Andy Kroll
@andykroll.bsky.social
Investigative reporter for PROPUBLICA
Contact me: 202-215-6203 (phone/Signal)
First book: A DEATH ON W STREET
Next book: Southern true-crime epic about porn kingpin Michael Thevis, the mob, and the FBI. Imagine Goodfellas meets Boogie Nights…
Contact me: 202-215-6203 (phone/Signal)
First book: A DEATH ON W STREET
Next book: Southern true-crime epic about porn kingpin Michael Thevis, the mob, and the FBI. Imagine Goodfellas meets Boogie Nights…
Pinned
Andy Kroll
@andykroll.bsky.social
· Jan 8
~Personal news~ Thrilled to announce that I'm writing a book for @grandcentralpub.bsky.social!
I cover politics by day, but I'm a true-crime junkie at heart.
My new book is a wild journey into one of the great crime epics of the 20th century — and the American kingpin at the heart of it.
I cover politics by day, but I'm a true-crime junkie at heart.
My new book is a wild journey into one of the great crime epics of the 20th century — and the American kingpin at the heart of it.
Reposted by Andy Kroll
ProPublica’s @andykroll.bsky.social spent months chronicling Russ Vought’s rise from the Senate mailroom to one of the most influential players in the current Trump administration, where he has tried to fulfill his desire to put federal workers “in trauma.”
Russell Vought: The Shadow President
YouTube video by ProPublica
www.youtube.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:00 AM
ProPublica’s @andykroll.bsky.social spent months chronicling Russ Vought’s rise from the Senate mailroom to one of the most influential players in the current Trump administration, where he has tried to fulfill his desire to put federal workers “in trauma.”
Reposted by Andy Kroll
1/ I’d like to share what’s happened since Sept. 30, the night of the most dramatic raid of the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. Under the cover of darkness, 37 immigrants were taken from an apartment complex …🧵
November 16, 2025 at 3:17 PM
1/ I’d like to share what’s happened since Sept. 30, the night of the most dramatic raid of the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. Under the cover of darkness, 37 immigrants were taken from an apartment complex …🧵
Reposted by Andy Kroll
Russ Vought set out to ensure a second Trump term would not be hampered by checks and balances: “I don’t want President Trump having to lose a moment of time having fights in the Oval Office about whether something is legal or doable or moral.”
By @andykroll.bsky.social, with @newyorker.com
By @andykroll.bsky.social, with @newyorker.com
Russell Vought, Trump’s Shadow President
From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought has drawn the road map for Trump’s second term. Vought has consolidated power to an extent that…
www.propublica.org
November 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Russ Vought set out to ensure a second Trump term would not be hampered by checks and balances: “I don’t want President Trump having to lose a moment of time having fights in the Oval Office about whether something is legal or doable or moral.”
By @andykroll.bsky.social, with @newyorker.com
By @andykroll.bsky.social, with @newyorker.com
NEW: I spoke with the inestimable Terry Gross (!) on @nprfreshair.bsky.social about my year-long investigation of Russ Vought, the "shadow president" of Trump's second presidency.
Listen here: www.npr.org/2025/10/30/n...
Listen here: www.npr.org/2025/10/30/n...
Who's the man behind President Trump's dismantling of the federal government?
In a New Yorker article co-published with ProPublica, reporter Andy Kroll describes Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, as a "shadow president" with oversized influence.
www.npr.org
October 31, 2025 at 2:30 PM
NEW: I spoke with the inestimable Terry Gross (!) on @nprfreshair.bsky.social about my year-long investigation of Russ Vought, the "shadow president" of Trump's second presidency.
Listen here: www.npr.org/2025/10/30/n...
Listen here: www.npr.org/2025/10/30/n...
Reposted by Andy Kroll
SCOOP
The admin is making it harder for male vets w/ breast cancer to get their care covered
The admin cites Trump order: “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”
I got the memo laying it all out
www.propublica.org/article/vete...
The admin is making it harder for male vets w/ breast cancer to get their care covered
The admin cites Trump order: “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”
I got the memo laying it all out
www.propublica.org/article/vete...
