KAKISTOCRACY (noun) — Government by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous people.
In Their Own Words

Quotes

A searchable collection of documented public statements from people covered by the Kakistocracy Files.

5,728Total Quotes in the Archive
AllAlex JonesAlina HabbaAndrew ClydeAnn CoulterAnthony ScaramucciBill BarrBrendan CarrByron DonaldsCharlie KirkChristine O’DonnellChuck GrassleyCorey LewandowskiDan BonginoDonald TrumpDonald Trump Jr.Doug BurgumElise StefanikElon MuskEnrique TarrioEric TrumpGeorge SantosGreg GutfeldHerschel WalkerHillary ClintonHope HicksHoward LutnickIvanka TrumpJack PosobiecJacob ChansleyJames ComerJames ComeyJD VanceJeanine PirroJenna EllisJesse WattersJim JordanJohn EastmanJosh HawleyKari LakeKaroline LeavittKash PatelKayleigh McEnanyKellyanne ConwayKimberly GuilfoyleKristi NoemLaura LoomerLauren BoebertLindsey GrahamLouie GohmertMadison CawthornMarco RubioMarjorie Taylor GreeneMark RobinsonMatt GaetzMehmet OzMichael CohenMichael FlynnMike JohnsonMike LindellMike PenceMo BrooksNancy MaceNewt GingrichPam BondiPaul GosarPete HegsethPeter NavarroRick ScottRobert F. Kennedy Jr.Roger StoneRon DeSantisRon JohnsonRonna McDanielRoy MooreRudy GiulianiRussell VoughtSarah Huckabee SandersSean HannitySean SpicerSebastian GorkaSharron AngleSidney PowellStephanie GrishamStephen MillerSteve BannonSteve KingSteve ScaliseTed NugentTim ScottTom HomanTommy TubervilleTucker CarlsonTulsi GabbardVivek Ramaswamy
161 quotes from Russell Vought
“No agency was spared.”
— Russell Vought
May 2, 2025   •   Vought alleged that the Biden administration had used federal spending to advance progressive ideological priorities throughout government.
White House / Office of Management and Budget
“He is very supportive of what we do.”
— Russell Vought
July 1, 2024   •   Vought describing Donald Trump's relationship with the Center for Renewing America.
Centre for Climate Reporting undercover recording
“The Left has corrupted our institutions.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought's political characterization.
Center for Renewing America
“You have a dysfunctional Congress.”
— Russell Vought
June 1, 2024   •   Vought criticized Congress while discussing his view that significant policymaking power had migrated to executive agencies.
Steve Bannon's War Room / RealClearPolitics transcript
“We're just getting started.”
— Russell Vought
December 1, 2025   •   Vought discussing the Trump administration's deregulation agenda.
White House / OMB
“Our founders would've envisioned it that way.”
— Russell Vought
January 16, 2025   •   Vought was discussing his view that executive-branch employees should ultimately answer to the president.
Senate OMB confirmation hearing
“Bureaucracies.”
— Russell Vought
January 23, 2025   •   Senator Tim Kaine asked whether Vought's earlier remarks about wanting the federal workforce traumatized referred to federal workers. Vought responded by narrowing his description to "bureaucracies."
Senate Budget Committee confirmation hearing
“The deep state is weaponized.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought's characterization of federal institutions.
Center for Renewing America
“The President must be prepared to confront the administrative state.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026
Project 2025
“I think you have to rehabilitate Christian nationalism.”
— Russell Vought
July 1, 2024   •   Vought discussing Christian nationalism with undercover reporters.
Centre for Climate Reporting undercover recording
“I am opposed to the Department of Education.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026
Public remarks
“He's been at our organization.”
— Russell Vought
July 1, 2024   •   Vought discussing Trump's relationship with the Center for Renewing America.
Centre for Climate Reporting undercover recording
“I think it was a sound policy.”
— Russell Vought
January 16, 2025   •   Vought was defending Schedule F, a Trump-era policy designed to make certain policy-related federal employees easier to dismiss.
Senate OMB confirmation hearing
“We want their funding to be shut down.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought discussing parts of the federal bureaucracy he wanted reduced or eliminated.
Public remarks
“I think it's transformative, for sure.”
— Russell Vought
July 1, 2024   •   Vought discussing JD Vance's selection.
Centre for Climate Reporting undercover recording
“All of the action is in the fourth-branch agencies.”
— Russell Vought
June 1, 2024   •   Vought used "fourth branch" as a critical description of administrative agencies he believed exercised excessive policymaking authority.
Steve Bannon's War Room / RealClearPolitics transcript
“If a battle plan is out there that will do what he wants, there are the people like me that have his trust.”
— Russell Vought
July 1, 2024
Centre for Climate Reporting undercover recording
“Eighty percent of my time is working on the plans of what's necessary to take control of these bureaucracies.”
— Russell Vought
July 1, 2024   •   Vought discussing planning for executive-branch control.
Centre for Climate Reporting undercover recording
“America has experienced nothing short of a quiet revolution.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought was describing what he viewed as ideological changes to American government and institutions.
ProPublica / recorded Vought speech
“They expect that president to govern.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026
Public remarks