Russ Vought Threatens to Do What He Already Did
As I mentioned in this post, one problem with both shutdown politics and Democrats complaining about Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer trying to win them, is that the chosen genre for Hill beat and politics reporters is hopelessly stuck in a both-sides frame.
Take this 1,200-word article from — IMO — the best team in the business, that describes how, even with what Politico claims is a built-in advantage, Republicans are still blowing it because no one is on the same page.
Senate Republicans, led by Majority Leader John Thune, are trying to keep the message simple: The GOP wants to keep agencies open for a few more weeks while negotiations continue while Democrats are asking for unreasonable concessions.
Speaker Mike Johnson and the House GOP are all in on a message focusing on how the Democratic wish list would undo Republican-passed provisions barring undocumented immigrants from accessing public services.
And then there’s President Donald Trump, who delved even deeper into the culture wars Tuesday when he accused the other party of seeking to “force Taxpayers to fund Transgender surgery for minors” as part of the negotiations — an accusation that has puzzled even some fellow Republicans.
The diverging messages from GOP leaders comes after Trump reversed his decision to hold a White House meeting with top Democratic leaders — an about-face that came after Johnson and Thune privately warned him that it would undercut the party’s negotiating position.
Taken together, the visible cracks in the GOP front are raising internal concerns as party leaders face off against Democrats who are largely united behind a plan to focus on health care — particularly an extension of expiring insurance subsidies.
“There have been some unforced errors, clearly,” said one senior House GOP aide granted anonymity to speak candidly about Republicans’ strategy so far.
The silly intervention from Russ Vought merits just a short mention.
The White House further scrambled the GOP strategy late Wednesday when it circulated a draft memo instructing agencies to create plans for mass firings of federal workers if Democrats don’t relent and a shutdown occurs. That alarmed some Hill Republicans who saw it as an unnecessary provocation that, in the words of one, “would give Democrats an excuse to vote against” the GOP-led stopgap — and muddy their message that it was Democrats, not Republicans, who were unreasonable hostage-takers.
What Vought succeeded in doing by threatening to do what he has already done — mass unlawful firings — is get a lot of press coverage. A number of outlets took the bait, claiming without any apparent rational thought that this would increase the pressure on Dems.
Most, when quoting Chuck Schumer’s response, are excising a key bit: Just yesterday, GSA had to order a bunch of workers back on the job.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) says a new memo from the White House budget office warning that mass firings could be on the table if there’s a government shutdown is “an attempt at intimidation.”
Schumer, who was scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House Thursday to discuss a funding deal before Trump cancelled the meeting, predicted that federal courts would overturn any attempt by the administration to use a shutdown as a justification to fire thousands of federal workers.
“Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one — not to govern, but to scare. This is nothing new and has nothing to do with funding the government. These unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back, just like they did as recently as today,” Schumer said in a statement late Wednesday. [my emphasis]
GSA just admitted that you can’t simply fire masses of people without incurring more costs down the road.
Hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in Elon Musk’s cost-cutting blitz are being asked to return to work.
The General Services Administration has given the employees — who managed government workspaces — until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Those who accept must report for duty on Oct. 6 after what amounts to a seven-month paid vacation, during which time the GSA in some cases racked up high costs — passed along to taxpayers — to stay in dozens of properties whose leases it had slated for termination or were allowed to expire.
“Ultimately, the outcome was the agency was left broken and understaffed,” said Chad Becker, a former GSA real estate official. “They didn’t have the people they needed to carry out basic functions.”
Becker, who represents owners with government leases at Arco Real Estate Solutions, said GSA has been in a “triage mode” for months. He said the sudden reversal of the downsizing reflects how Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency had gone too far, too fast.
And as Schumer noted, Vought is doing this whether or not there’s a shutdown. It is, in fact, one of the core reasons why Dems can’t simply pass a continuing resolution, because Vought has already usurped Congress’ authority.
How did the both-sides media not see this? How did they not understand that this makes Vought threat look like a desperate attempt to regain some advantage that Trump pissed away by scheduling a meeting but then — at Mike Johnson and John Thune’s request — canceling?
Mike Lawler appears to understand it. He just talked over CNN’s John Berman for 45 seconds to dodge a question about mass firings.
I remain agnostic about whether Dems can win this shutdown. This report, about how the courts would have to shut down most business in a matter of days, not weeks, cause me grave concern, for reasons I laid out here.
But thus far, Republicans seem intent on using the shutdown to demonstrate in more visible fashion the need for it.
If that’s what you want to do, bring it!
Why would 47 have just a unitary executive when it is apparently possible to capture the entire govt.? Congress surrendered and the courts will be starved of oxygen starting Oct 3.
Strap in.
Putin (and his puppet) thank you for spreading that demoralizatsiya, comrade.
/s
This simply could be dementia. The cancellation of the meeting could be a moment of dementia.
I cannot imagine being in the proximity of Donald Trump during briefings, the planning of solutions to their “enemies”, the wacky ideas that come from everyone in his proximity. It’s basically many weak, unprofessional, unqualified, money loving people who are in his proximity scared to death that their idea is exactly like the dementia froth.
