President Donald Trump has removed Billy Long as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after less than two months in the role, a White House official and a source familiar with the matter confirmed on Friday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will serve as acting commissioner in the interim.
Long, a former Republican congressman from Missouri, was sworn in as the 51st IRS commissioner in June, with his term originally set to run until November 2027. According to NBC News, Long is now expected to be nominated for the post of US ambassador to Iceland.
In a message on X, Long said it was an “honour to serve my friend president Trump” and added: “I am excited to take on my new role as the ambassador to Iceland. I am thrilled to answer his call to service and deeply committed to advancing his bold agenda. Exciting times ahead!” He also joked on X about asking Trump to join Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), similar to actor Dean Cain’s announcement.
Long’s short tenure coincided with the introduction of substantial tariffs and the signing of tax cuts and code changes by Trump. The IRS also underwent significant job cuts as part of the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (Doge), temporarily led by billionaire Elon Musk.
