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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
Critics argue that it's a distraction from the continuing anger from the MAGA base about the administration's refusal to release all Jeffrey Epstein files.
President Donald Trump has removed Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Billy Long less than two months after his Senate confirmation, marking the sixth leadership change at the agency this year, according to reporting from The New York Times and The Hill.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the gay billionaire and highest-ranking LGBTQ+ official in the Republican administration, will lead the IRS on an acting basis until a permanent replacement is named, the White House confirmed. Earlier this week, Trump told CNBC that Bessent declined consideration for Federal Reserve chair, saying, “he wants to stay where he is.”
Long, a former Republican congressman from Missouri and staunch MAGA ally, faced criticism from Democrats for his lack of tax policy experience. While in Congress, he once sponsored legislation to abolish the IRS. His brief tenure included placing two senior officials on administrative leave, amplifying social media calls to “purge” agency staff, and granting early Friday departures, including 70 minutes ahead of his 70th birthday, The New York Times reports.
Related: Scott Bessent, Trump’s gay treasury secretary, is out of the running for Fed chair
The Trump administration has aggressively reduced IRS staffing while directing the agency to assist in deportations and scrutinize universities’ tax-exempt status. Long is expected to be nominated for an ambassadorship, following the same model as Trump’s former national security advisor, Michael Waltz, who was removed from his position after he created a private Signal group chat to discuss military attack plans and included a journalist with The Atlantic. He was later nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Online observers are calling the abrupt personnel change an attempt to divert headlines from the escalating Jeffrey Epstein scandal. As CNN has reported, survivors and their families have accused the White House of prioritizing political damage control over justice for victims, while the administration resists releasing files that could shed light on Epstein’s connections to high-profile figures, including Trump.
The IRS has not yet commented on the leadership change.
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