The Nov. 5, 2024, election of Donald Trump sent shockwaves through official Washington, with many officials contemplating -- and even threatening -- to resign in protest or refusal to assist the incoming president in carrying out his agenda.
In that vein, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Danny Werfel announced last week that he planned to resign ahead of Trump's return to office, as USA Today reports, a move that prevented what was almost certain to be his firing by the new commander in chief.
Staffers at the IRS received word of the impending departure in a letter penned by Werfel explaining the rationale behind his decision to leave with three years remaining in his term.
“After significant introspection and consultation with others, I've determined the best way to support a successful transition is to depart the IRS on January 20, 2025,” Werfel said, according to Politico.
Werfel indicated his belief that because Trump has already nominated a replacement commissioner, remaining in office would have been untenable because it would be “hard to predict what type of distractions this unprecedented scenario would create.”
Boasting of his accomplishments in the role, Werfel said, “We have delivered two of the best filing seasons in decades, with significantly improved phone, online and in-person service. We answered nearly nine in 10 calls the last two filing seasons, up from fewer than two in 10 calls, while cutting call wait times from 30 minutes to under five minutes.”
As the outlet noted, it is commonplace for incoming presidents to retain the IRS commissioner upon taking office, but Trump clearly has other ideas.
As The Hill reported last month, Trump indicated his plans to nominate former Rep. Billy Long (R-MO) to assume the role of IRS commissioner, a decision that set the stage for Werfel's resignation.
Trump said at the time, “I am pleased to announce that former Congressman Billy Long, of the Great State of Missouri, will be appointed to serve as the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).”
The president-elect added, “Billy brings 32 years of experience running his own businesses in Real Estate and, as one of the premier Auctioneers in the Country,” noting also that Long is “well respected on both sides of the aisle.”
Politico noted that Long's confirmation process could pose some hurdles, with Democrats reportedly expressing concerns about his career after leaving Congress, a period in which he aided businesses claiming a “scandal-plagued tax break” meant to stave off pandemic job losses.
Long's confirmation process will be overseen by the Senate Finance Committee, which also has responsibility over proceedings for Trump nominees Scott Bessent -- tapped for Treasury -- and Robert Kennedy, Jr. -- picked to head the Department of Health and Human Services.
Former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen has expressed concern about Trump's move to replace Werfel ahead of his term's expiration, suggesting that the role should not be viewed as a political one.
“It's unfortunate that we're now setting this precedent that somehow this is really a political job and you need your guy running it,” Koskinen opined, but given the resistance Trump faced from countless arms of the federal government during his first term, the president-elect's actions seem to many little more than an acknowledgment of a regrettable reality.
