By: Gina Morelli
Joe Biden’s gun control effort is coming to an abrupt end.
He just lost one of his most dedicated allies.
And now his entire gun control program is crumbling.
Steve Dettelbach was a heavily criticized choice for ATF director, and things have not gotten much better during his tenure as the head of the controversial agency.
He has faced criticism that he doesn’t even understand the guns that he is charged by Joe Biden with regulating, and his agency has taken heat for their tactics which can be hyper-aggressive at times.
Joe Biden stuck with him the whole way, as Biden has shown an unprecedented commitment to gun control during his administration.
It clearly is an issue that he has strong feelings about, and he wants people in key positions who share his negative feelings about guns.
But now Dettelbach has announced that he is going to resign, which means that if Biden had any gun control plans for the last few days of his administration, he may have no one to enforce them.
This could be bad news for Biden, and it certainly qualifies as bad press at a minimum.
According to The Truth About Guns, “While there is not yet confirmation of this from official sources or the White House, Jared Yanis at Guns & Gadgets on YouTube shared a letter late yesterday allegedly from ATF Director Steve Dettlebach to President Joe Biden announcing his resignation effective January 18, 2025.”
Dettelbach had previously told The New York Times he planned to resign before Trump took over, and he has apparently made good on this promise.
Groups like the National Association for Gun Rights have celebrated this news, with tweets saying things like “Bye Dettelbach.”
The article continues, “Dettlebach has been under constant fire as the head of an ATF, who under his leadership has seemingly worked to suppress the rights of Americans more than go after actual criminals.
“Dettelbach has faced sharp criticism from gun rights groups and Capitol Hill Republicans, particularly for his role in advancing Biden administration gun control policies. These include regulations on so-called ghost guns, devices converting pistols into short-barreled rifles and unlicensed gun sellers and gestapo-like tactics from ATF agents including the killing of Little Rock Airport Executive Director Bryan Malinowski during the execution of a questionable no-knock warrant.”
Donald Trump has not yet chosen a nominee to lead the ATF, and many of his supporters want him to abolish the agency when he takes over as president.
He probably does not have the power to do that unilaterally, but he certainly could appoint someone who is going to operate the agency in a very different way than Dettelbach did.
If that is ultimately what happens, it might not be perfect news for gun owners, but it is certainly a lot better than how things were before.
However, gun owners need to keep the pressure on Trump to replace Dettelbach with someone who is going to be much friendlier to the Second Amendment.