Brady Condemns Trump Administration's Dangerous Plan…

Proposed cuts would eliminate two-thirds of workers responsible for inspecting federally licensed gun dealers, severely undermining efforts to curb gun trafficking and other illegal firearms sales

WASHINGTON D.C., June 20, 2025 – Brady, the nation's leading gun violence prevention organization, today released the following statement in response to the Trump administration's plan to eliminate 541 of the estimated 800 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) workers responsible for inspecting federally licensed gun dealers, as reported by The New York Times.

Brady President Kris Brown said:

The Trump administration's plan to slash two-thirds of ATF gun dealer inspectors is a devastating blow to public safety that will directly benefit rogue gun dealers and put more illegal guns on our streets through theft, straw purchases and gun trafficking. With only 800 inspectors currently monitoring over 100,000 licensed dealers nationwide, we already have a system where some gun stores can operate for nearly a decade without any inspection to ensure compliance with federal laws. Now they want to cut that number to just 259 inspectors — making meaningful oversight virtually impossible. For years, Brady has been doing everything in our power to uncover the importance of gun dealer inspections in identifying and weeding out the small number of gun dealers responsible for the vast majority of guns recovered in crime. These ATF firings defy logic for any administration purporting to be ‘tough on crime.’
“Imagine if the Trump administration fired two-thirds of the 6,500 current food inspectors, and chronic food poisoning and rat infestations exploded across the country. People would be outraged — and sick. Yet, the very small number of irresponsible, negligent, or lawbreaking gun dealers are fueling crime and murder with little to no consequence. If these cuts come to fruition, these dealers won’t even have to fear so much as an inspection.
“This isn't just bad policy — it's a deliberate choice to prioritize the profits of the gun industry over the safety of American families.

Brady hosts the largest database of ATF inspections available to the public in the country - shedding light on gun dealers linked to large numbers of guns used in crimes.

Brady President Kris Brown and the Brady Combatting Crime Guns team is available for comment and interviews live, via phone, or Zoom.

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.