ATF Shakeup: Kash Patel Out, Daniel Driscoll In
Kash Patel is out as acting ATF head. Yep, you read that right. He only held the role for a few days. It all went down in February—just three days after he took charge. Welcome to Washington, where things change on a dime.
Patel was juggling two massive roles. Besides the ATF gig, he still holds the FBI Director title. That double duty had raised plenty of eyebrows from day one. It’s not everyday you see one guy running two top federal law enforcement agencies at once.
Then came the twist. According to a report from Reuters, Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll quietly took over as the ATF chief. Driscoll is already busy at the Pentagon and now gets an extra load. Talk about having a hefty plate!
But here’s the kicker: nobody told anyone. Patel’s name was still on the ATF website for weeks after he was removed. In an April 7 press release, he was still quoted as acting director. Even his messages to ATF staff came off as if he were still in charge. Senior agency leaders only found out this week about the change.
The Justice Department claims the swap wasn’t about Patel’s performance and yet offered no further explanation. Rumors are swirling. Some say it might be part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to cut costs. There’s also chatter about merging the ATF with the DEA—a real shakeup for federal law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Patel continues as FBI Director, a role he’s held since February. No clear word on why the ATF change happened so quickly or why it was hidden for nearly two months.
Welcome to Trump’s Washington—a place where today’s boss could be tomorrow’s “former” and you might only hear about it weeks later.
Leave a Comment