President Trump Replaces IRS Chief Amid Power Struggle

President Trump just swapped out the acting IRS commissioner.

And this is for the second time this week.

This comes after a tug-of-war erupted between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Elon Musk.

Musk had reportedly helped install Gary Shapley without Bessent’s blessing.

Now, Bessent’s deputy, Michael Faulkender, is in charge.

It’s the third IRS boss in one week.

Curious timing with it being ‘tax week’.

BREAKING: Acting IRS Commissioner Gary Shapley OUT

READ: https://t.co/kZ8GDdZoLY pic.twitter.com/F3c9u64pst

— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) April 18, 2025

New York Times reports:

President Trump has replaced the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service after his appointment just days earlier set off a power struggle between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the billionaire Elon Musk, five people with knowledge of the change said Friday.

Mr. Bessent’s deputy, Michael Faulkender, will be the new acting leader, replacing Gary Shapley, the Treasury Department confirmed on Friday. Mr. Faulkender will be the third acting leader of the agency this week.

Mr. Bessent had complained to Mr. Trump this week that Mr. Musk had done an end run around him to get Mr. Shapley installed as the interim head of the I.R.S., even though the tax collection agency reports to Mr. Bessent, the people familiar with the situation said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

The clash was the latest instance of Mr. Musk’s influence in the Trump administration that has alarmed top officials. It was also the latest upheaval at the tax agency, with much of its staff pushed out or quitting. Mr. Trump earlier this week called for the I.R.S. to revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status after the school refused to impose sweeping changes demanded by the administration.

An I.R.S. spokeswoman declined to comment on the leadership changes.

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Mr. Shapley, a longtime I.R.S. agent, gained fame among conservatives after he claimed that the Justice Department had slow-walked its investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes.

Mr. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency pushed Mr. Shapley’s appointment through White House channels, but Mr. Bessent was not consulted or asked for his blessing, according to those with knowledge of the dynamic. Mr. Bessent then got Mr. Trump’s approval to unwind the decision within days, they said. Mr. Shapley had been working from the I.R.S. commissioner’s office as late as Friday morning.

🚨 BIG NEWS: Gary Shapley, the IRS whistleblower who exposed the DOJ’s cover-up of the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden, is now Acting IRS Commissioner.

Congratulations, Gary—your courage and professionalism will transform the IRS. pic.twitter.com/DhotnPsCUU

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) April 16, 2025

Mario Nawfal posts:

TRUMP FIRES IRS CHIEF AFTER TREASURY GOES “UH, WHO APPROVED THIS?”

The Treasury flagged that the guy maybe wasn’t officially approved to begin with, so Trump got rid of him right after.

Out goes Gary Shapley. In comes Michael Faulkender, the Deputy Treasury dude, while they wait for a permanent pick to get the Senate’s awkward handshake.

Bonus drama: someone tried to rope Elon Musk into it (because of course they did), but Trump shut it down fast—saying Elon’s too busy slashing government bloat to play IRS musical chairs.

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🇺🇸 TRUMP FIRES IRS CHIEF AFTER TREASURY GOES “UH, WHO APPROVED THIS?”

The Treasury flagged that the guy maybe wasn’t officially approved to begin with, so Trump got rid of him right after.

Out goes Gary Shapley. In comes Michael Faulkender, the Deputy Treasury dude, while they… https://t.co/mA6M11gBXy pic.twitter.com/pwWOtopOgJ

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 18, 2025

Welp, that didn’t last long.

Gary Shapley, whistleblower IRS agent who investigated Hunter Biden, expected to be named agency’s acting chief https://t.co/K2JseAxOrG pic.twitter.com/QyL2l3JoeW

— New York Post (@nypost) April 16, 2025