A Trump official is convinced that banning bump stocks was a good rule made by the Biden administration, according to an exclusive report from the Washington Post.
A bump stock is a device that can be attached to certain styles of rifles, which makes the firearm release bullets more rapidly.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had classified the devices as machine guns — making bump stocks effectively illegal. That ban was struck down by the Supreme Court last year, thought the Biden administration was fighting that in court.
The Trump administration last week announced it was abandoning that Biden legislation.
The disagreement from the Trump official, Robert Leider, who is chief counsel at ATF, came after he went to a driving range.
The Post spoke with several people who are familiar with the outing on the condition of anonymity.
They claim, “At the end of the [shooting range visit], Leider, an Antonin Scalia Law School professor and gun rights attorney, agreed: The devices were dangerous, and the classification as machine guns should stand.”
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Leider was on an unrelated six-day leave when the Justice Department cleared the way for bump stocks to be sold and used.
“This Department of Justice believes that the 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right,” Bondi said. “And we are glad to end a needless cycle of litigation with a settlement that will enhance public safety.”
Leider, who is now back from leave, declined to comment to the Post.
The Post reports, “Many longtime ATF staffers, who tend to be conservative-leaning gun owners, expected Trump to roll back some Biden-era regulations.” However, they felt “forced reset triggers [aka bump stocks] represent a significant public safety threat and should remain off-limits.”
ATF is part of the Justice Department. They regulate the sale and licensing of firearms based on laws passed by Congress.
The office also works with local law enforcement to solve gun crimes. However, those who oppose gun-control claim the agency infringes on Second Amendment rights.
