In this week’s episode we identify the most dangerous man in America that no one is talking about, the tool he is going to use to dismantle government agencies, and what we can learn from three young Republicans who helped the GOP rise from the ashes of the Obama years. Get to know Russell “Russputin” Vought and how he believes he can override Nixon-era legislation to consolidate budget and spending authority within the executive branch.

Chapters

Sketch: 00:00:00

Intro: 00:05:52

Chapter One: 00:08:35

Chapter Two: 00:12:44

Chapter Three: 00:18:08

Post Show Musings: 00:29:06

Outro: 00:41:26

Resources

JSTOR: Democracy and the Welfare State

U.S. House: 2 USC Ch. 17B: Impoundment Control

Politico: Trump says Russell Vought will return as OMB director

Daily Mail: What is net worth of Trump's Cabinet? The staggering wealth of his nominees revealed

The Center for Renewing America: The President’s Constitutional Power of Impoundment

Protect Democracy: The impoundment threat, explained

ProPublica: How Trump Plans to Seize the Power of the Purse From Congress

Democracy Now!: Project 2025 Co-Author Lays Out "Radical Agenda" for Next Trump Term in Undercover Video

UNFTR on Bluesky

UNFTR Episode Resources

The Clinton Years Series.

F*ck Milton Friedman.

Project 2025.

--

If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations.

Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.

Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic."

In this week’s episode we identify the most dangerous man in America that no one is talking about, the tool he is going to use to dismantle government agencies, and what we can learn from three young Republicans who helped the GOP rise from the ashes of the Obama years. Get to know Russell “Russputin” Vought and how he believes he can override Nixon-era legislation to consolidate budget and spending authority within the executive branch.
Chapters
Sketch: 00:00:00
Intro: 00:05:52
Chapter One: 00:08:35
Chapter Two: 00:12:44
Chapter Three: 00:18:08
Post Show Musings: 00:29:06
Outro: 00:41:26
Resources
JSTOR: <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv14163mz">Democracy and the Welfare State</a>
U.S. House: <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title2/chapter17B&amp;edition=prelim">2 USC Ch. 17B: Impoundment Control</a> 
Politico: <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/22/russell-vought-trump-omb-pick-00191191?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Trump says Russell Vought will return as OMB director</a>
Daily Mail: <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14144531/Trump-cabinet-net-worth-musk-lutnick-mcmahon.html">What is net worth of Trump's Cabinet? The staggering wealth of his nominees revealed</a>
The Center for Renewing America: <a href="https://americarenewing.com/the-presidents-constitutional-power-of-impoundment/">The President’s Constitutional Power of Impoundment</a>
Protect Democracy: <a href="https://protectdemocracy.org/work/impoundment-threat-explained/">The impoundment threat, explained</a> 
ProPublica: <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-impoundment-appropriations-congress-budget">How Trump Plans to Seize the Power of the Purse From Congress</a>
Democracy Now!: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQjdwsZhE_Q&amp;t=885s">Project 2025 Co-Author Lays Out "Radical Agenda" for Next Trump Term in Undercover Video</a>
<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/unftr.com">UNFTR on Bluesky</a>
UNFTR Episode Resources
<a href="https://www.unftr.com/unftr-series/the-clinton-years">The Clinton Years Series.</a>
<a href="https://www.unftr.com/episodes/unftr23">F*ck Milton Friedman.</a>
<a href="https://www.unftr.com/episodes/unftr118">Project 2025.</a>
--
If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://unftr.com/rate">unftr.com/rate</a> and follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Unfucking-The-Republic-102319714930389">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/unftrpod">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unftrpod/">Instagram</a> at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/">unftr.com</a>.
Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at <a href="https://shop.unftr.com/">shop.unftr.com</a>.
Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1PpzNXBub9FLngMradJByC?si=abaed3d396504fae">spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.</a>
Visit our bookshop.org page at <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod">bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod</a> to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at<a href="https://bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations"> bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations</a>.
Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/accessibility">unftr.com/accessibility</a>.
Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (<a href="https://www.mannyfacesmedia.com">mannyfacesmedia.com</a>). Original music is by Tom McGovern (<a href="http://www.tommcgovern.com/">tommcgovern.com</a>). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99.
Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic."

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is a series of audio essays on the grand American experiment lovingly curated and presented by a quasi-anonymous political writer. 

Each essay reflects on a singular topic that is generally misunderstood or purposely obfuscated by the so-called “powers that be.” As we know, history is written by the victors and can be perilously manufactured to favor destructive world views. These views become intractably ingrained in the public consciousness and pervert public policy, oftentimes with horrific results. 

As of this podcast’s founding, we find ourselves living in a true kakistocracy. The disconnect between what we believe and what is actually happening below the surface or in plain sight is where this podcast lives. 

Together we’ll upend conventional wisdom, blow up narratives on the left, right and center and use magical devices like facts, logic and reason to explain how exactly we arrived in bizarro America, the funhouse mirror version of what was originally intended. #UNFTR

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is a series of audio essays on the grand American experiment lovingly curated and presented by a quasi-anonymous political writer. 
Each essay reflects on a singular topic that is generally misunderstood or purposely obfuscated by the so-called “powers that be.” As we know, history is written by the victors and can be perilously manufactured to favor destructive world views. These views become intractably ingrained in the public consciousness and pervert public policy, oftentimes with horrific results. 
As of this podcast’s founding, we find ourselves living in a true kakistocracy. The disconnect between what we believe and what is actually happening below the surface or in plain sight is where this podcast lives. 
Together we’ll upend conventional wisdom, blow up narratives on the left, right and center and use magical devices like facts, logic and reason to explain how exactly we arrived in bizarro America, the funhouse mirror version of what was originally intended. #UNFTR

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