Kash Patel, who took the oath as FBI director last week, is anticipated to be appointed as the acting leader of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to a Justice Department official who spoke to The Associated Press.
If he is sworn in as the head of the ATF next week as expected, Patel will oversee two major agencies within the Justice Department. This unusual arrangement raises concerns about the future of a bureau that has long faced scrutiny from conservatives.
As the director of the FBI, Patel stands at the helm of the nation’s leading federal law enforcement agency, amid apprehensions from Democrats regarding his qualifications and the possibility of him aligning closely with President Donald Trump’s directives. His confirmation by the Senate was a tight 51-49 vote, with GOP Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski opposing him.
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What is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives?
The background:
The ATF is an independent agency with approximately 5,500 staff members and is tasked with enforcing the nation’s laws regarding firearms, explosives, and arson. Its responsibilities include licensing federal firearms dealers, tracing firearms used in criminal activities, and analyzing intelligence in shooting incidents.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi administers the oath to new FBI Director Kash Patel as his girlfriend Alexis Wilkins holds the Bhagavad Gita in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on February 21, 2025
The most recent confirmed ATF director was Steve Dettelbach, a former federal prosecutor, who led the agency from July 2022 until last month. He was the first confirmed director since 2015, as both Republican and Democratic administrations struggled to push nominees through the politically contentious process.
What are the opinions?:
Conservatives have consistently criticized the ATF for its role in gun regulation, with some advocating for the agency’s closure. Under the Biden administration, the ATF implemented new regulations targeting ghost guns and requiring a greater number of firearms dealers to conduct background checks for buyers at gun shows or other non-traditional outlets.
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Gun Owners of America, an advocacy group for gun rights, hailed Patel’s confirmation as FBI director as “a significant victory for gun owners and advocates of constitutional rights nationwide.”
Earlier this month, Trump issued an executive order directing the attorney general to evaluate all actions taken by the Biden administration regarding firearms “to identify any ongoing infringements on our citizens’ Second Amendment rights.”
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Following the directive, Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed the ATF’s chief lawyer. Bondi mentioned in a Fox News interview on Friday that she terminated chief counsel Pamela Hicks due to the agency “targeting gun owners.”
Why are there concerns about Patel leading the ATF?
Senate Democrats respond to Kash Patel’s FBI nomination
Senators Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, Minnesota), Alex Padilla (California), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Chris Coons (Delaware), and Dick Durbin (Illinois) voiced their concerns on Thursday regarding Kash Patel’s nomination for FBI director by President Trump.
The opposing view:
Gun safety advocates have expressed their worries about Patel leading the FBI, with the gun control organization Brady labeling him as a “known gun rights extremist.”
The Source: This report incorporates information from The Associated Press and previous reporting from LiveNow on FOX.
