Kash Patel Tapped to Lead ATF

THE NEWS

Newly sworn-in FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to be tapped by President Donald Trump to serve as the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Multiple outlets have confirmed that Patel is set to serve as the leader of two of the largest agencies within the Justice Department, replacing the ATF’s current acting director, Marvin Richardson.

The ATF has a budget of around $1.6 billion and employs over 5,200 individuals. The agency is primarily focused on enforcing federal firearm, explosive, and arson laws.

TIMELINE

January 2025 – ATF Leadership Change

• In the transition to the new administration, Biden-appointed ATF Director Steve Dettelbach resigned. Dettelbach, who led ATF from July 2022 until January 2025, was the first Senate-confirmed ATF director since 2015​.

Early February 2025 – Gun Policy Review Ordered

• President Trump issues an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to review all Biden-era firearms regulations for possible Second Amendment infringements​.

• This move signaled the new administration’s intent to roll back what it viewed as overreach by the ATF under the previous government, including rules on “ghost guns” and expanded background checks​.

February 15, 2025 – Top ATF Lawyer Fired

• Following the executive order, Attorney General Bondi dismisses ATF Chief Counsel Pamela Hicks, accusing the 23-year agency veteran of “targeting gun owners”​.

• Hicks – who had served as ATF’s top lawyer since 2021 – confirmed her ouster and wrote that being chief counsel was the “highest honor” of her career​.

February 20, 2025 – Senate Confirms Patel as FBI Director:

• The U.S. Senate voted 51–49 to confirm Kash Patel as FBI Director, with all Democrats and two Republicans (Collins and Murkowski) opposed​.

• Gun Owners of America, by contrast, cheered the Senate’s decision as “a major victory for gun owners and constitutional rights advocates nationwide”​.

February 21, 2025 – Swearing-In Ceremony:

• Patel was officially sworn in as FBI Director on Friday, Feb. 21, in Washington, D.C., with AG Bondi administering the oath in the Indian Treaty Room at the White House​.

• Shortly after taking charge of the FBI, Patel met with Justice Department leadership amid plans for him to take on additional responsibilities at ATF. That same day, Bondi publicly defended the shake-up at ATF, telling Fox News she removed the ATF’s counsel because the agency had been “targeting gun owners”​.

February 23, 2025 – Kash Patel Set to Lead ATF

• On Sunday, news broke that President Trump will name Kash Patel as acting Director of the ATF, consolidating leadership of two DOJ agencies​.

• A Justice Department official (speaking on background Feb. 22) confirmed Patel is expected to be sworn in at ATF the following.

• The White House had not issued an official announcement by Sunday evening​, but multiple news outlets reported the appointment based on DOJ sources.

REACTIONS

Gun Owners of America (Non-profit organization): "GOA is PROUD to back Kash Patel, a true patriot who understands the meaning of the Second Amendment. We look forward to dismantling gun control with Kash"

Kash Patel said last year at "GOA" national convention: "The counter mandate that we have is the force of the Founding Fathers in the 2nd Amendment. That is more powerful than any regulation these entities can come up with. But if you let ATF continue to chip away, they will completely take it away FOREVER."

"So, what about the law? I thought we acted here on the law. ATF & so many other organizations... strip away your rights little, by little, by little, by little. None of it is the law!"

WHAT’S NEXT

Senate Confirmation Process:

• While Patel can assume the ATF director’s duties in an acting capacity, federal law requires a Senate confirmation for any permanent ATF Director (a requirement since 2006)​.

• It remains unclear if the White House will formally nominate Patel for the ATF directorship or rely on his acting status for an extended period. ​

Policy Shifts at ATF:

• Immediate policy changes are expected at the ATF under Patel’s leadership, aligning with the new administration’s pro-gun rights agenda.

• The review ordered by President Trump is already underway​, focusing on rolling back or revising regulations implemented during the Biden era.

ATF Agency Restructuring:

• Patel’s dual role raises the prospect of broader structural changes to federal firearms enforcement. It is highly unusual for one official to simultaneously run the FBI and ATF – an arrangement that “raises questions about the future” of the ATF itself​.

• Some experts speculate this could be an initial step toward merging the ATF’s functions into the FBI.