President Donald Trump has made a bold proposal to reallocate nearly 90,000 IRS agents as border patrol personnel.
During a Las Vegas rally, he emphasized a radical shift from their current tax-related roles to armed duties on the southern U.S. border, Fox News reported.
During his speech at the Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on January 25, 2025, President Trump detailed his vision for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and its future.
He argued that the Biden administration's decision to significantly increase IRS staffing could be redirected to enhance border security.
In addition to suggesting these IRS agents become armed border personnel, President Trump also hinted at possibly terminating their roles altogether. He emphasized that these agents, under current legislation, are already authorized to carry firearms.
President Trump highlighted past economic models to support his views on altering current fiscal policies. He pointed out that from 1870 until 1913, the United States operated successfully without an income tax, relying instead on tariffs. This period, according to Trump, marked significant economic prosperity.
"Years ago, 1870 to 1913, we didn't have an income tax. We had, what we had is tariffs, where foreign countries came in and they stole our jobs, they stole our companies, they stole our product. They ripped us off. And, you know, they used to do numbers. And then we went to tariff, a tariff system. And the tariff system made so much money. It was when we were the richest from 1870 to 1930. Then we came in with the – brilliantly came in – with an income tax," President Trump explained during the rally.
In his further criticism of current tax policies, President Trump suggested the complete elimination of the income tax, proposing that tariffs alone could fund governmental needs. This idea, while radical, was met with enthusiastic support from the audience at the rally.
President Donald Trump further elaborated on his plan to repurpose IRS agents, saying, "On day one, I immediately halted the hiring of any new IRS agents. They hired or tried to hire, 88,000 new workers to go after you. And we're in the process of developing a plan to either terminate all of them or maybe we'll move them to the border. And I think we're going to move them to the border," - President Donald Trump
In further remarks, President Trump addressed broad economic changes and cultural shifts, touching upon the recent removal of what he described as "woke" ideologies from major corporations. He pledged to make economic reforms that would ensure more money stayed in the pockets of American workers, including those who rely heavily on tips.
Before this public appearance, President Trump toured various regions in the United States, visiting North Carolina and California, where communities were grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and widespread wildfires, respectively.
Despite the provocative nature of his proposals, President Trump's plan to transition IRS agents to border security roles underscores his administration's focus on stringent border control and significant restructuring of federal institutions.
This suggestion, part of his broader economic discourse, aims to redefine current practices and reevaluate the effectiveness of existing policies.
