Trump Sides with Treasury Secretary over Musk in IRS Chief Replacement

Trump Sides with Treasury Secretary Scott Besant Over IRS Appointment Dispute

In the ongoing dispute over the appointment of the acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, President Donald Trump has sided with Treasury Secretary Scott Besant over Elon Musk, head of the Government Efficiency Department.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on April 18 (local time), Secretary Besant appointed Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Fokender as the acting IRS Commissioner on this day. Besant wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Trust in the IRS must be restored, and I am confident that Fokender is the right person for this moment."

Reuters Yonhap News

This announcement came just three days after Gary Shapley was appointed as acting commissioner on the 15th. Anonymous sources reported that Secretary Besant, displeased with Musk, persuaded President Trump to make this decision. Besant took issue with the fact that Musk's Government Efficiency Department, through the White House, pushed for Shapley's appointment without consulting him, even though he oversees the IRS. President Trump reportedly listened to Besant's concerns and approved the replacement of the acting commissioner.

Shapley became well-known in conservative circles after he publicly criticized the Department of Justice for allegedly slow-walking a tax evasion investigation into Hunter, the son of former President Joe Biden. The NYT assessed, "This clash is the latest example of Musk wielding influence within the Trump administration and shocking senior officials."

Previously, Musk had opposed Besant's appointment as Treasury Secretary, but President Trump ultimately chose Besant for the position.