Trump Names FBI Chief Patel as Acting ATF Director
President Donald Trump appoints Kash Patel, the newly confirmed FBI Director, as the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), according to a source familiar with the situation who spoke to Reuters on Saturday. Patel, a loyal ally of Trump, will oversee the FBI, the nation’s leading law enforcement agency, during a period of rising turmoil, while also managing the ATF, which enforces U.S. gun laws.
Patel’s nomination faced strong opposition from Democrats and a pair of moderate Republicans, who criticized his previous calls for retribution against Trump’s critics, arguing this made him unfit to lead the FBI. However, the nomination overcame this resistance thanks to strong backing from Republican senators.
A supporter of gun rights, Patel has garnered praise from the Gun Owners of America lobby group. He is expected to lead a significant shift in the ATF’s operations, focusing less on firearm regulation. During his presidential campaign, Trump had accused the ATF of unfairly targeting gun owners and revoking licenses without proper justification.
In a related move, Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed the ATF’s longtime chief counsel, Pamela Hicks, on Thursday, having security escort her from the building without prior warning or explanation, according to a source. Bondi later told mainstream media that she fired Hicks because “these people were targeting gun owners.” Bondi had previously instructed the ATF to prioritize supporting the Department of Justice in tackling illegal immigration, while reducing its focus on regulating firearms, alcohol, and tobacco.
Patel is not the only Trump administration official taking on multiple roles. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also acting as the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, an agency Trump wants to eliminate by integrating it into the State Department. Meanwhile, Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, is also serving as the acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, another agency the administration seeks to dissolve.
