Mystery Surrounds Removal of Kash Patel as the Acting Director of ATF, Leaving the Staff ‘Shocked and Confused’
- Patel, who is the FBI Director, was given dual charge of ATF in February, but was removed unannounced just days after.
In an unusual and largely unpublicized move, FBI Director Kash Patel has been removed from his dual role as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), according to multiple reports. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll has taken over ATF leadership while maintaining his current Pentagon position, creating an uncommon arrangement that spans defense and domestic law enforcement.
According to sources cited by the Associated Press, Patel was removed from the ATF position, which The Daily Beast calls a “ghosting gig,” in late February, just days after being sworn in. However, this change was not publicly announced, and as recently as April 7, Patel was still being identified as acting director in ATF press releases and on the agency’s website.
The White House has characterized Patel’s ATF appointment as a “standard, short-term move” while awaiting Senate confirmations, with spokesperson Harrison Fields stating that Patel is now “excelling in his role at the FBI and delivering outstanding results.” NBC News sources suggested the change “had nothing to do with job performance,” while New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush indicated Patel’s “plate was too full” at the FBI.
This leadership shuffle comes amid considerations by Justice Department officials to merge the ATF with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into a single agency to “achieve efficiencies in resources, case deconfliction, and regulatory efforts,” according to a memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The appointment of Driscoll creates an unusual arrangement where a defense leader with significant existing responsibilities now oversees a domestic law enforcement agency. As Army Secretary, Driscoll already manages the military’s largest service, with approximately 452,000 soldiers worldwide and oversight of a $187 billion budget.
Driscoll, 38, previously served as an adviser to Vice President J.D. Vance and had a brief military career, leaving the Army as a first lieutenant after less than four years of service. He unsuccessfully ran for Congress in North Carolina in 2020.
Reports indicate senior ATF leaders were only informed of the leadership change on Wednesday, with NBC News describing workers at the bureau as “shocked and confused” by Patel’s removal.
The unusual nature of this leadership transition, the lack of public announcement, and the ongoing consideration of a potential ATF-DEA merger raise significant questions about the administration’s approach to federal law enforcement and gun regulation.