They have created a hellish workplace environment in every hall of government. I guess that is what the Republicans always wanted?
Ya gotta give Putin credit here.
The cruelty continues with Vought. Remember his statement about federal employees:
“We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected. When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work, because they are increasingly viewed as the villains. We want their funding to be shut down … We want to put them in trauma. When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work, because they are increasingly viewed as the villains . . . . We want to put them in trauma.”
“We Want the Bureaucrats to Be Traumatically Affected”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBH9TmeJN_M
He should be careful what he wishes for, because he’s one of those bureaucrats, and he and his buddies in this maladministration are not popular.
Wreck the US for benefit of some foreign country (Russia) and/or foreign or US individual.
Nobody would hire worthless shits like Hegseth and Gabbard and Noem and Bondi and Patel to run the military and intelligence and homeland security and law enforcement unless the purpose is to destroy the US.
I missed that the first time. Nasty pos.
There seems to be an unspoken assumption that most of the staff are ready to come back. Are there any estimates of how many are ready to return from their 7-month vacation, and how many have moved on and taken jobs in the private sector?
I find the GSA story very confusing. Is GSA not under Vought as head of OMB? If I read Project 2025 correctly a “broken and understaffed” bureaucracy is exactly what Vought wanted, since he believes most of it shouldn’t exist. I guess they don’t have enough loyalists in charge to supress an outbreak of rationality.
GSA isn’t “under” OMB any more than any other federal agency, and arguably less than most, since almost all of its budget comes from the services it provides rather than congressional appropriations. The GSA administrator reports directly to the President.
The word “rescission” is not a meaningful word for most Americans, no matter how much emphasis is placed on the word or how often it is said. Nor is the word “attentional” which sounds too much like “intentional.” And “leftie or lefty” might as well be added to the list. Why is this not obvious?
So, is it too late to find translators or lyricists who can speak American? I truly am stunned by the repetitive language and communication barriers constructed throughout political discourse. No wonder people get frustrated and fall for con jobs. At least the cons sound like language people understand.
That being said, of course I understand where we are and the potential consequences. But we need “Keep It Simple.” So, someone needs to do that with the word “rescission”
Who’s game?
In the same spirit, calling Epstein’s victim ‘young women’ should be rephrased as ‘schoolgirls’.
Then the reality of what he did then becomes something anyone can understand.
Let maga try to parse that into a “what ‘is’ is” moment.
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Oops—my bad. THIS is the correct one.
From what I can understand, it boils down to suspicions of purloined funds and impenetrable spending plans. In other words, the current MAGA administration is most likely robbing the American people and laughing all the way to the bank:
“Billions in Taxpayer Dollars Have Become Virtually Untraceable” – 9/25/25
“The Trump administration’s aggressive approach to overhauling the executive branch has obscured how federal dollars are actually being spent — even for the members of Congress.”
https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/billions-taxpayer-dollars-virtually-untraceable-appropriations-trump-omb-russ-vought
Companies getting favors from government?
What would be a better word? “Undoing” is descriptive and the word that comes to my mind, but I can’t see it working in official comms.
Dismemberment.
To elaborate: the word “rescission” is like a Tesla floating around in outer space. We vaguely know it’s there, a piece of head space trash, like all the plastic clogging the oceans. None of it is good.
But it doesn’t have a specific attachment to us in an emotional, up close and personal kind of way. It’s not that the word “rescission” needs to be replaced by another abstract word (that would also be void of connection.) It’s that the word needs to be given a body, a substance, a spirit, a character. It needs to come to life in the American mind.
Then I vote for Bruce’s dismemberment.
That reads like I want to dismember you! Yikes. No way.
Marcy,
Rescission is three syllable word. It won’t bite your hand like a snake. A democratic republic, if you can keep it, requires a civil discourse about government. Government of the people, by the people, for the people…. Participation is voluntary and requires effort. Even a dead fish can go with the flow. We are in this together. No Kings. Shut down is about rescission. Peace.
Yes, but in that context I think “undoing” or even better “taking back” work.
What does a mafia boss do with a business he’s inherited? Leverage it to the max then burn it down.
America, meet your Don.
Known as a “bust out.” Let “Goodfellas” explain it for us all:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4348lj
Out of respect for one of my favorite artists, I will refrain from subjecting Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” to the lyrical parody treatment.
Slightly OT:
When Margaret Thatcher was going down in the polls, she ginned up a faraway war to distract people from her domestic agenda. News comes in the last little while that Whiskey Pete is calling in senior military staff from all over the world for a “meeting.” Any bets on whether this is to assess overall readiness for putting the military on a war footing, and gin up a nice little conflict as a distraction?
Or his attempt to eliminate the last vestiges of “DEI” and LGBTQ people? He’s banned all drag shows and removed one Navy captain for such – even though it’s been tradition for longer than then Navy has been around.
