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White House budget director Russell Vought dropped a political bombshell Wednesday, revealing his intent to shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) within months — a move that directly clashes with the government’s own courtroom defense that the agency is merely being “downsized.”

During a candid conversation on The Charlie Kirk Show, Vought — who also serves as the acting CFPB director — said the bureau is operating with only a skeleton crew while he executes what he called a final phase of its closure.

“We don’t have anyone working there except our Republican appointees and a few careers doing statutory responsibilities while we close down the agency,” Vought asserted. “We will be successful probably within the next two or three months.”

Vought’s Comments Contradict DOJ’s Court Arguments

Vought’s remarks stand in sharp contrast to the U.S. Department of Justice’s position in ongoing litigation filed by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) and other consumer groups.
The plaintiffs accuse Vought of conducting an illegal campaign to dismantle the CFPB — firing staff, canceling contracts, and slashing operations in defiance of federal law.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., previously issued an injunction halting those actions, describing Vought’s mission as “a presidential plan to shut the agency down entirely and do it fast.”

The DOJ, however, pushed back, claiming that the administration only intended to “streamline” the bureau. One government lawyer told the D.C. Circuit in May that Vought merely sought to “strip it down to the statutory studs” — a move they argued was fully lawful.

Appeals Court Sides With Administration — For Now

In August, a divided D.C. Circuit panel sided with the administration, lifting the injunction in a 2-1 ruling. The majority held that there was “no reviewable decision to shut down the CFPB,” effectively giving Vought breathing room to continue his restructuring.

But Vought’s latest comments may reignite the legal firestorm. NTEU and other plaintiffs have since requested a full court rehearing, and the government’s response is due by October 21.

Spokespersons for both the CFPB and the Office of Management and Budget declined to comment on the remarks.

Critics Say CFPB Shutdown Would Empower Predators

In his White House interview, Vought insisted that his mission was not anti-consumer but rather a “restoration of accountability.”
He argued that the CFPB “had the DNA of Elizabeth Warren,” accusing it of weaponizing financial laws against small businesses and local lenders.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, who helped found the CFPB after the 2008 financial crisis, fired back Wednesday night on social media. She credited the bureau with returning over $21 billion to U.S. consumers wronged by corporations.

“Trump and his administration love grifters and scammers,” Warren wrote. “They’re trying to kill the agency that holds them accountable.”

Consumer advocates echoed her alarm. Ericka Taylor, co-executive director of Americans for Financial Reform, warned that Vought’s plan gives a “green light to predatory lenders and Big Tech.”

“This illegal dismantling of the CFPB exposes real people to real harm,” Taylor said. “By shutting it down, Vought is inviting powerful financial interests to nickel and dime working families.”

The Battle Over America’s Consumer Watchdog

Created in the wake of the 2008 crash, the CFPB was designed as a financial watchdog to protect ordinary Americans from abusive lending and deceptive financial practices.
Vought’s vow to eliminate it marks a dramatic turn — one that could reshape the balance between consumer protection and deregulation for years to come.

Whether the courts — or Congress — will let him finish the job remains a high-stakes question.