Kash Patel is officially OUT as Director of the Director of the ATF.
The news caught many off guard:
2A BREAKING NEWS
KASH PATEL OUT AT ATF
pic.twitter.com/HNQzWgFQrj
— American Firearms Association (@2A_Freedom)
April 9, 2025
FBI Director Kash Patel was removed as acting ATF director, US officials confirm
https://t.co/9hJekoCgJO pic.twitter.com/yN6ymjtBfj
— New York Post (@nypost)
April 9, 2025
Many details are still unclear, but we did learn a couple big things….
One, we learned that the removal didn’t happen recently, it actually happened on February 24th, just 3 days after he first took office.
Two, we learned they are claiming it had nothing to do with his job performance.
Three, you might say “Big deal Noah, he was always only supposed to be the ACTING Director, so this was expected!” Except…his replacement, Daniel Driscoll, is also named Acting Director, suggesting the permanent head has not been found yet.
The
NY Post had more details:
FBI Director Kash Patel was removed from his role as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and replaced by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, US officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Reuters was first to report the leadership change, which the US Justice Department had not disclosed publicly. As of Wednesday afternoon, Patel’s photo and title of acting director were still listed on the ATF’s website.
Patel was sworn in as acting ATF leader on February 24, three days after he was sworn in as FBI director, a role he continues to hold. It was unusual for one person to be tapped to lead two major Justice Department units at the same time.
A Justice Department official confirmed Patel’s removal and said it had nothing to do with his job performance. The official did not say why Patel was removed.
Driscoll is serving as acting ATF director, the Justice Department official said. Three other sources familiar with the decision said the Army secretary will continue to hold both roles.
It is unclear when Patel was formally removed from his post or when Driscoll was notified of his new responsibility. Driscoll was traveling on Wednesday, and was in the Middle East earlier this week.
President Trump’s second term has featured multiple whipsaw policy reversals, including the firing and rehiring of large numbers of federal workers, and on Wednesday, the temporary lowering of tariffs on many countries, less than 24 hours after steep new taxes on imports kicked in.
Senior Justice Department officials are weighing whether to merge the ATF with the US Drug Enforcement Administration as part of an effort to cut costs.
From the
AP:
FBI Director Kash Patel has been removed as the acting chief of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and has been replaced with the Army secretary, three people familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
It was not immediately clear why Patel was replaced by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll to lead the Justice Department agency that’s responsible for enforcing the nation’s gun laws. One person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel move, said Patel was removed at the end of February, just days after he was sworn in.
But that was never publicly announced. Patel on Wednesday afternoon remained on the agency’s website and was identified as the acting director in an April 7 press release. In March, he posted on social media a note he sent to the ATF workforce that read “special message from the acting director.” And senior ATF leaders were only informed Wednesday of the change, according to another person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the move.
Driscoll will remain secretary of the Army, according to a defense official. This puts a defense leader — with an already large job — in charge of a domestic law enforcement agency. U.S. defense officials have historically tried to maintain a strict divide between military forces and law enforcement. U.S. troops are not allowed to participate in law enforcement activities on American soil. They do, however, provide support and intelligence gathering to Custom and Border Protection to help secure the southern border
RELATED REPORT:
Dan Bongino Breaks His Silence: "I realize asking you to 'trust me' is a waste of time..."
One of the phrases I hate most in journalism is "breaks his silence".
It's so lame, so overplayed and so ill-fitting to most stories.
Just because so and so hasn't made a public comment in the last 30 minutes, does not mean they are now "breaking their silence."
They never took a vow of silence in the first place!
They comment and Tweet dozens of times per day, no one is "breaking their silence" here.
So it's just a pet peeve of mine whenever I see that phrase.
I also dislike "BOMBSHELL" and "Claps Back". So and so "Claps back" at so and so. UGH. Like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.
But occasionally these phrases do have their (limited) uses, and that's what we've got here and this that's why I'm using it in this article.
Because Dan Bongino was sworn in as the Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on March 17, 2025 and we really haven't heard anything from him of any consequence since then!
Specifically, about the things that matter most like the Epstein List.
This is especially true in light of the fact that many on social media have been extremely outspoken about the complete lack of action from Bondi, Kash and Bongino on anything related to the Epstein List.
And while I don't expect they spend much time scrolling through X most days, it would be hard for them to have not heard the criticism.
