President Donald Trump has abruptly removed Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Billy Long from his post, just weeks after he was sworn in, and temporarily appointed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to lead the agency, NBC News reported Friday.
Three sources with knowledge of the move confirmed Long’s ouster, which makes Bessent the sixth person this year to oversee the IRS under Trump.
Long, a former Republican congressman from Missouri who served in the House from 2011 to 2023, had only been sworn in as IRS commissioner in June. Before his time in Congress, Long was an auctioneer. He had succeeded Danny Werfel, President Joe Biden’s nominee, who held the position until Trump’s inauguration in January.
The shake-up comes amid sweeping job cuts at the IRS as part of a broader effort led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash federal payrolls.
Bessent’s interim appointment adds to an already heavy workload. In addition to running the Treasury Department, he is managing trade negotiations with China, Canada, and Mexico, as well as other nations still hammering out tariff deals. Bessent is also involved in the search for the next Federal Reserve chair. The IRS operates under the Treasury’s umbrella, giving Bessent direct oversight.
The firing came just a day after Long sent an internal email to IRS staff with a lighthearted note about leaving work early. “Please enjoy a 70-minute early exit tomorrow. That way you’ll be rested for my 70th birthday on Monday,” Long wrote, according to The New York Times.
The White House has not commented publicly on the reasons for Long’s removal, but the move continues Trump’s pattern of rapid turnover at the nation’s top tax agency — even as the IRS faces mounting operational challenges, staffing shortages, and pressure from both Congress and the public. Trump has also publicly supported disbanding the IRS altogether.
