“Guns and Drugs Go Together,” Says Bondi
During recent congressional testimony, Bondi defended the proposed merger, claiming the consolidation would improve federal efficiency in tackling violent crime, especially against cartels.
“Guns and drugs go together,” she declared, suggesting that combining the two enforcement agencies under one roof would create a streamlined response to violent criminal enterprises.
But Bondi’s comments did little to calm the storm. In fact, they appear to have inflamed it.
Opposition from All Sides
Gun rights groups and gun control organizations rarely agree on much—but Bondi’s plan has united them in opposition, albeit for different reasons.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which represents firearms manufacturers and retailers, slammed the merger as a bureaucratic nightmare that would confuse enforcement priorities and further entrench the federal overreach gun owners already fear.
NSSF argues that folding the ATF’s regulatory role into the DEA’s militarized drug enforcement mission would blur crucial lines between constitutionally protected rights and illegal narcotics enforcement.
On the other end of the spectrum, Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action, backed by Michael Bloomberg, voiced concern that the merger would “weaken” ATF’s enforcement of existing gun laws, fearing it would dilute focus and resources needed to “crack down” on gun dealers and manufacturers.
Senator Lindsey Graham: “Makes No Sense to Me”
In an unexpected turn, gun owners found an unlikely ally in Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who, during a recent Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, bluntly stated, “This merger makes no sense to me.”
Graham was joined by Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), who echoed concerns that the ATF’s vital forensic capabilities—like the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN)—could be lost or diminished if absorbed by the DEA.
Their skepticism highlights growing unease among Republicans who see the merger as an ill-conceived reshuffling of agencies rather than serious reform.
Texas Gun Rights: “Abolish, Don’t Merge”
No group has been more vocally opposed to the merger than Texas Gun Rights (TXGR), whose President Chris McNutt didn’t mince words.
“The ATF is a rogue agency that’s been violating the rights of law-abiding gun owners for decades. It doesn’t need to be restructured or reformed — it needs to be abolished,” McNutt said.
McNutt’s position mirrors that of TXGR’s national affiliate, the National Association for Gun Rights, which has made abolishing the ATF a central plank of its federal policy agenda.
A Super-Agency With Superpowers?
Texas Gun Rights warns that the merger would do the opposite of reining in ATF abuses—it would expand them.
Under the DOJ plan, the DEA-ATF merger would triple the ATF’s budget, add over 10,000 new federal agents, and multiply its tactical units—turning an already controversial agency into a “supercharged” enforcement arm with even less oversight.
And with Congress under Republican control, gun rights groups are urging immediate legislative action before it’s too late.
Once a future anti-gun administration is in place, they warn, it could inherit a behemoth agency with unchecked power and a license to crack down on gun ownership across the board.
As the DOJ moves forward with its merger plan, Texas Gun Rights is demanding Congress act now to block the merger and abolish the ATF before the 2026 elections.
“Gun owners have been lied to enough,” McNutt said. “This isn’t about safety. This is about power. And we will not let our rights be steamrolled under the pretense of reform.”