Slightly late for the rapture that wasn’t: Wag the God
Or more top-level purges to be coming to the military? Gentlemen, start your polygraphs…
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pentagon-chief-orders-us-military-officials-around-world-virginia-next-week-2025-09-25/
Here’s Allison Gill’s comment about it:
https://bsky.app/profile/muellershewrote.com/post/3lzo6qi2kls2d
September 25, 2025 at 10:42 AM [emphasis added]
Gill links to this THREAD:
https://bsky.app/profile/jjindc.bsky.social/post/3lzo5krk5ts2z
September 25, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Hegseth orders rare, urgent meeting of hundreds of generals, admirals The Pentagon has summoned military officials from around the world for a gathering in Virginia. Even top generals and their staffs don’t know the reason for the meeting.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/09/25/hegseth-generals-quantico-meeting/ WaPo Updated September 25, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. EDT
Maybe the rapture has been rescheduled.
I wonder if it’s related to the Russian escalation of sending drones over other country’s airspace.
Trump had the odd “Here we go” comment about the drones over Poland.
Will Hegseth be posting the meeting minutes on his Signal chats?
Chris Geidner has a screenshot of new info from Wapo,
but
right now, I can’t find a link to that article.https://bsky.app/profile/chrisgeidner.bsky.social/post/3lzr2rmis4k2g
September 26, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Here’s what the screenshot shows:
Found it [Link broken]:
https[:]//www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/09/26/hegseth-generals-meeting-warrior-speech/
I meant to add that the many screenshots in that THREAD have alttext.
I wonder if there’s a designated survivor.
I think they are going to disappear anyone who doesn’t pledge fealty to the current administration. There is no other reason to demand that they be there in person.
I worry about the national security aspect of having all our military leadership in one spot.
With the incompetence and malevolence of Trump’s government, things could go terribly wrong. ( From the perspective of normal Americans)
Meh – are we aiming high here?
With a shutdown looking all but certain is this just another distraction and a fucked-up photo op for The Felon Guy?
My bet… changing the part in the Oath of Office from “…support and defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic” to “obey Trump”. Then having to sign a paper or be shown the door. Some will sign, some will not. Those who sign will either think that they can resist better from the inside, be true believers, or be cowards.
From there, the U.S. military will cross the Rubicon into a new role as guardians of a dictatorship.
It is historically difficult for an authoritarian regime to survive without the support of the military.
See “How Dictatorships Work”, by Barbara Geddes and others.
I would hope all those flag officers grab Hegseth and dump him into the nearest deep pool or lake.
Re: OATHS, see John Sipher:
https://bsky.app/profile/johnsipher.bsky.social/post/3lzou2zz4pc2q
September 25, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Screenshots of HEGSETH responding to this historical information
from General Ben Hodges at 6:07 AM today:
“Cool story, General” – HEGSETH
https://bsky.app/profile/leahmcelrath.bsky.social/post/3lzqkc7ph5s2f
September 26, 2025 at 9:14 AM
It sounds like TRUMP actually thinks that
these military officers are from OTHER countries!
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3lzotfclg5p2q
September 25, 2025 at 4:51 PM
How are we supposed to believe Trump is competent enough to run the country and isn’t being used like a meat puppet when he says and does shit like this?
*smh*
UGGGH.
Responding directly. This looks like Hegseths’ idea, but Trump probably okay’d it. I looked everywhere (into “dark” corners) today for information… not a peep. It’s spooky.
I hope it’s as stupid as a “pep talk”, but we are danger-close to finding a casus belli to start a war with Venezuela. Trump would love to be a “war president”, both for his ego and for the power to dismiss the constitution.
Reply to depressed chris
September 26, 2025 at 8:08 pm
I suspect Hegseth called this gathering to begin the next phase in his 20% reduction of flag officers, and the government shut-down may offer him an opportunity to do something stupid at the same time — cast blame elsewhere, make even deeper cuts, fuck with flag officers’ heads so that they are less likely to push back, etc.
https://news.usni.org/2025/05/05/secdef-hegseth-less-generals-more-g-i-s-memo-calls-for-20-reduction-of-four-star-officers
Trump would have been told about Hegseth’s intended cuts in May but it sure doesn’t look like he remembers or understands the magnitude of Hegseth’s reduction in force.
I’ll try to transcribe, but for now, from the closed captioning:
“Well, I know, I, I love it. I mean, I think it’s great. Let them be friendly.
Let him be friendly with the generals and admirals from all over the world.”
He is also asked if he will be there and seems to say “No”.
I think he would NOT MISS this opportunity.
I didn’t do the whole thing, but from what I understood, TRUMP DID think the generals and admirals they were discussing, were “coming to be with us” from other countries, and then VANCE rescued him by lying and attacking the press.
I was wrong above about what he said about perhaps being there.
Did TRUMP even know HEGSETH ordered this gathering?
I feel like “It sounds like TRUMP actually thinks that these military officers are from OTHER countries!” is a bit of a stretch as the reporter wasn’t clear and neither is Trump.
The Felon Guy probably heard “coming from all over the world” and jumped to the conclusion that they’re generals from other countries.
So Trump says he’s president of peace and Vance calls Hegseth the Secretary of War?
That’s a war in itself.
And I’m still confused about you’re thinking as the US has generals and admirals, etc. in bases in other countries, so it’s still not clear to me if you’re saying he is thinking foreign countries’ generals, etc..
Jim Comey’s been indicted.