Who is Robert Cekada and What Does His Nomination as ATF Director Mean for Gun Owners?

The government shutdown has finally ended, and Washington is slowly getting back to work, we hope, on actually governing.  Wasting no time trying to move things forward President Trump nominated Robert Cekada as the next head of the ATF.  This brings many feelings for gun owners.  Who is he?  What will he do? Is this bad for us?  All valid questions considering the agency, in our opinion, is at best constitutionally dubious.  However, there are complications with eliminating the agency entirely.

Most gun owners, us here at 2 If By Sea Tactical included, want the entire agency eliminated and rights restored to us citizens without overreaching politicians and career bureaucrats.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), however, was established by congress in 1972 and legally would require congress to eliminate it.  While under the purview of the Executive Branch for staffing, eliminating agencies set up by congress requires congressional approval.  This is why we should be very careful about what we set up and what powers ceded to these agencies as they are hard to remove.        

The ATF is no different.  Trump has now officially nominated a new head of this agency and shockingly, it is not a terrible choice.  Robert Cekada will be the latest nominee to this controversial agency.  He will be given the task of attempting to repair its image, if that is even possible.  He is also there to hopefully steer it towards going after criminals and not law-abiding citizens as we have seen in the past.  So who is he?  Can he accomplish this goal?

Cekada is a career law enforcement agent.  In some ways, he is the ideal candidate for this type of posting.  When the ATF was set up back in 1972, it was envisioned as strictly a anti-criminal organization and tax collector for the National Firearms Act (NFA).  The agency has strayed far from this goal and has even been caught aiding the very criminal organizations that they are tasked with defeating (example Fast & Furious).

Mr. Cekada has a long history of serving as a law enforcement officer as first a New York Police Officer and SWAT Officer before jumping over to the ATF in 2013.  Since then he has risen through the ranks to ultimate being named Deputy Director by President Trump in 2025 before being nominated for the permanent role. He has gained praise from pro-gun groups like National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the American Suppressor Association (ASA).  If there is to be someone in charge of this agency, he is not a bad pick.

He is a bit of a different pick inside the Executive Branch as he is more of a career insider versus an outside maverick that the Trump Administration has been nominating.  He does give us hope that he will continue to do right by us gun owners.  He was one of the chief voices rolling back the “zero tolerance policy” put forth by the Biden Administration that result with hundreds of FFLs losing or surrendering their licenses.     

He also pushed to end the pistol brace policy, which is now defunct by court rulings, and continuing to roll back many of the Biden Era infringement on our 2^nd Amendment rights.  For an Administration that has been inconsistent on the 2^nd Amendment, Robert Cekada is not a bad pick.             

It will be up to the Trump Administration to continue and prove its pro-gun bona fides with the gun community.  This has gotten increasingly difficult with the inconsistent and contradictory stances coming out of the Justice Department under Pam Bondi.  For every positive they do (see the magazine ban opinion in Washington D.C.), they yank the rug out from under us (see the latest NFA case). 

We here at 2 If By Sea Tactical, hope Mr. Cekada can help guide the Justice Department towards more pro-freedom arguments and support us gun owners and the 2^nd Amendment.  He is given an unenviable task.  One that the ATF has repeatedly failed with deadly consequences.   We are praying we will be a voice of reason and help us seize on the window we have for this short period of time to roll back restrictions.              

Here at 2 If By Sea Tactical we strive to bring you the best experience in the firearms world.  As we continue to grow the media arm of 2 If By Sea, make sure you keep tuning in to our Youtube Channel @2ifbyseatactical and right here at “The Patriot’s Almanac” to stay informed on the latest happenings in the firearm world! But we are not lawyers, so this isn't legal guidance.

Stay sharp, stay informed, and stay ready.