In May 2025, Rolling Stone reported that sexually themed accounts appeared among the 50 most recently followed accounts visible on then-IRS nominee Billy Long’s X profile. An unnamed senior Trump transition official alleged unauthorized access and said the team was investigating and reporting the matter to X. The available reporting did not independently verify that claim or establish who controlled the account activity.
What Rolling Stone reported about Long’s X account
In a May 20, 2025 report by Tim Dickinson, Rolling Stone said its review of the recent follows visible on Long’s X profile found a pattern of sexually themed and Not Safe For Work accounts. The report cited adult material and pregnancy-themed sexual content among its examples, while distinguishing accounts it characterized as suggestive from those it described as pornographic. Rolling Stone’s report, syndicated by Yahoo News, also said the account appeared to unfollow Pregnant Redhead and other sexually themed accounts after the outlet asked questions.
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That is a report about what appeared in a limited public view of the account, not proof that Long personally chose each follow or later unfollow. The reported sequence does not establish why any accounts were unfollowed.
What the transition official said—and what remains unverified
An unnamed senior Trump transition official told Rolling Stone: “This is absolute bullshit and not something the congressman would ever do.” The official also said: “Clearly there has been unauthorized access to the account in the 11th hour before his hearing, and we are currently investigating the matter, including reporting it to X.”
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The official’s allegation is an explanation, not an independently established finding. The reporting cited here does not include a direct response from X or a definitive investigation result. It was also difficult, according to Rolling Stone, to establish Long’s personal or political views on pornography.
Why the visible follows were only a partial picture
Rolling Stone reported that X showed a selection of the 50 most recently followed accounts rather than a complete follow list. Long reportedly followed more than 8,000 accounts, and the transition official declined the outlet’s request for access to the full list. A recent-follow snapshot therefore cannot show the whole account history, and by itself cannot determine who initiated a follow.
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What happened to Long’s IRS nomination afterward
The controversy arose while Long was awaiting consideration as nominee to lead the IRS, an agency that handles sensitive taxpayer information. His nomination later advanced in the Senate Finance Committee by a 14–13 vote on June 3, 2025, according to the committee’s announcement. The Senate confirmed him 53–44 on June 12, the Associated Press reported.
Trump removed Long as IRS commissioner on August 8, 2025, less than two months after confirmation, according to the Associated Press. The AP reported that Long said on X that Trump had nominated him to be ambassador to Iceland. Long is therefore a former IRS commissioner; his nominee status and the account controversy belong to 2025.
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