A Political Whirlwind: Billy Long’s Two-Month IRS Tenure
In a dramatic turn of events, President Donald Trump has removed Billy Long from his position as IRS Commissioner less than two months after he was confirmed by the Senate. As with most things Trump administration related his brief stint now stands as one of the shortest and most controversial in the agency’s modern history.
A former Missouri congressman and professional auctioneer with no formal tax administration experience, Long was a surprising choice for the IRS’s top job. During his time in Congress, he had championed legislation aimed at abolishing the very agency he was later tasked to lead. Post-Congress, Long was involved with a firm that helped businesses claim the controversial Employee Retention Tax Credit an initiative later flagged for widespread fraud.
Since January 2025, the IRS has been plagued by leadership shakeups. Long was the fifth or sixth person to lead the agency this year, depending on how acting roles are counted. The departures include that of acting commissioner Melanie Krause which stemmed from internal conflicts and controversial policies, such as agreements to share tax data with immigration authorities. Though no specific reason was given for Long’s dismissal, the timing aligns with broader efforts to restructure the federal bureaucracy the IRS workforce has been slashed by approximately 25–30%, dropping from 103,000 in January to around 77,000 by May. Following his removal, Long has been tapped for a diplomatic post as the next ambassador to Iceland
The real question is why does this even matter? Frequent leadership changes disrupt long term policy planning and may compromise taxpayer services during critical seasons. Replacing an IRS leader with an ambassadorial role underscores the politicized nature of such appointments and raises questions about governance priorities. It's this second point that I find most disturbing. Trump has figured out how to politicize everything and erode our current political system which I fear will be used to usurp control. I have a bad feeling about where we will be in 3 more years I'm just hoping it's not as bad as I think it will be...
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It's exactly like this, when these people enter politics, they have nothing, but when they leave, they have so much money that when asked, they say that we had it before. This is happening in every country now.
It's sick we need to stop these people form enriching themselves at our expense
This is pretty worrying. Removing an IRS Commissioner after just two months makes the whole agency look unstable. It feels like politics is taking over these appointments instead of focusing on who’s best for the job. In the end, it’s regular taxpayers who might suffer if leadership keeps changing like this.
It's all a power game and no of it is serious at this point. We need a reset it's not left vs. right its the rich vs. poor
I think anymore you just need to throw your hands in the air and say I give up. I mean we have so little control over any of this. It's sad, but so disheartening.
It's wild I just talked to a recent college grad who has applied for over 400 jobs and will be homeless in like 3 weeks. It sure feels like we are cooked
That's totally nuts!
It actually looks like so far, nobody really wants the tenure or the leadership of Donald trump. Well let's see how it goes in years to come
He sure has a high turn over rate