Sean Davis

Charlie, what you've done is incredible here.

Charlie, what you've done is incredible here.

Yeah, OMB is huge. It generally kind of gets thrown on the back burner among political types because anytime you have like math and numbers being thrown around, the journos can't handle it anymore. So they go back and they try to find a horse race story or something dumb to cover. But OMB is the central hub for basically all spending activities within the federal government.

Yeah, OMB is huge. It generally kind of gets thrown on the back burner among political types because anytime you have like math and numbers being thrown around, the journos can't handle it anymore. So they go back and they try to find a horse race story or something dumb to cover. But OMB is the central hub for basically all spending activities within the federal government.

It's what puts together the federal budget every year. It manages whether a whole host of disbursements can be allowed or not. It coordinates with all the various federal agencies. And when you're looking at, for example, discretionary spending, which is the spending that gets appropriated every year by Congress, it's not Social Security or Medicare.

It's what puts together the federal budget every year. It manages whether a whole host of disbursements can be allowed or not. It coordinates with all the various federal agencies. And when you're looking at, for example, discretionary spending, which is the spending that gets appropriated every year by Congress, it's not Social Security or Medicare.

that's stuff that OMB kind of directs and controls. And, you know, given his experience, his background, he previously had this job in the first Trump administration. I don't think there's a better person on earth than Russ Vogt to do it. I've known him for, gosh, 20 or 25 years.

that's stuff that OMB kind of directs and controls. And, you know, given his experience, his background, he previously had this job in the first Trump administration. I don't think there's a better person on earth than Russ Vogt to do it. I've known him for, gosh, 20 or 25 years.

And I think one reason Democrats hate him so much is they know he's smarter than they are, and they know that the guy is just – He's so moral. He's so ethical. There's nothing they can do to make him look bad or make him look dishonest because he's just a good, forthright, moral dude.

And I think one reason Democrats hate him so much is they know he's smarter than they are, and they know that the guy is just – He's so moral. He's so ethical. There's nothing they can do to make him look bad or make him look dishonest because he's just a good, forthright, moral dude.

And it drives them nuts that they can't run the ops and smears against him that they try to run against everyone else.

And it drives them nuts that they can't run the ops and smears against him that they try to run against everyone else.

I think basically every fight is more potent when you have your permanent cabinet people in there. You're just able to do more things with a full Senate confirmed director than you can do with an acting director, as good as that person might be.

I think basically every fight is more potent when you have your permanent cabinet people in there. You're just able to do more things with a full Senate confirmed director than you can do with an acting director, as good as that person might be.

And it's actually why it's so important to get Russ in there is that Trump needs to have someone who he's picked, who he knows, who he's worked with and who he knows he can trust. to do all this. And when it comes to controlling spending, you know, there's going to be fights between OMB and Congress, like knock down, drag out fights about constitutional prerogatives.

And it's actually why it's so important to get Russ in there is that Trump needs to have someone who he's picked, who he knows, who he's worked with and who he knows he can trust. to do all this. And when it comes to controlling spending, you know, there's going to be fights between OMB and Congress, like knock down, drag out fights about constitutional prerogatives.

Because over the years, you know, Congress has given up tons and tons and tons and tons of power to OMB because they don't actually want to be held accountable for the spending. They want to be able to do their press release and do the ribbon cutting and then be able to blame the administration for this or that getting spent.

Because over the years, you know, Congress has given up tons and tons and tons and tons of power to OMB because they don't actually want to be held accountable for the spending. They want to be able to do their press release and do the ribbon cutting and then be able to blame the administration for this or that getting spent.

And and what's happened is because of decades, if not longer of them just handing over their power, OMB has a whole lot of power right now, not just to to audit spending, but to direct and even impound it, which is really important.

And and what's happened is because of decades, if not longer of them just handing over their power, OMB has a whole lot of power right now, not just to to audit spending, but to direct and even impound it, which is really important.