Why was Kash Patel removed as acting ATF director?

Kash Patel has been removed from his position as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He will be replaced by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll.

US officials confirmed the updated news on Wednesday (9 April), after Patel took the role of acting director of the ATF on 24 February. It came days after being sworn in as FBI director, a position he maintains. It is rare for one person to oversee two major Justice Department agencies at the same time.

The reasons behind Patel’s removal from the agency responsible for enforcing US gun laws remain unclear. However, officials have stated that the decision was unrelated to his job performance.

The change was not officially announced, and Patel's name stayed on the agency's website until Wednesday afternoon. He was also reportedly still referred to as the acting director in a press release issued on 7 April.

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White House spokesperson, Harrison Fields, said Patel was "briefly designated ATF Director while awaiting Senate confirmations - a standard, short-term move."

"Director Patel is now excelling in his role at the FBI and delivering outstanding results," Fields added.

It remains uncertain how the leadership change at the ATF will impact its regulation of the firearms industry, or why Driscoll was chosen to take the helm.

In a statement on Wednesday, the NSSF, the firearms industry's leading trade association, said Driscoll's appointment was "indicative of his resolve to bring reform to ATF and protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens."

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