A New ATF Director Is Nominated - Will He Get Confirmed?

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In this episode, we explore President Trump’s nomination of longtime law-enforcement veteran Robert Cekada to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. We break down Cekada’s extensive background inside the ATF, the response from gun-rights organizations, and the potential impact of his leadership on the agency’s future. We also look at the historical challenges that have made confirming an ATF director one of the most politically difficult appointments in Washington — including decades of stalled nominations, lobbying pressure, and long stretches without a Senate-confirmed leader. This episode gives listeners clear context, deep analysis, and a grounded understanding of why this nomination matters and what it could mean for firearms policy, enforcement, and national security moving forward.

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Episode Transcript

(00:14):
Well, welcome to the Live toShoot podcast.
My name is Jeff Dole and I'vebeen a licensed firearm dealer
for the last 18 years.
And this podcast we talk aboutall things related to Second
Amendment, as well as anythingelse going in the world sports
story or anything else I might.
Fine.
Interesting.
So welcome, welcome, welcome.
This is a week beforeThanksgiving.
This is my favorite time ofyear.
I love this time.
We've already got our lights upor decorations up.

(00:35):
I love to start celebrating.
Christmas in particular, but Ialso love the Thanksgiving time
of year just being together withfamily and spending time
together.
So I hope you all have greatplans.
I will probably just do a, aspecial episode next week and
we'll you'll see what that is aswe get a little closer to
Thanksgiving, but welcome,welcome, welcome, welcome.
So news today.

(00:57):
Is that the administrationPresident Trump has nominated
Robert cic to be the nextdirector of the bureau of
Alcohol Tobacco Firearms andExplosives.
So let's get into this andexplore his his nomination, why
it's significant and what itcould possibly mean, so.
November 18th, just a few daysago, Trump officially sent his
Robert Cicada's nomination tothe Congress to become the next

(01:20):
a TF director.
Currently, he serves as thedeputy director of the A TF
position.
He's held since April, 2025.
His nomination does mark anotable shift according to
multiple parts.
He's seen as a more traditional.
Career law enforcement pick notjust a political loyalist.
So let's look into a little bitdeeper into cicada's background.
So his law enforcement career,he started, before joining the A

(01:44):
TF, he worked for the New YorkPolice Department.
Starting in 1992, he served inthe housing Bureau, the Citywide
Anti-Gang Enforcement Unit andthe Organized Crime Bureau.
He later served in theplantation Florida Police
Department, including working ona SWAT team.
He joined the A TF in 2005 as aspecial agent in the, florida
Baltimore Field office.
I'm sorry.

(02:04):
And he's risen through the ranksand he's been a special agent in
charge in both Miami andBaltimore.
He's the deputy director overour Central region 19 states and
executive Assistant director foroperations As the deputy
director, he oversees major A TFdivisions, including the
regulatory field, operations andintelligence.
From his official bio, he's alsoinvolved in the National Crime

(02:27):
Gun Intelligence Governing Boardand the IACP Firearms Committee.
So his nomination has, you know,drawn you know, strong support
from gun rights and the fire,fire firearms industry who
prioritize a trusted lawenforcement.
Veteran approach.
So in SSF, the NationalShootings sports Foundation

(02:49):
praised his experience.
They said he respects the SecondAmendment and views the firearm
industry, not as an adversary,but as a valuable partner.
The American SuppressorAssociation also welcomed the
pick.
Its President Knox Williams saidthat cicada's leadership would
give law abiding governors aseat at the table and the City
Citizens Committee for the rightto keep and bear arms echoed

(03:10):
similar symptoms.
They welcomed what they calledhis Pro Second Amendment views
and highlighted his decades of aTF experience from a government
leadership perspective.
His appointment continues abroader shakeup at the A TF
under the Trauma Administration.
In recent New Months, severaltop a TF leadership roles have
been reshaped.
So why might this nomination beimportant?

