Blake Masters, a Trump ally, has big backers if he wants to be picked to run the ATF.
President Donald Trump has not announced his pick to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), but a close ally of his and Vice President JD Vance’s is in the running.
Blake Masters, a Trump ally who ran for Senate and Congress in Arizona, is a favorite for the job by leading Second Amendment advocates. His proximity to Donald Trump, Jr. is a key asset, a source involved with the transition team told the Washington Reporter.
“Democrats always put anti-gun nuts in this role, and Republicans put enforcement-focused cops,” the source said. “Gun groups are looking for someone who understands their issues and someone who can meaningfully facilitate their priorities. They’re looking for an outsider who can root out a complacent bureaucracy riddled with leftist activists — like Kash [Patel] at FBI, for example, but at ATF.”
During a video campaign when he ran for office, Masters made his support for the Second Amendment clear.
“This is a short barreled rifle,” Masters said in one video. “It wasn’t designed for hunting. This is designed to kill people. But if you’re not a bad guy, I support your right to own one.”
One GOP operative who has worked with gun rights groups told the Reporter that “the impulse to want someone with a law enforcement background is understandable, but these are exceptional times, and America’s gun owners need somebody who is one of them, who is part of the community first and foremost. Masters is that guy.”