


Russ Vought: Donald Trump’s holy warrior
The Christian nationalist and budget wonk who wants to crush the “deep state”
CLAD IN RED baseball caps, draped in the American flag and cheering for Donald Trump, the MAGA movement can be rather brash. Yet one of the people driving it forward is anything but. It is almost easy at first to overlook Russell Vought (pronounced “vote”), with his tortoiseshell spectacles, neatly trimmed beard and scholarly demeanour. That would be a mistake. Mr Vought’s calm exterior belies an incendiary streak, fuelled by his religious convictions. And he will be a pivotal player in Mr Trump’s administration, aiming at nothing less than a destruction of the status quo in American governance.
Explore more

Jimmy Carter reshaped his home town
What the 39th president means to Plains, Georgia

The Bourbon Street attack was part of a new pattern
Why some experts fear a resurrection of Islamic State

Duelling arguments take shape in the TikTok-ban case
America’s Supreme Court is due to weigh the platform’s fate on January 10th
Homelessness rises to a record level in America
A surge in migration and disasters pushed many people over the edge
RFK junior is half right about American health care
What would have to happen for the anti-vaxxer-in-chief to do more good than harm
What should companies do to keep bosses safe?
After the murder of Brian Thompson, C-Suites are rethinking security