DOJ Drops Defense of Biden's ATF Gun Dealer Power Grab

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche filed a motion to dismiss Texas v. ATF, abandoning the federal government's defense of the ATF's 'Engaged in the Business' rule. That rule — a cornerstone of Biden's war on the Second Amendment — forced private firearms sellers to obtain Federal Firearms Licenses, turning ordinary Americans into regulatory targets overnight.

The rule stretched the definition of who qualifies as a firearms dealer so aggressively that casual sellers at gun shows or private citizens moving personal collections faced potential federal prosecution. Biden's ATF weaponized it to criminalize conduct law-abiding Americans have exercised freely for generations.

Texas led the charge against this bureaucratic assault, arguing — correctly — that the ATF blew past its statutory authority. Courts found those arguments compelling. Now the DOJ under Blanche refuses to keep fighting a battle the previous administration picked against its own citizens.

Call this what it always was: a backdoor gun registry scheme dressed up as dealer regulation. Force more transactions through licensed dealers, capture more records, build the database. That was the play.

Biden's ATF didn't prevent a single act of criminal violence with this rule. Criminals don't buy guns through private sellers and file paperwork. