty. pic.twitter.com/CubW81cQy0
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 1, 2025
While it might not have been his dream since puberty (although Vought is filled with enough spite to make that somewhat believable), this slash-and-burn retribution is absolutely all part of the plan.
Trump and Vought have already frozen $18 billion in infrastructure projects in New Jersey and New York, and announced cuts to $8 billion in energy funding from 16 blue states as well. The pressure campaign seems to just be getting started.
“Democrats should know that they put the White House and the president in this position,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier on Thursday. “And if they don’t want further harm on their constituents back home, then they need to reopen the government. It’s very simple: Pass the clean continuing resolution, and all of this goes away.”