Trump Taps Kash Patel as the New Acting Director of the ATF

Just hours after being sworn in as the new FBI Director, sources say Kash Patel has been appointed as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). 

 

This move comes as part of a broader reshuffling within federal law enforcement, with Patel expected to bring his strong background in counterterrorism and national security to his new role. With the ATF's growing focus on combatting violent crime and illegal firearms trafficking, Patel's leadership is anticipated to be pivotal in shaping the agency's future direction.

According to several sources, President Donald Trump is expected to name Patel as the acting director of the ATF. He would replace Marvin Richardson, the agency’s current acting director. 

On Thursday, Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed the ATF general counsel, Pamela Hicks. She had served as chief counsel since 2021 under the Biden administration and as deputy chief counsel for ATF during Trump’s first administration. Bondi accused the current leadership at the ATF of targeting law-abiding gun owners. 

The ATF is responsible for regulating firearm sales and registrations among Americans. The agency has long faced Republican criticism for what they view as government overreach on Second Amendment rights. Bondi directed the ATF to reallocate resources from alcohol and tobacco enforcement to support the DOJ’s efforts against illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.

Patel was sworn in on Friday after his narrow 51-49 confirmation vote. Following this, he promptly ordered the transfer of 1,500 FBI personnel from headquarters to field offices nationwide. In his speech, he pledged to implement “rigorous” constitutional oversight beginning this weekend, emphasizing that there would be “accountability in the FBI and outside of the FBI.”  He stated that deploying FBI agents to troubled communities will help the agency concentrate on addressing violent crime, including the pursuit of rapists, murderers, and drug traffickers. He warned that anyone who “wishes to do harm to our way of life and our citizens, here and abroad, will face the full wrath of the DOJ and FBI.” 

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