President Donald Trump's pick to lead the White House budget office, Russell Vought, told senators in his confirmation questionnaire that he believed the 2020 presidential election was "rigged." 

Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse asked the question about the 2020 presidential election in an on-the-record questionnaire that was part of the Senate Budget Committee's confirmation process. The Hill newspaper received a copy of the questionnaire and reported on it Tuesday. The committee is expected to consider the nomination on Thursday.

Vought, who played a role in the controversial "Project 2025" blueprint, wrote "I believe that the 2020 election was rigged.”

The response is expected to cause headaches for Republicans who had hoped the confirmation process would play out smoothly. Many Senate Republicans, including Mitch McConnell, have rejected Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

Whitehouse also asked Vought about his leadership of the foundation, the Center for Renewing America (CRA), which he founded in 2021, and which paid him $540,000 last year. Whitehouse also sought the names of the center's donors, and asked how Vought plans to avoid conflicts of interest if he doesn't disclose the information.

Vought responded that he is not obligated to disclose the names of the donors and that he has otherwise fully complied with the Office of Government Ethics and the Office of Management and Budget's ethics attorneys.

The nominee also dodged questions about Trump's recent executive orders, maintaining that all orders were decided directly by the president. 

Senate Democrats have also urged Republicans in the upper chamber to delay the committee vote by two weeks, after a controversial memo from OMB was released on Monday.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.