(03:33):
Well, his institutionalknowledge, he's not an outsider.
He has decades of experience inthe a TF political signaling.
By selecting someone who, withdeep law enforcement roots,
rather than purely a politicalpick, Trump may be aiming to
pressure both gun rightadvocates in those worried about
a TF overreach and regulatoryimplications.
Given his support for majorfirearm organization, his

(03:56):
leadership could mean aregulatory approach favorable to
gun owners while still enforcingfirearm laws.
Confirmation risk.
Even though many in the gunrights community support him,
his confirmation is notguaranteed.
The ATF role is a politicallycontentious one, and his
confirmation will have to gothrough the s Senate Judiciary
Committee.

(04:16):
Implications.
If he's confirmed for gunowners, there may be more trust
in a TF enforcement.
For law enforcement, his deepoperational background means he
could emphasize crime gunintelligence and use ATFs
enforcement ca capacity intargeted ways for the firearm
industry.
Regulatory relationships mightimprove, and for policy, his

(04:37):
directorship could influence howa TF prioritizes resource, maybe
putting less emphasis onpaperwork enforcement and more
on criminal investigations oroutreach.
So let's hope so.
Some questions out there, somecommon questions.
Wasn't he already at in a toprole at the A TF?
Yeah, he's been a deputydirector since April, 2025,
which is the second highest rolein the agency.

(04:58):
You know, what is the ProAmendment people think?
Well, we've already talked aboutthat.
There seems to, seems to befavorable across the industry.
He does have field experience.
And what about non-gun groups orcritics?
Is there opposition?
There hasn't been anythingdeeply covered yet.
I haven't seen anybody likeevery town or, you know any of
those come out yet in terms ofopposition.

(05:19):
But we'll have to wait as we geta little closer to this
confirmation.
There is going to be a challengewith this confirmation.
The, before, you know, it'simportant to understand that,
that the confirming, confirmingthe A TF director is is
difficult.
Before 2006, A TF directors weresimply appointed by the
president, but with the 2006reauthorization of the Patriot

(05:41):
Act, Congress added provisionrequiring Senate confirmation of
a TF Directors.
Ironically, that same group hasbeen playing a big role in
resisting these nominations.
There have been very fewconfirmed directors.
Todd Jones was confirmed in 2013after a really growing
experience.
And then for years the A TF wentwithout any Senate confirmed

(06:03):
leader relying on activedirectors.
Deba, who we are not a fan of,was confirmed in 2022 by just a
narrow margin of 48 46 withSenate, pretty much voting along
party lines.
So.
This could be a you know, a big,that might be seen as a bridge
since he is not a politicalappointee, he is more of a

(06:26):
operational leader.
So maybe the the left will,favoring we'll just have to wait
to see.
So hopefully, you know, fromwhat I'm hearing, you know and
this, that always can change as,as we dig deeper in people's
background.
But he seems to be a prettysolid pick to lead the A TF.
He has extensive law enforcementbackground, which, you know,

(06:48):
honestly, that's what the a TFis.
They should be, they should begoing after the bad guys and not
after legal firearms, you know,citizens.
And trying to restrict our, oursecond amendment rights.
They should just be going afterthe bad guy.
Maybe having somebody in lawenforcement and not some kind of
political, with an agenda personin there running it will get the

(07:08):
ATF shifted more in thatdirection.
Time will only tell you neverknow what happens when people
get have power.
So.
Thank you for listening.
We're gonna keep following up,but we'll track how this
confirmation goes.
Not sure when he'll get in frontof the Senate.
I mean, the Senate has not beenrunning, moving very fast and
nominating any of thenominations.

(07:28):
We've got judges out there stillwaiting to be nominated.
So it could be a while, buthopefully we can get him across
the finish line here prettysoon.
So take care if you haven'tsubscribed, subscribe, like,
give this a review.
That always helps with that old,nasty algorithm.
And, you know, have a greatweekend and I will be talking to

(07:50):
you soon.