It turns out Dan HAS heard all the feedback and complaints about lack of action and he finally took to X to post a response.
Two responses actually....
Look, I am a big Dan Bongino fan and also a Kash Patel fan. And by "fan" I don't mean "fanboy" -- I just mean I'm a strong believer these are the right guys for the job. They're the guys I want in there.
At the same time, I've been very loud and very critical about the lack of noticeable action, and I'm not shying away from that.
I think my criticism (along with many others) has been extremely valid.
We lived to "Just Trust Him Jeff Sessions"....
We lived through "Just Trust Him Bill Barr"....
And nothing ever got done.
Suddenly you look up and 4 years have passed.
So the criticism is fair, but so is Dan's response.
In fact, I have to give this a standing ovation because this is why I trust Dan Bongino.
The message he just delivered is completely on point, perfectly pitched, and I don't think you could write a better one.
I'm going to show you the full two posts below, but my quick summary is Dan says I hear you, your feedback is valid and appreciated, keep the heat up, I'm not tone-deaf enough to ask you to trust me but please know things are moving behind the scenes, and even when you start to see more things become public even then please understand some things will never fully be made public because of the nature of this job and how we have to bring justice.
It's the best and fairest message Dan could have posted and it get's a big old round of applause from me.
Take a look:
Headed back to DC today after spending a day back home with my wife and daughter.
As I dive back into work, I want to reassure you that nothing that is happening here is happening by accident. Because of the sensitivity of what the FBI deals with, both the Director and I have…
— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino)
April 6, 2025
Headed back to DC today after spending a day back home with my wife and daughter.
As I dive back into work, I want to reassure you that nothing that is happening here is happening by accident. Because of the sensitivity of what the FBI deals with, both the Director and I have to be circumspect in what we can make public. Bad guys read this stuff too. Neither one of us came here to play games.
Measure us by results. You will see them. But just because you don’t see something happening right this second, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
I’ll conclude by stating that not every result is going to please everyone. That’s just pandering, it’s not leadership. Complex problems require diligence and a reform-oriented process to create lasting changes. Or else you’re simply putting a bandage on a gushing wound. Let’s do it right.
God bless America, and all those who defend Her.
-Dan
And second post here:
I’d like to add this:
Your comments and criticisms are not only welcome, but they’re helpful. We work for you, the American people.
Your feedback is invaluable. All I ask is that you consider the following feedback to the feedback. When you see something happen, and the entire…
https://t.co/Lpg9Tiubxs
— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino)
April 6, 2025
I’d like to add this:
Your comments and criticisms are not only welcome, but they’re helpful. We work for you, the American people.
Your feedback is invaluable. All I ask is that you consider the following feedback to the feedback. When you see something happen, and the entire story isn’t public, and the underlying facts aren’t all public, it may appear counterintuitive to our reform agenda.
I promise you, it’s not an accident.
Ask yourself, why I would sign on to something like this otherwise. Is it a desire to be wealthy, famous, “connected,” or to be a future lobbyist? If that sounds ridiculous, it’s because it is.
I realized when I signed up that I’d never be able to fully explain some decisions we make due to legal and ethical constraints. But that’s a pill I agreed to swallow when I swore in.
In conclusion, I realize asking you to “trust me” is a waste of time. Watch what happens, continue to demand results, be cautious of narrative “traps,” let time put the puzzle pieces together, and what we’re doing will make sense. I see and hear you and your feedback. Thanks for your time.
-Dan
Bravo Dan, you have my respect.
I still need to see SOMETHING happen soon, but you have earned all of our respect.
Some early comments are split:
My favorite response comes from BioClandestine who posted this:
I understand that many are jaded, have given up hope, believe there will never be any accountability, don’t trust anyone, etc.
But if you had to trust somebody, it’s these guys, and they are telling us they are getting the job done behind closed doors.
I believe them.
pic.twitter.com/SzoXO8Vblb
— Clandestine (@WarClandestine)
April 4, 2025
I understand that many are jaded, have given up hope, believe there will never be any accountability, don’t trust anyone, etc.
But if you had to trust somebody, it’s these guys, and they are telling us they are getting the job done behind closed doors.
I believe them.
I think that's very wise and very well said.
Come on Dan, bring it home buddy....we're all counting on you.
The leash is short because of the history of disappointments, but if anyone can do it it's you and Kash.
We are praying for you.
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