Kash Patel Removed As Acting ATF Director

US officials report that Kash Patel has been removed as acting ATF Director and replaced by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll. The change in leadership was not yet announced by the Justice Department when Reuters broke the news. Patel, who was sworn in as FBI Director on February 21 and named acting ATF director several days later remains at the helm of the FBI.

A Justice Department official confirmed the departure   telling NBC it “had nothing to do with his job performance,” while conflicting reports swarm the internet with   The Daily Beast suggesting that Patel may have been released due to not being “seen inside an ATF facility for weeks.” The   New York Times's Glenn Thrush wrote that Patel was removed because of a full plate at the FBI, while   Fox News Digital says a close source reports that Patel wanted out so he could focus on the FBI.

"It was never supposed to be a long-term thing. He was happy to serve, of course, but his job is the director of the FBI," according to the source.

The timing is interesting as senior Justice Department officials consider a merger of ATF and DEA to streamline the government and reign in spending. Driscoll will remain in his post as US Army Secretary according to sources familiar with the decision, a unique circumstance but no more so than sitting at the head of two major Justice Department agencies at the same time.

Driscoll served in the Army for almost four years as an armor officer and a cavalry scout platoon leader with the 10th Mountain Division between 2007 and 2011, deploying to Iraq in 2009 for nine months. He retired as a first lieutenant and went on to earn his law degree from Yale University before working in private equity and venture capital.

We can only speculate at the moment what, if anything, this change means for future ATF firearms industry regulation or why Driscoll was tapped.   CBS reports that Driscoll is a close friend and former adviser to Vice President JD Vance. As more information about his background and views on gun rights is released, it remains hopeful that Driscoll will play a key role in the DOJ’s initiative to uphold the Second Amendment.

What do you guys think of this latest development and what it means for the ATF and the future of firearms regulation? Let us know in the comments below.