GOP Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) made a puzzling claim about the government shutdown that began on Wednesday during an interview on Fox News.
Lee joined Fox News' Laura Ingraham on "The Ingraham Angle" on Wednesday night to discuss the shutdown and Republicans' response. Lee claimed that the shutdown is something that Russ Vought, who leads the Office of Management and Budget, has been "dreaming of."
"This is what they're doing; they're doing it deliberately," Lee said. "It's going to harm them because Russ Vought, the OMB director, has been dreaming about this moment, preparing for this moment, since puberty."
The federal government shut down on Wednesday after lawmakers failed to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government until the end of the year before the Sept. 30 deadline. Republicans and Democrats have accused each other of being overly partisan during negotiations.
Some experts have speculated that President Donald Trump's administration will use the shutdown as a tool to reduce the federal workforce after multiple federal courts denied earlier efforts.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) made the same argument on his podcast on Wednesday.
"Russ Vought has a plan, and that plan is going to succeed, and further empower Trump," Lee said. "This is going to be the Democrats' worst nightmare."
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