Billy Long speaks during a press conference before filing for the ballot in the Missouri GOP Senate primary on Feb. 22, 2022, in Jefferson City (Madeline Carter/Missouri Independent).
Former Missouri Congressman Billy Long was appointed Wednesday evening by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Internal Revenue Service.
Trump called Long — who served six terms representing a Southwest Missouri district — a “consummate people person,” adding, “Taxpayers and the great employees of the IRS will be thrilled to have Billy at the helm.” ‘
The current IRS commissioner’s term does not end until 2027.
Long was one of the first elected officials to jump on the “Trump train,” a phrase he claims to have invented it. When most viewed Trump’s candidacy as a joke or a publicity stunt, Long said he was all in, praising Trump to foreign leaders and GOP insiders who chuckled at the idea that the real estate mogul and reality TV star could be the next would be president.
“Trump, I saw it early,” Long told The Independent in 2022, “he has the ‘it’ factor.”
After a long career as an auctioneer and a few years as a conservative radio host, Long decided in 2010 to enter the race for the seat in Congress left vacant when Roy Blunt decided to run for the U.S. Senate.
Long said no one took him seriously.
“It was an eight-person race,” Long said, “and the plan was for me to finish ninth. I was the Donald Trump of the race.”
He was seen as a candidate who was only in the race “for publicity,” Long said, “to help my company and blah, blah, blah, the same things they said about Trump.”
His own campaign consultants told him he was “too fat to put on TV,” he said. “And you can put that in the newspaper. They said, ‘You’re too fat. You can’t be on television. You will scare people. ”
Billy Long shows off his tie signed by former President Donald Trump shortly before he ran for U.S. Senate in Jefferson City on Feb. 22, 2022 (Madeline Carter/Missouri Independent).
Ultimately, Long won the primary by about 7.5 percentage points. He rode to victory that fall, joining a huge class of freshman Republicans who came to power in the Tea Party wave.
He says the key to his victory was authenticity.
“Maybe I don’t look like that,” Long said. “But I guaranteed the voters that I would play the role, that I would do the right thing for the right reason every day. And that appealed to people.”
According to The Lever, in his first year in Congress, Long signed a letter urging the IRS to investigate the tax-exempt status of the Humane Society of the United States, a nonprofit organization that focuses on animal welfare and opposition to animal abuse. The letter followed the Humane Society’s support of a successful ballot measure in Missouri that strengthened regulations on dog breeders.
In 2022, Long gave up his seat in Congress to run for the U.S. Senate, finishing fourth in the GOP primary behind the eventual winner, Eric Schmitt.
According to Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, Long has worked since leaving Congress as a business and tax advisor, “helping small businesses navigate the complexities of complying with IRS rules and regulations.”
“I’ve known Billy since 2011,” Trump said. “He is an extremely hard worker and respected by everyone, especially those who know him in Congress… Congratulations Billy!”
Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. If you have any questions, please contact editor Jason Hancock: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and X.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES IN YOUR INBOX