Citing Trump Order on “Biological Truth,” VA Makes It Harder for Male Veterans With Breast Cancer to Get Coverage
A Department of Veterans Affairs memo obtained by ProPublica erects new roadblocks to care for veterans with the rare but deadly cancer. The agency cites no new science but relies on an executive orde...
www.propublica.org
October 29, 2025 at 11:15 AM
SCOOP
The admin is making it harder for male vets w/ breast cancer to get their care covered
The admin cites Trump order: “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”
I got the memo laying it all out
www.propublica.org/article/vete...
The admin is making it harder for male vets w/ breast cancer to get their care covered
The admin cites Trump order: “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”
I got the memo laying it all out
www.propublica.org/article/vete...
Reposted by Andy Kroll
“If you’re watching television and the words ‘woke and weaponized’ come out of a politician’s mouth, you can know that this is coming ... from the strategies we’re putting out,” Vought boasted in a recording obtained by ProPublica.
By @andykroll.bsky.social
By @andykroll.bsky.social
What You Should Know About Russ Vought, Trump’s Shadow President
Vought is the architect of President Trump’s broader plan to fire civil servants, freeze government programs and dismantle entire agencies. Here are some key things to know about the D.C. insider who ...
www.propublica.org
October 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM
“If you’re watching television and the words ‘woke and weaponized’ come out of a politician’s mouth, you can know that this is coming ... from the strategies we’re putting out,” Vought boasted in a recording obtained by ProPublica.
By @andykroll.bsky.social
By @andykroll.bsky.social
I obtained ~dozens of hours~ of previously unreported recordings of Russ Vought's briefings from 2021 to 2024.
Want to hear the recordings yourself? Watch @propublica.org's
new mini-documentary about Vought 👇
THE SHADOW PRESIDENT www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Lu...
Want to hear the recordings yourself? Watch @propublica.org's
new mini-documentary about Vought 👇
THE SHADOW PRESIDENT www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Lu...
Russell Vought: The Shadow President
YouTube video by ProPublica
www.youtube.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:05 PM
I obtained ~dozens of hours~ of previously unreported recordings of Russ Vought's briefings from 2021 to 2024.
Want to hear the recordings yourself? Watch @propublica.org's
new mini-documentary about Vought 👇
THE SHADOW PRESIDENT www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Lu...
Want to hear the recordings yourself? Watch @propublica.org's
new mini-documentary about Vought 👇
THE SHADOW PRESIDENT www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Lu...
Reposted by Andy Kroll
While Elon Musk brandished the DOGE buzzsaw, insiders saw Russ Vought’s prints on DOGE’s actions.
“I can’t imagine that the DOGE team knew to target all these little parts of the government without Russ pointing them there,” a former official said.
By @andykroll.bsky.social
“I can’t imagine that the DOGE team knew to target all these little parts of the government without Russ pointing them there,” a former official said.
By @andykroll.bsky.social
Russell Vought, Trump's Shadow President
From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought has drawn the road map for Trump's second term. Vought has consolidated power to an extent that insiders say they feel like “he is the commander in chief.”
www.propublica.org
October 24, 2025 at 1:35 AM
While Elon Musk brandished the DOGE buzzsaw, insiders saw Russ Vought’s prints on DOGE’s actions.
“I can’t imagine that the DOGE team knew to target all these little parts of the government without Russ pointing them there,” a former official said.
By @andykroll.bsky.social
“I can’t imagine that the DOGE team knew to target all these little parts of the government without Russ pointing them there,” a former official said.
By @andykroll.bsky.social
NEW: When Russ Vought told Trump in 2021 about his new plan to keep MAGA going, the president asked him to find a way for conservatives to push back against Black Lives Matter.
“This was an assignment I was given from President Trump,” Vought later recalled. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
“This was an assignment I was given from President Trump,” Vought later recalled. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Donald Trump’s Deep-State Wrecking Ball
Russell Vought is using the White House budget office to lay waste to the federal bureaucracy—firing workers, decimating agencies, and testing the rule of law.
www.newyorker.com
October 23, 2025 at 12:14 PM
NEW: When Russ Vought told Trump in 2021 about his new plan to keep MAGA going, the president asked him to find a way for conservatives to push back against Black Lives Matter.
“This was an assignment I was given from President Trump,” Vought later recalled. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
“This was an assignment I was given from President Trump,” Vought later recalled. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Thx for joining the AMA. As I said there, I interviewed *and* quoted current + former CFPBers (see the part that begins, “Current and former CFPB staff told me…”).
