‘3,500 Is a Small Number’: White House Official Suggests More IRS Firings Likely

Thousands of tax collectors could see their jobs terminated in the coming days, as President Trump seeks to reduce costs and reshape the government.

Director of the National Economic Council Kevin Hassett (L) speaks alongside national security advisor Mike Waltz (C) and White House deputy chief of staff for policy/homeland security advisor Stephen Miller (R) during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House on Feb. 20, 2025. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Kevin Hassett, director of the U.S. National Economic Council, told reporters at a White House press briefing Thursday that officials are looking into a large number of worker reductions at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

“I think our objective is to make sure that the employees that we pay are being productive and effective,” Hassett said. “And there are many, many, more than 100,000 people working to collect taxes, and not all of them are fully occupied.”