Trump Assigns Army Chief to ATF Leadership in Unprecedented Double Duty

A defense official announced Wednesday that Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll will also be the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). This rare dual appointment has raised questions about the Trump administration's divided leadership.

As the head of the U.S. Army, Driscoll, who is 38 years old, will take on the role of ATF without leaving that job. The decision came after President Trump fired FBI Director Kash Patel from his temporary job as head of the ATF. There have been no clear explanations from either the White House or the Defense Department for why Patel was fired or why Driscoll was hired.

Since being confirmed by the Senate, Driscoll has only been Army Secretary for 43 days. He is now in charge of two complicated government agencies. He served in the Iraq War and was an advisor to Vice President JD Vance.

As the temporary head of the ATF, Driscoll will be in charge of investigations into the sale of guns, explosives, and alcohol and tobacco. These investigations are a key part of the Department of Justice's federal law enforcement work.

As part of Trump's plan to reduce government waste and staff, some officials have discussed combining the ATF with other agencies, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration. However, this has not been formally proposed.

This is not the first time the Trump government has given one official more than one crucial job. Doug Collins is currently the secretary of veterans affairs and the acting head of both the Office of Government Ethics and the Office of Special Counsel.

Some people, including government oversight groups, are against this approach because they say it could make it harder for agencies to focus on their critical missions and do their jobs well.

One defense analyst outside the government said, "Running two agencies with such different problems is a recipe for confusion and inefficiency." "It's not a model that can last."

The Defense Department hasn't said if Driscoll's work as head of the Army will be affected by his duties as ATF chief. Staffing and mission reviews inside the Pentagon are already happening as part of a larger plan to cut costs that the government is considering.

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