The federal government has finally started reversing course on years of anti-gun abuse. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is pulling back on many of the worst excesses of the ATF.

Under his Second Amendment Executive Order, the agency is shrinking in power, backing off aggressive tactics, and eliminating long-despised programs.

But while Trump’s DOJ has done a great deal to change the trajectory of the ATF in the right direction, there’s one dangerous idea still gaining ground:

Merging the ATF with the DEA.

And Texas Gun Rights (TXGR) isn’t backing down:

No more excuses. No more half-measures. It’s time to abolish the ATF — not reform it, and certainly not expand it.

Yes, Trump’s DOJ Is Doing Good Things

We give credit where it’s due: the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) just released a report detailing the massive internal reforms underway at the ATF, thanks to directives issued by President Trump.

Among the reforms:

• The “zero tolerance” policy for gun dealers over paperwork errors is gone.
• More than 50 regulations are being reviewed, with many headed for repeal.
• The cumbersome Form 4473 is being simplified.
• ATF is shutting down burdensome reporting mandates on lawful retailers.
• Certain import restrictions on gun parts and training ammo are being lifted

These changes are restoring fairness, improving industry relations, and pulling the ATF away from its history of harassment and intimidation. President Trump deserves credit for that.

But despite these improvements, one deeply flawed proposal threatens to undo all of it: the merger of ATF and DEA.

A Merger That Makes Everything Worse

Attorney General Pam Bondi, appointed by President Trump, has defended the idea that combining the ATF and DEA will create a more “efficient” federal agency to fight cartels and violent crime. She even told Congress:

“Guns and drugs go together.”

But that’s a flawed premise. The right to keep and bear arms is constitutionally protected. Cocaine is not.

Combining firearm enforcement with narcotics enforcement blurs a dangerous line — and empowers the government to treat gun ownership like drug trafficking.

Under the DOJ’s current proposal:

• The ATF’s budget would triple.
• Over 10,000 new agents would be hired.
• Its tactical capabilities would expand dramatically, merging with DEA strike teams.
• It would become a super-agency, with even fewer constitutional guardrails than it has now.

TXGR President Chris McNutt put it bluntly:

“The ATF is a rogue agency. It doesn’t need a bigger budget or a new name. It needs to be abolished.”

Reform Isn’t the Win You Think It Is

The recent ATF reforms prove one thing: executive action can improve conditions for gun owners — but it can just as easily be reversed by the next anti-gun administration.

Today’s reforms could be tomorrow’s crackdowns.

That’s why TXGR supports legislative solutions, not just executive ones.

We’ve seen what happens when courts or presidents shift directions. Only Congress can lock in lasting protections — or eliminate rogue agencies outright.

“You don’t fix tyranny. You don’t merge it. You abolish it” McNutt said.

The ATF has spent decades targeting law-abiding gun owners, raiding FFLs, and enforcing unconstitutional gun control mandates.

From Waco to Operation Fast and Furious, its record is one of systemic abuse — not public safety.

No amount of reform changes that history. And no merger will stop the ATF from continuing that mission under a different name.

That’s why TXGR is urging Congress to pass H.R. 221, a bill to abolish the ATF completely and return its limited administrative functions to agencies under tighter constitutional control.

The Only Solution: Abolish the ATF

Gun owners cannot afford to be lulled into a false sense of victory.

Reforms may soften the ATF’s image.

Mergers may promise efficiency.

But both lead to the same outcome: a more permanent, better-resourced federal agency with the power to regulate your rights out of existence.

So the only way to stop future abuse is to eliminate the source — before the next administration picks up where the last anti-gun regime left off.