President Donald Trump's newly-confirmed FBI director, Kash Patel, is expected to take on another top law enforcement role in the administration as head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to a White House official and two other sources familiar with the plan.
Patel's appointment could be made official as soon as next week with a swearing-in ceremony, the sources said.
The ATF, a law enforcement agency housed in the Department of Justice, is responsible for enforcing federal laws regarding the illegal use, sale and trafficking of firearms and explosives, as well as the illegal diversion of alcohol and tobacco products.
It has been a frequent target of Republican lawmakers who perceive the agency as infringing on the Second Amendment, particularly as former President Joe Biden empowered it to regulate the sale of "ghost guns" and close a loophole that eased the process of buying a firearm.
Trump earlier this month signed an executive order to “halt existing policies designed to curtail the clear right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.” A White House release on that order accused the ATF of unfairly targeting gun owners.
“The Biden Administration has flagrantly sought to eliminate Second Amendment rights. Among other infringements, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was weaponized to end the livelihoods of law-abiding small business owners in an effort to limit Americans’ ability to acquire firearms,” the White House release stated.
In January, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., led several House Republicans in introducing legislation that would abolish the agency completely.
“I cannot imagine under any circumstance or administration where the ATF serves as an ally to the Second Amendment and law-abiding firearm owners across America," Boebert said in a statement.
The agency's director under Biden, Steven Dettelback, was its first permanent leader since 2015, after prior administrations were unable to get a nominee confirmed by the Senate.
Attorney General Pam Bondi last week fired the chief counsel of ATF, Pamela Hicks, after three years of service, according to a LinkedIn post shared by Hicks.
Bondi said, without evidence, that Hicks was among the leaders at the Department of Justice who were weaponizing the agency.
“These people were targeting gun owners. Not gonna happen under this administration,” Bondi said in an interview with Fox News.
Patel, a Trump loyalist, was narrowly confirmed by the Senate on Thursday to lead the FBI. Two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, joined all Democrats in opposing Patel's nomination.
