Trump administration rolls back Biden-era gun rules, drawing safety fears
The administration unveiled 34 gun rule changes, including a bid to undo a Biden-era gun-show background check rule that critics said would make trafficking easier.
On April 29, the Justice Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced 34 final and proposed gun rule changes, including a move to repeal or revise a Biden-era rule that expanded background-check requirements at gun shows and other off-site sales. The agency called it the most significant modernization of regulations in its history.
The overhaul followed Executive Order 14206, signed by Donald J. Trump on February 7, 2025, which directed the attorney general to review federal actions for possible Second Amendment infringements. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called the package the most comprehensive regulatory reform in ATF history, and the White House called the Second Amendment an indispensable safeguard of security and liberty.
The Biden-era rule aimed to close the so-called gun show loophole. It required more firearms dealers to conduct background checks when selling outside brick-and-mortar stores, including at gun shows and other temporary venues. The new package would move in the opposite direction, with proposals that could let Americans mail handguns, narrow background-check requirements and make it harder to revoke a gun dealer’s license. The administration says the changes would return federal rules to where they were before Joseph R. Biden took office and align ATF policy with Supreme Court precedent, while giving law-abiding gun owners and sellers less regulatory burden.
Gun-control groups warned that the rollback would have immediate consequences for communities already struggling with gun violence. Everytown for Gun Safety called the rollback a move that would gut commonsense gun safety laws and make communities less safe, and GIFFORDS called the actions a move that would fuel gun crime.
The announcement came shortly after Robert Cekada was confirmed to lead the ATF. It also built on a broader Trump administration approach that has already narrowed gun-trafficking enforcement, reduced dealer-license revocations and shifted ATF resources. ProPublica found gun-trafficking referrals fell 15% in Trump’s first year and the number of dealers losing their licenses dropped by 69% compared with the Biden-era crackdown. The administration has also sued California and Virginia over new state gun laws, arguing restrictions on semiautomatic rifles and certain pistols violate the Second Amendment.
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