Expect lively confirmation hearings coming soon after President Donald Trump (R) this week formally nominated current ATF Deputy Director Robert Cekada to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Many within the industry hoped that someone from the gun rights community or manufacturing sector would get the nod. Instead, the hope is that a lifetime law enforcement officer will continue cleaning up the controversial agency.
Cekada certainly has the experience to lead, and many believe that his nomination signals a new era in safeguarding Second Amendment rights.
Nominee is a career law enforcement officer and ATF agent
The nominee began his career as an NYPD officer in 1992, then relocated to South Florida for another law enforcement role until 2005. It was then that Cekada joined the ATF.
His duties included time as a special agent in Baltimore and Tampa before he was elevated to multiple supervisory roles. These assignments include stints as the Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Division and later in the same position in Baltimore.
Gun rights supporters quickly weighed in on Cekada’s nomination
In 2022, Cekada became Deputy Assistant Director in charge of ATF activities in 19 states.
Guns.com importantly noted that Cekada’s time with the embattled agency came after the scandal-plagued 1990s.
That’s what the resume says, but there are far more important considerations than simply checking off boxes for work experience. How will Cekada, if confirmed, work to protect gun rights and reverse years of infringements?
Second Amendment supporters quickly responded to the news of Cekada’s nomination, and the consensus was overwhelmingly positive.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the industry trade group, quickly announced that it was “encouraged” by the White House’s selection of Cekada.
NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane welcomed the news. He declared in April that “Deputy Director Cekada has the experience, wisdom, and respect of his colleagues to effectively lead the men and women of the ATF.’
Keane did not stop there in his effusive praise for the nominee.
He noted that Cekada “respects the Second Amendment and understands that the firearm industry is not the ‘enemy’ but a valuable partner” in the struggle to stop criminal activity.
This, of course, is a vital truth that the ATF under the previous administration clearly forgot. Retailers are the primary wall between straw purchasers of weapons for those who should not have them and these criminals getting their hands on firearms at will.
Without the cooperation of this constitutionally protected sector, federal officials stand no chance of controlling the illegal trafficking of firearms. Cekada should be counted on not to make enemies out of the very industry he is charged with protecting.
The American Suppressor Association (ASA) was also effusive in its praise for Cekada.
Knox Williams, the organization’s president and executive director, explained that the ASA and others worked closely with Cekada, and that he was respectful of gun owners’ concerns and the weapons industry.
“If confirmed, he would be the first ever truly pro-Second Amendment nominee to head the agency,” Williams said. “By nominating an ATF director who understands our community and respects our constitutional rights, President Trump and his administration are further underscoring their commitment to standing up for the Second Amendment and gun owners. We urge the Senate to confirm him without delay.”
This year witnessed dramatic upheaval with the ATF. Former Director Steve Dettelbach jumped ahead of being pushed out, and he was replaced first by FBI Director Kash Patel, then by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, and finally by Cekada as deputy director.
There’s no better way to show your patriotism than with merch that speaks before you do.
Defend America is more than a name, it’s a stand for freedom, resilience, and the values this country was built on. Every tee, hat, and mug is a symbol of unapologetic pride. Wear it loud, wear it proud, and let the world know: freedom isn’t negotiable.
Click the link below to join the movement.