President Donald Trump has decided to appoint the newly confirmed FBI Director, Kash Patel, as the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), according to a source who spoke to Reuters on Saturday.
A loyal supporter of Trump, Patel will oversee both the FBI, the nation's leading law enforcement agency, and the ATF, which enforces U.S. gun laws, during a period of significant turmoil.
Despite strong opposition from Democrats and two moderate Republicans, who argued that Patel's past calls for retribution against Trump's critics rendered him unfit for the FBI role, broad Republican support secured his nomination.
Patel, who has the backing of the Gun Owners of America lobby group for his advocacy of gun rights, is expected to initiate an overhaul of the ATF, shifting its focus away from regulating firearms.
During his presidential campaign, Trump criticized the ATF for being heavy-handed with gun owners and revoking licenses on trivial grounds.
Attorney General Pam Bondi recently fired the ATF's long-time chief counsel, Pamela Hicks, and had security escort her out of the building without prior warning, a source familiar with the incident said. Bondi later explained on Fox News that Hicks was targeted for allegedly "targeting gun owners."
Bondi has directed the ATF to assist the Department of Justice in targeting illegal immigration, moving away from its traditional role of regulating arms, tobacco, and alcohol.
Patel is one of several Trump administration officials holding dual roles. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also serving as acting administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, which Trump plans to integrate into the State Department. Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, is also the acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency the administration aims to dissolve. Additionally, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright serve as co-chairs of Trump's new National Energy Dominance Council.