US EditionTrump Administration Drops Plan to Merge ATF Into DEA After Bipartisan Pushback
The plan to merge ATF into DEA was dropped due to opposition from both pro-gun and gun-control groups amid efforts to reduce federal agency size.
- The Trump administration quietly abandoned a plan to merge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives into the Drug Enforcement Administration after sustained pushback, with staff treating the merger as off the table for months.
- Last year Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche proposed merging ATF into DEA, noting their missions differ but often intersect, and this plan required Congressional budget approval.
- Opposition emerged from both pro-gun and gun-control groups, as pro-Trump and MAGA-aligned gun-rights groups warned a merger could empower federal gun enforcement, while Democrats and left-leaning gun-control groups decried the plan.
- The White House is pursuing Senate confirmation for Robert Cekada, nominee for ATF director, who would be only the third leader confirmed in 20 years and first under a Republican administration.
- Internal backlash and debate froze momentum for a merger as Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, shifted to defending the ATF's crime-fighting role, while no logistical plan emerged.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Trump administration quietly abandons plan to merge ATF and DEA after pressure from both sides of gun debate
After pushback from both gun rights and gun control groups, the Trump administration has quietly abandoned its plan to merge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives into the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to people briefed on the matter.
The U.S. President's government, Donald Trump, abandoned its proposal to merge the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Bureau into the Drug Control Administration (DEA) following opposition from pro-arms and anti-arms groups, CNN reported on Saturday, citing several sources.The shift takes place at a time when the White House seeks Senate confirmation that Robert Cekada, deputy director of the ATF, will take up the position of perman…
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