The story doesn’t say the agency is permanently closed. It describes Vought et al’s actions so far, quotes Chopra’s “coma” comment.
The story doesn’t say the agency is permanently closed. It describes Vought et al’s actions so far, quotes Chopra’s “coma” comment.
We asked @andykroll.bsky.social on Reddit why his "deep dive" on Vought spent so little ink on Russy's anti-American Christian Nationalist beliefs, why he didn't quote current CFPB workers, & why he misled readers by declaring Vought's illegal shutdown final (it isn't, & we need you in this fight).
October 23, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Thx for joining the AMA. As I said there, I interviewed *and* quoted current + former CFPBers (see the part that begins, “Current and former CFPB staff told me…”).
The story doesn’t say the agency is permanently closed. It describes Vought et al’s actions so far, quotes Chopra’s “coma” comment.
The story doesn’t say the agency is permanently closed. It describes Vought et al’s actions so far, quotes Chopra’s “coma” comment.
“We work for the president of the United States,” a senior agency official who deals with OMB told me.
But right now, “it feels like we work for Russ Vought. He has centralized decision-making power to an extent that he is the commander in chief.” www.propublica.org/article/russ...
But right now, “it feels like we work for Russ Vought. He has centralized decision-making power to an extent that he is the commander in chief.” www.propublica.org/article/russ...
Russell Vought, Trump’s Shadow President
From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought has drawn the road map for Trump’s second term. Vought has consolidated power to an extent that inside...
www.propublica.org
October 22, 2025 at 8:07 PM
“We work for the president of the United States,” a senior agency official who deals with OMB told me.
But right now, “it feels like we work for Russ Vought. He has centralized decision-making power to an extent that he is the commander in chief.” www.propublica.org/article/russ...
But right now, “it feels like we work for Russ Vought. He has centralized decision-making power to an extent that he is the commander in chief.” www.propublica.org/article/russ...
Thanks, man. You guys have been doing great work at WaPo...
ProPublica's @andykroll.bsky.social had a *great* piece on Russ Vought earlier this month.
If you've got a moment to sit and read, it's worth your time:
www.propublica.org/article/russ...
If you've got a moment to sit and read, it's worth your time:
www.propublica.org/article/russ...
Russell Vought, Trump’s Shadow President
From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought has drawn the road map for Trump’s second term. Vought has consolidated power to an extent that inside...
www.propublica.org
October 22, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Thanks, man. You guys have been doing great work at WaPo...
A career official answered: Less humanitarian aid would mean more people would die.
“You could say that about any of these cuts,” Russ Vought replied.
A person familiar with the meeting described his reaction as “blasé.” www.propublica.org/article/russ...
“You could say that about any of these cuts,” Russ Vought replied.
A person familiar with the meeting described his reaction as “blasé.” www.propublica.org/article/russ...
Russell Vought, Trump’s Shadow President
From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought has drawn the road map for Trump’s second term. Vought has consolidated power to an extent that inside...
www.propublica.org
October 21, 2025 at 12:12 PM
A career official answered: Less humanitarian aid would mean more people would die.
“You could say that about any of these cuts,” Russ Vought replied.
A person familiar with the meeting described his reaction as “blasé.” www.propublica.org/article/russ...
“You could say that about any of these cuts,” Russ Vought replied.
A person familiar with the meeting described his reaction as “blasé.” www.propublica.org/article/russ...
After Russ Vought experienced the chaotic failures of Trump’s 1st term, he made it his mission to ensure that a second Trump term would not “lose a moment of time having fights in the Oval Office about whether something is legal or doable or moral.”
My latest👇 www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
My latest👇 www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Donald Trump’s Deep-State Wrecking Ball
Russell Vought is using the White House budget office to lay waste to the federal bureaucracy—firing workers, decimating agencies, and testing the rule of law.
www.newyorker.com
October 20, 2025 at 3:56 PM
After Russ Vought experienced the chaotic failures of Trump’s 1st term, he made it his mission to ensure that a second Trump term would not “lose a moment of time having fights in the Oval Office about whether something is legal or doable or moral.”
My latest👇 www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
My latest👇 www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Reposted by Andy Kroll
“A career official answered: Less humanitarian aid would mean more people would die.
