Posted on 04/18/2025 1:44:42 PM PDT by Miami Rebel
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.
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
NYT. I’ll wait to hear Trump’s version.
says NYT... whatever
The IRS needs to be really happy I am not in charge. They would be begging for Musk to be running it.
The Times is framing this as a power struggle conflict between Bessent and Musk, therefore I believe none of it
So much inside baseball information from the NY Times about the Trump administration.
It could be fabricated.
We’ll have to wait to see if there is a more creditable source.
You don’t trust the people familiar with the situation?
The Times broke the story. Google it and you’ll find it everywhere.
It is a NYSlimes article. At 90% of it is made up to support the narrative.
I’m open to other interpretations, but if it WASN’T a turf war it must be a doozy of a misdeed that could get him fired within days.
I hope Bessent is acting in good faith and in accordance with what Trump wants.
And I also hope Trump is not repeating his first term screwups with untrustworthy appointments.
Five unnamed sources.
Shapley seems like one of the good guys.
Hopefully, he lands on his feet.
-NYT. I’ll wait to hear Trump’s version.-
Why would you need to wait?
Apparently you didn’t notice that “five people with knowledge of the change said Friday”.
So? Everywhere usually means left wing echo chamber.
Ditto
It was always a temporary position. Typical NY Slimes sh!t-story that is nothing but anti-Trump propaganda.
Yup
They dont know how good they have it. Many others would bloodbath the place, not literally, but administratively.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.