On August 8, 2025, a wave of surprise swept through Washington as President Donald Trump removed Billy Long from his post as head of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a position Long had held for just two months. The move, reported by both The Associated Press and The New York Times, marked yet another dramatic turn in an already tumultuous year for the tax agency.
Long, a former congressman from Missouri, was the fifth person to lead the IRS during Trump’s second term, which began in January. The agency has seen a revolving door of leadership since the president’s return to office, with Douglas O’Donnell, Melanie Krause, Gary Shapley, Michael Faulkender, and now Long each taking turns at the helm. According to the AP, Long’s tenure will go down as the shortest for any Senate-confirmed IRS commissioner since the position’s creation in 1862.
But Long’s exit from the IRS was not the end of his public service. On the same day he was dismissed, President Trump appointed him as the new U.S. ambassador to Iceland. Long announced the news himself on the social media platform X, writing, “It is a honor to serve my friend President Trump and 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!”
Long’s characteristic humor was on display as he followed up with a tongue-in-cheek post: “So I called @realDonaldTrump last night and told him I wanted to join ICE and I guess he thought I said Iceland? Oh well. 🤷♂️.” He capped off the thread by sharing a link to a popular Icelandic tourist website, adding a bit of levity to a day of significant political change.
The appointment, however, is not yet finalized. The U.S. Senate must confirm Long’s nomination, but with senators on recess until September, the timeline for his confirmation remains uncertain. Iceland’s Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir expressed hope that the process would move quickly, telling mbl.is, “it’s always good when things like this happen quickly.”
The shakeup at the IRS comes amid ongoing upheaval at the agency. Since President Trump’s return to the White House, the IRS has been under immense pressure, not just from leadership churn but also from a dramatic reduction in workforce. This downsizing, part of a broader Trump administration initiative led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), aimed to shrink the federal bureaucracy. According to The Associated Press, thousands of IRS employees were either fired or resigned, raising concerns about the agency’s ability to process tax returns and refunds in a timely manner.
The workforce cuts and leadership changes have sparked a wave of criticism. Many have questioned whether the agency can fulfill its mandate amid such instability. The Trump administration’s aggressive approach to reducing the size of government, reportedly supported by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, has drawn both praise and condemnation. Supporters argue it is a necessary step to rein in what they see as bloated federal agencies, while critics warn that such drastic measures threaten the government’s ability to provide essential services.
Billy Long’s own path to the IRS top job was controversial from the start. The Republican-led Senate confirmed him by a 53-44 vote, despite vocal concerns from Democratic senators about his lack of experience in tax administration. Adding to the controversy, Long had previously worked for a firm that promoted a fraudulent pandemic-era tax break—a detail that raised eyebrows during his confirmation hearings. Before his IRS stint, Long served as a Republican congressman from Missouri, where he championed legislation to abolish the very agency he would later lead. As The New York Times noted, this made him a particularly unusual choice for the role.
Long’s short-lived leadership followed a series of similarly brief tenures. Douglas O’Donnell had taken over on January 21, after his predecessor, Danny Werfel, stepped down before Trump’s inauguration. Melanie Krause left after a deferred resignation agreement was reached with the Department of Homeland Security over sharing immigrants’ tax data. Gary Shapley’s appointment sparked a dispute between Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Michael Faulkender also served a brief stint before Long took over.
With Long’s departure, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been tapped to serve as acting IRS commissioner. Bessent will hold the position while the administration considers a permanent replacement. The Associated Press reported that the administration has not yet indicated who might be in line for the job, leaving IRS employees and taxpayers alike in a state of uncertainty.
Meanwhile, Long seems to be taking his abrupt career change in stride. His social media posts suggest a man who is both unfazed by the political drama and ready to embrace whatever comes next. “It is a honor to serve my friend President Trump and 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 reiterated in his announcement, making it clear that he remains a loyal supporter of the president’s vision.
The U.S. ambassadorship to Iceland is typically a low-profile post, but Long’s nomination has drawn outsized attention, given the circumstances of his departure from the IRS and his colorful public persona. As the Senate prepares to weigh his nomination in the fall, some observers wonder whether his lack of diplomatic experience will be a sticking point. Others argue that his close ties to the president could help strengthen U.S.-Iceland relations at a time of global uncertainty.
For now, the IRS faces another period of transition, with its workforce stretched thin and its leadership once again in flux. The agency’s ability to manage the nation’s tax system—already strained by layoffs and political turbulence—remains an open question. As for Billy Long, his journey from Missouri congressman to tax chief to would-be ambassador is a testament to the unpredictable nature of American politics in 2025.
With the Senate’s return from recess still weeks away, all eyes will be on Washington to see how quickly Long’s nomination moves forward—and whether the IRS can find its footing amid the ongoing shakeup at the top.