‘You could say that about any of these cuts,’ Vought replied.
A person familiar with the meeting described his reaction as ‘blasé.’”
www.propublica.org/article/russ... @andykroll.bsky.social
‘You could say that about any of these cuts,’ Vought replied.
A person familiar with the meeting described his reaction as ‘blasé.’”
www.propublica.org/article/russ... @andykroll.bsky.social
Russell Vought, Trump’s Shadow President
From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought has drawn the road map for Trump’s second term. Vought has consolidated power to an extent that inside...
www.propublica.org
October 20, 2025 at 3:45 PM
“A career official answered: Less humanitarian aid would mean more people would die.
‘You could say that about any of these cuts,’ Vought replied.
A person familiar with the meeting described his reaction as ‘blasé.’”
www.propublica.org/article/russ... @andykroll.bsky.social
‘You could say that about any of these cuts,’ Vought replied.
A person familiar with the meeting described his reaction as ‘blasé.’”
www.propublica.org/article/russ... @andykroll.bsky.social
Reposted by Andy Kroll
On Russ Vought's Christian Faith: “It always struck me as a strange thing,” the person said. “There’s compassion, but it only extends to certain people.”
@propublica.org @andykroll.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/russ...
@propublica.org @andykroll.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/russ...
Russell Vought, Trump’s Shadow President
From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought has drawn the road map for Trump’s second term. Vought has consolidated power to an extent that inside...
www.propublica.org
October 20, 2025 at 1:46 PM
On Russ Vought's Christian Faith: “It always struck me as a strange thing,” the person said. “There’s compassion, but it only extends to certain people.”
@propublica.org @andykroll.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/russ...
@propublica.org @andykroll.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/russ...
Reposted by Andy Kroll
How did Trump’s “shadow president” Russ Vought execute his vision of dismantling the government and putting bureaucrats “in trauma”?
On Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. ET, join our reporter @andykroll.bsky.social for a Reddit AMA about Vought’s playbook: www.reddit.com/r/fednews/co...
On Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. ET, join our reporter @andykroll.bsky.social for a Reddit AMA about Vought’s playbook: www.reddit.com/r/fednews/co...
October 18, 2025 at 9:01 PM
How did Trump’s “shadow president” Russ Vought execute his vision of dismantling the government and putting bureaucrats “in trauma”?
On Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. ET, join our reporter @andykroll.bsky.social for a Reddit AMA about Vought’s playbook: www.reddit.com/r/fednews/co...
On Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. ET, join our reporter @andykroll.bsky.social for a Reddit AMA about Vought’s playbook: www.reddit.com/r/fednews/co...
🚨WATCH/SHARE: A new @propublica.org short documentary about how Russell Vought became Trump’s “shadow president.”
See for yourself newly unearthed video and audio of Vought laying his plans and his worldview like never before. www.propublica.org/article/vide...
See for yourself newly unearthed video and audio of Vought laying his plans and his worldview like never before. www.propublica.org/article/vide...
Who Is Russell Vought? How a Little-Known D.C. Insider Became Trump’s Dismantler-in-Chief
Reporter Andy Kroll explains Vought’s rise from a congressional staffer to the man piloting everything from Trump's layoffs and agency closings to his shutdown strategy, controlling the fate of trilli...
www.propublica.org
October 18, 2025 at 3:23 PM
🚨WATCH/SHARE: A new @propublica.org short documentary about how Russell Vought became Trump’s “shadow president.”
See for yourself newly unearthed video and audio of Vought laying his plans and his worldview like never before. www.propublica.org/article/vide...
See for yourself newly unearthed video and audio of Vought laying his plans and his worldview like never before. www.propublica.org/article/vide...
Reposted by Andy Kroll
A really good and timely piece from @andykroll.bsky.social that dives deep into Russ Vought, a key architect of Trump's destruction of the constitutional order: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Donald Trump’s Deep-State Wrecking Ball
Russell Vought is using the White House budget office to lay waste to the federal bureaucracy—firing workers, decimating agencies, and testing the rule of law.
www.newyorker.com
October 17, 2025 at 8:12 PM
A really good and timely piece from @andykroll.bsky.social that dives deep into Russ Vought, a key architect of Trump's destruction of the constitutional order: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
🚨NEW: After we revealed Russ Vought's "put them in trauma" video, I spent the next year reporting on him, his influence, and his vision for America.
