Even Budget Hardliners Have a Sensitive Side

White House budget director Russ Vought, often dubbed the “Grim Reaper” by President Trump due to his aggressive stance on reducing government jobs, was caught in a surprisingly serene moment during a lengthy Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

As President Trump moved from one aide to another, praising their work, Associated Press photographer Julia Demarie Nikinson captured Vought engrossed in his sketching.

The director of the Office of Management and Budget, at 49 years old, was drawing a simple landscape featuring a pine tree and clouds set against a backdrop reminiscent of a Bob Ross painting. Below his artwork, he even added an arrow pointing upward, which—well, who knows what that meant for him?

Vought has faced significant backlash from Democrats and liberals for his role in cutting federal jobs and reducing spending, actions that included efforts to disband the U.S. Agency for International Development while also taking away support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

While sketches may not seem very political, they reveal a different side of the budget director. Trump has publicly praised Vought, especially around the time a 43-day government shutdown commenced, even sharing a video that featured Vought humorously donning a hood and wielding a scythe amidst a backdrop of a classic song. It made one wonder, did he have any artistic aspirations or favorite artists? Or was this just a random creative outlet during a monotonous meeting?

OMB officials haven’t responded to inquiries about Vought’s artistic endeavors or inspirations, leaving a lighthearted ambiguity hanging in the air about this budget-cutting bureaucrat.