Well, buckle up, because in true Trump administration fashion, it’s another week, another unexpected power shuffle — and this one’s raising eyebrows across the entire federal law enforcement community.
So here’s what happened: Kash Patel, the current FBI Director and until recently the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), has been quietly removed from the ATF post. Stepping into his shoes is Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, who will now be pulling double duty — yes, running the U.S. Army and the ATF. That’s not a typo. Welcome to the new federal normal.
This is your next FBI Director. Kash Patel is fiercely pro gun.
We had the honor of hosting him at GOALS in August. pic.twitter.com/rHgJvtUslX
— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) December 1, 2024
Now, let’s be clear. Patel wasn’t even in the role long enough to hang a nameplate on the door — we’re talking since late February. And while you’d expect the head of an agency like ATF to be visible, engaged, maybe even on-site, insiders say Patel made just one visit to ATF headquarters.
One. And he barely interacted with the career staff. That kind of hands-off leadership might fly in private equity, but in a federal law enforcement agency dealing with the complexities of firearms regulations? Not so much.
Driscoll, meanwhile, brings a résumé loaded with military command and business acumen — Iraq war vet, former investment banker, and current Army secretary. But when it comes to civilian law enforcement or firearms regulation? Zip. Nada. Zero experience. That hasn’t stopped the administration, though.
With Driscoll now at the helm of ATF, speculation is swirling that this could be a precursor to an even bigger move: folding the ATF into the DEA. Reuters reports that such a merger is being seriously considered as a way to streamline operations and cut spending — and it’s already reportedly drawing support from Deputy AG Todd Blanche.
Now, remember, under the Biden administration, the ATF became a central pillar of gun control policy — aggressively cracking down on gun dealers, tightening ghost gun rules, and expanding red flag law coordination with states. Second Amendment groups weren’t thrilled, and lawsuits started flying. But now, with Patel’s abrupt exit and Driscoll’s surprise appointment, we’re looking at a potential 180.
Patel himself has not been shy about his views. He once described the ATF as existing solely “to wipe out” the Second Amendment, and in a fiery speech to Gun Owners of America, he called unelected bureaucrats “the most destructive operation in U.S. history.” That kind of rhetoric may play well at conventions, but it sent shockwaves through Capitol Hill. Democrats were quick to label his original appointment “reckless” and “offensive,” accusing Trump of turning federal law enforcement into a political tool.
And here’s the kicker: as of Wednesday, Patel was still listed on the ATF website as acting director. Classic bureaucracy — even when leadership changes at warp speed, the website just hasn’t caught up.