Yes, I got *new* recordings & videos of Vought.
Here is the story.
A @propublica.org + @newyorker.com collab: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Yes, I got *new* recordings & videos of Vought.
Here is the story.
A @propublica.org + @newyorker.com collab: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Donald Trump’s Deep-State Wrecking Ball
Russell Vought is using the White House budget office to lay waste to the federal bureaucracy—firing workers, decimating agencies, and testing the rule of law.
www.newyorker.com
October 17, 2025 at 1:27 PM
🚨NEW: After we revealed Russ Vought's "put them in trauma" video, I spent the next year reporting on him, his influence, and his vision for America.
Yes, I got *new* recordings & videos of Vought.
Here is the story.
A @propublica.org + @newyorker.com collab: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Yes, I got *new* recordings & videos of Vought.
Here is the story.
A @propublica.org + @newyorker.com collab: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Reposted by Andy Kroll
Justice Brett Kavanaugh: “If the officers learn that the individual they stopped is a U.S. citizen...they promptly let the individual go."
The reality: Americans have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot by immigration agents.
A must read from the very talented @nicolefoy.bsky.social:
The reality: Americans have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot by immigration agents.
A must read from the very talented @nicolefoy.bsky.social:
More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...
www.propublica.org
October 16, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Justice Brett Kavanaugh: “If the officers learn that the individual they stopped is a U.S. citizen...they promptly let the individual go."
The reality: Americans have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot by immigration agents.
A must read from the very talented @nicolefoy.bsky.social:
The reality: Americans have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot by immigration agents.
A must read from the very talented @nicolefoy.bsky.social:
Reposted by Andy Kroll
BREAKING from PP
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...
www.propublica.org
October 16, 2025 at 4:06 PM
BREAKING from PP
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
Reposted by Andy Kroll
NEW: Elon Musk’s SpaceX has taken money directly from Chinese investors, according to newly unsealed testimony. It's the first time direct Chinese investment in the defense contractor has been disclosed. www.propublica.org/article/elon...
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Took Money Directly From Chinese Investors, Company Insider Testifies
The newly unsealed testimony marks the first time direct Chinese investment in the company has been disclosed, raising new questions about foreign ownership interests in one of America’s most importan...
www.propublica.org
October 2, 2025 at 12:38 PM
NEW: Elon Musk’s SpaceX has taken money directly from Chinese investors, according to newly unsealed testimony. It's the first time direct Chinese investment in the defense contractor has been disclosed. www.propublica.org/article/elon...
Reposted by Andy Kroll
Exciting news! The second @propublica.org metro ad on @wmata.com has been spotted in the wild on a metro car!
There are thousands of federal staffers with stories to tell. Share yours.
propublica.org/tips
There are thousands of federal staffers with stories to tell. Share yours.
propublica.org/tips
September 30, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Exciting news! The second @propublica.org metro ad on @wmata.com has been spotted in the wild on a metro car!
There are thousands of federal staffers with stories to tell. Share yours.
propublica.org/tips
There are thousands of federal staffers with stories to tell. Share yours.
propublica.org/tips
"He stopped at my door and looked me in the eye, and I’ll never, ever forget this. I repeated it recently. He said, 'Jim, our job is to protect empathy at all costs, and to live groovy lives.'"
This Jim Jarmusch interview by @bilgeebiri.bsky.social goes places: www.vulture.com/article/jim-...
This Jim Jarmusch interview by @bilgeebiri.bsky.social goes places: www.vulture.com/article/jim-...
‘Protect Empathy at All Costs. And Live Groovy Lives.’
Jim Jarmusch on what’s paying his bills these days and the words he lives by.
www.vulture.com
September 30, 2025 at 3:39 PM
"He stopped at my door and looked me in the eye, and I’ll never, ever forget this. I repeated it recently. He said, 'Jim, our job is to protect empathy at all costs, and to live groovy lives.'"
This Jim Jarmusch interview by @bilgeebiri.bsky.social goes places: www.vulture.com/article/jim-...
This Jim Jarmusch interview by @bilgeebiri.bsky.social goes places: www.vulture.com/article/jim-...