“It’s Become A Political Arm Of White House”: ATF Gun Store Revocations Hit 16-Year High

Under the Biden-Harris administration, there has been a considerable rise in gun stores having their licenses revoked by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The Trace reported that 92 Federal Firearm Licenses (FFLs) had been pulled so far this year — this is the highest number since 2008. 

And comes nearly a year and a half after President Biden declared war on ‘rogue gun dealers.’

“The numbers provide the first indication that federal investigators have cracked down on lawbreaking gun dealers following guidance from the Biden administration ordering the agency to take a stricter tack during inspections,” Trace said. 

The revoked 92 FFLs account for 1.3% of all the gun shops inspected. The revocation rate under Biden has skyrocketed to the highest in 16 years. 

“The pandemic hobbled the ATF’s ability to conduct compliance inspections at gun stores, and the total number of inspections has yet to rebound to pre-pandemic levels,” Trace said. 

Anti-gun David Chipman, former ATF agent and Biden’s failed ATF head nomination, who now works for the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins University, commented on the data, saying, “the trendline is good. We should applaud the agency for holding the industry accountable — for doing its job.” 

However, one gun shop owner in New Jersey told AmmoLand Shooting Sports News that Biden’s crackdown on FFLs “is no longer about pursuing criminals:” 

“It has become a political arm of the White House. These ATF agents – they’re no longer worried about what’s right and wrong. They’re worried about their jobs. This is all part of Biden’s zero-tolerance policy for gun dealers.”

So is the surge in FFL revocations under the Biden administration just another back-door attempt to trample the Second Amendment?