President Donald Trump’s election victory was fueled by millions of gun owners who had endured years of disdain and overreach from Joe Biden and his anti-gun allies. Biden’s administration treated gun owners and firearms dealers as targets in a political game, weaponizing federal agencies to enforce their anti-Second Amendment agenda. Even worse, Biden allowed the creation of an anti-gun office within the White House, giving it access to senior officials and the power to coordinate with the anti-gun lobby.
The mainstream media turned a blind eye to these abuses. Many so-called journalists were staunchly aligned with Biden’s anti-gun policies, refusing to hold him or his administration accountable. But for those paying attention, Biden’s approach was clear: marginalize lawful gun owners and dismantle the Second Amendment, piece by piece.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) became the administration’s primary weapon in this crusade. But this isn’t a new role for the ATF. Its history is marred by catastrophic failures and deadly overreach. From the 1993 Waco siege that claimed over 80 lives—including 20 children—to the Ruby Ridge debacle, where Randy Weaver’s wife and son were killed, the ATF has consistently shown its inability to operate within the bounds of justice.
And then there’s “Fast and Furious,” the botched gun-running scheme that armed Mexican drug cartels and led to the death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Hundreds of Mexican nationals also lost their lives due to weapons the ATF allowed to flow freely across the border. These tragedies aren’t just footnotes—they’re damning evidence of an agency that has repeatedly abused its power.
Today, the ATF’s overreach continues unabated. Stories of innocent gun owners being targeted by armed raids are no longer rare. Take the case of Mark “Choppa” Manley, whose home was raided in the early hours of the morning by a heavily armed ATF team. Despite complying with all state and federal laws, his home was torn apart, and his family was terrorized. Fortunately, Manley realized what was happening and put down his legally owned handgun before agents stormed inside. Others, like Arkansas airport director Bryan Malinowski, weren’t so lucky. Malinowski was shot and killed by the ATF in March 2024 after mistaking their raid for a home invasion.
These aren’t isolated incidents. They’re part of a larger pattern of abuse by an agency that increasingly sees law-abiding gun owners as criminals. For decades, gun rights advocates have called for the ATF to be abolished. Under Biden, those calls have only grown louder. The agency has become more dangerous than the criminals it claims to target, its actions driven by political agendas rather than public safety.
Thankfully, there’s momentum in Congress to address this. Representatives Eric Burlison (R-MO) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) have introduced H.R. 221, a bill to abolish the ATF. The legislation is refreshingly straightforward: “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is hereby abolished.”
The ATF’s FY2022 budget reveals the scale of the problem. With approximately 5,000 employees, half of whom are armed special agents, the agency operated on a $1.5 billion budget. That’s $1.5 billion taxpayer dollars spent on an organization that terrorizes gun shop owners, raids private homes, and stretches the bounds of its authority to target law-abiding Americans.
There was a time when the ATF had agents who respected the Constitution and the rights of gun owners. These older agents understood that their role was to enforce existing laws, not create new ones through bureaucratic overreach. But after four years of Biden’s leadership and a feckless ATF director, those agents have been replaced by anti-gun bureaucrats eager to push the administration’s agenda.
Abolishing the ATF isn’t just about saving taxpayer money. It’s about protecting the rights of Americans and preventing further bloodshed. The agency’s track record proves it cannot be trusted. If President Trump wants to take bold, historic action in his next term, he should prioritize dismantling the ATF.
Critics will argue that eliminating the ATF would leave a gap in law enforcement. But the truth is, other federal agencies are fully capable of handling the ATF’s legitimate responsibilities without its baggage of corruption and overreach. The FBI, DEA, and local law enforcement agencies can enforce firearms laws without targeting innocent Americans or undermining the Second Amendment.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. The ATF’s unchecked power poses a direct threat to the constitutional rights of every American. Its continued existence guarantees more raids, more abuses, and more deaths. The agency’s past actions serve as a grim reminder of what happens when bureaucracies operate without accountability.
Gun owners across the country are watching closely. The Second Amendment isn’t just a constitutional right—it’s a safeguard against tyranny. The ATF’s actions under Biden have proven that this safeguard is more important than ever.
It’s time to end the ATF once and for all. Congress must act swiftly to pass H.R. 221, and President Trump must sign it into law. The agency’s legacy of overreach and abuse cannot be allowed to continue. By abolishing the ATF, we can send a clear message: the Constitution isn’t a suggestion, and the rights enshrined in it are not up for negotiation.