President Donald Trump’s newly sworn-in FBI Director Kash Patel is doing a two-fer. Trump is naming him the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). Patel was confirmed by the Senate for the FBI job on Thursday and took his oath of office on Friday. MAGA supporters on X are thrilled he’s taking the ATF job and have some theories as to what happens next.
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🚨 #BREAKING: President Trump is expected to appoint Kash Patel to Acting Director of the ATF in addition to his role as FBI Director, per ABC
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 22, 2025
The ATF’s days are NUMBERED 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DVlfb6ltY4
Kash Patel pulling double duty as FBI Director AND Acting ATF Director?
That’s a power move straight out of Trump’s playbook! The ATF’s overreach has been a thorn in the side of law-abiding gun owners for too long.
Time for a patriot like Kash to shake things up and put freedom first. Swamp’s trembling, and I’m here for it!
— Jarvis (@JarvisForceOne) February 23, 2025
Very good job on a weekend! This is not a joke. Kash has had many years to devote to saving our country and our lives! ATF is rigged from the top. Consultants aging doing the job of the “lifer” government employees. Thank you @POTUS team for another big win!
— Positivitypassiton (@kKwon242156) February 23, 2025
MAGA supporters are calling this a huge victory. Commenters believe this is the first step in abolishing the ATF.
Kash can gut FBI and rebuild it. ATF just needs to be abolished altogether.
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 22, 2025
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I mean, that’s pretty clear what’s gonna happen, right?
— Phil Kennedy (@PhillipAKennedy) February 22, 2025
I am all for rebuilding after a total cleanse
— Brian Ference (@BrianFerence1) February 23, 2025
So, keep the FBI with some huge changes and scrap the ATF altogether. That sounds like a plan. Some posters say the ATF has too much discretionary power.
Abolish the ATF.
Any resources and specialists can be absorbed by the FBI.
We do not need a regulatory agency with badges and guns that redefine what is and is not illegal on a whim.
The FBI can handle enforcement on gun-related issues just fine, and although I believe pretty much all gun laws are infringement, the fact is that there's no reason to have an agency interpreting the law.
That's the job of the legislature, and if they can't quantify what they want to legislate, too bad. The ATF shouldn't get to step in and speak for the letter of the law.
— Douglas MechArthur ☭⃠ (@Kicksbuttson) February 23, 2025
Other posters say there are redundancies in these agencies. They say the agencies can be combined and pared down.
There are too many Federal agencies!
— Rebecca (@RebeccaMtn) February 22, 2025
The multi-trillion dollar alphabet soup.
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 22, 2025
Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a Federal agency.
— Dad of B.S. 🇺🇸 🦁 BS Not Allowed 🥰 1A 2A + More (@DadOfBS) February 22, 2025
This is either a genius move or the fastest way to overwork a single person in D.C. history.
— Richard Ward 지앰프 (@zeampzpvy) February 23, 2025
The ATF and the FBI are both agencies within the Justice Department. The ATF has more than 5,000 employees. That’s huge. But, we're pretty sure Patel will get all the help he needs doing both jobs.
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