President Trump this week formally nominated a career ATF agent and supervisor to lead the country’s firearm regulatory agency.
Smashing hopes that a gun industry insider would get the nod for the job, current ATF Deputy Director Robert Cekada was among the nominations sent to the Senate on Nov. 18 by the White House.
Cekada, who is now before the Senate Judiciary Committee, has been the agency’s Deputy Director since April, after much of the bureau’s top leadership was replaced following the beginning of the Trump administration.
Before stepping into that role, as noted in his official bio, Cekada began his law enforcement career in 1992 as an NYPD officer and later became a detective.
He then worked for a municipal police department in South Florida until 2005, when he joined the ATF. After serving as a special agent in Baltimore and Tampa, he rose to supervisory positions, including Special Agent in Charge of the Miami and later the Baltimore Field Divisions, and, as of 2022, as a Deputy Assistant Director with oversight of offices in 19 states.
Importantly, this means he was not with ATF during the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff or 1993 Branch Davidians siege in Waco – unlike some past nominees – or working in the part of the country where the Project Gunrunner/Fast and Furious “gunwalking” scandal occurred.
Firearms industry groups that have interacted with Cekada over the years are not opposing his nomination.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, which welcomed his appointment as deputy director in April, this week said it was “encouraged” by his nomination as director, and, “We look forward to hearing and considering his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.”
The American Suppressor Association told Guns.com via email that the advocacy group has been in discussion with White House officials regarding Cekada’s candidacy, which it fully endorses.
“In his role as deputy director, we have worked closely with Robert Cekada to ensure law-abiding gun owners have a seat at the table in shaping policy,” said Knox Williams, ASA President.
“If confirmed, he would be the first ever truly pro-Second Amendment nominee to head the agency. 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.”
Stay tuned for those hearings, folks
