Kash Patel removed as acting ATF Director

[AlexanderA]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ka...ced-by-army-secretary-sources-say-2025-04-09/

Kash Patel was removed today as acting ATF Director. He continues as FBI Director.

He is being replaced as acting ATF Director by Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll. This will also be a dual role.

The administration is considering merging the ATF with the DEA.

 

[jmr40]

The ATF job was always meant to be temporary.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Still is temporary. Another acting director in a joint role.

He sort of looks like Gary Busey.

 

[fastbolt]

Interesting.

 

[tark]

But is this guy friend or foe?

 

[papajim2jordan]

Still is temporary. Another acting director in a joint role.

He sort of looks like Gary Busey.
View attachment 1259793

Hence, "acting".

 

[papajim2jordan]

But is this guy friend or foe?

Do autocrats prefer their subjects to be armed?

 

[jobu07]

But is this guy friend or foe?

Based on his pedigree he should be "friend," but I would call him neutral until he proves otherwise.

 

[Steve S.]

ATF is a “meh” department for Trump - acting leadership indicates a lack of prominence in this administration - an afterthought. In turn, consideration to subordinate/ assign the ATF to another department, further diminishes their prominence. Trump is a business man, he thinks/ operates like a business man - this is how a CEO addresses a department in his corporation that has no prominence - the ATF is an annoyance for Trump - very low on the list of his priorities.,

 

[DoubleMag]

A extremely high echelon Military career person, supposedly, ''all in'' for civilians having not just firearms, but, SBRs are regular guns ,other regs , 4473 ONLY at a local shop for silencer, eliminating NFA etc?

I'll not be holding my breath on this one.


Glad to be wrong!

 

[alfsauve]

BATF was a tax collecting agency. They’ve morphed, mission creep it‘s called, into a criminal investigative agency. Perhaps the real solution is to return criminal matters back to the FBI and abolish all the taxes on ATF.

 

[mm93]

What's it going to take for Trump to decide to make someone solely responsible and not be an acting director.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Hence, "acting".

Hence not really progress.

 

[papajim2jordan]

Saints and sinners each have their own definition of progress.

 

[luv2safari]

Saints and sinners each have their own definition of progress.

Sometimes stopping malicious mischief is progress.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Sometimes stopping malicious mischief is progress.

What do you think Patel was doing wrong?

 

[westernrover]

What's it going to take for Trump to decide to make someone solely responsible and not be an acting director.

I think the idea of a person having a sole responsibility was addressed in post #9. To reiterate, the impression being perceived is that ATF and its directorship is a low priority, and the agency may get subordinated to another. To not be an "acting director," the appointee must be confirmed by the Senate.

 

[livetoshoot82]

I think that merging the atf, a tax collector, with the dea, a law enforcement agency is a bad idea myself as it may give the atf more of a law enforcement stand vs just tax collector. Just me opinion. I think it should be abolished and states should handle their own gun regulation.

 

[Balrog]

I don't think this change is important. They said up front that Kash Patel would only be temporary at ATF.

 

[nettlle]

If this was a ding on Kash Patel liberals would have been on this like hyenas on a fresh kill. They have been silent.

 

[s4s4u]

If this was a ding on Kash Patel liberals would have been on this like hyenas on a fresh kill. They have been silent.

It is just a redesignation of duty priority. AFT had no leader, let Kash do it, Kash has gotten very busy deporting criminal aliens, find someone else to do it, enter the next available agent.

 

[s4s4u]

I don't think this change is important. They said up front that Kash Patel would only be temporary at ATF.

A permanent AFT director would require a Senate vote, correct?

There are bigger fish to fry right now so I see this as being low priority.

 

[Mosin77]

Semantics. If I were president I’d never appoint a “real” director if it came with a senate dog-and-pony-show if I had it in my power to appoint an “acting” director with all the same powers and indefinite term. More power retained by me to easily hire and fire, less opportunity for everyone to get riled up.

 

[nettlle]

If Patel does nothing he will be criticized. And if he does something there won't be any difference. It's just noise.

 

[Ignition Override]

Intensively-detailed tariff negotiations with dozens of countries, trying to reduce inflation, facing off with China'a public refusal to do anything.......
........... seem to indicate, that the American public sees the ATF as meaningless right now.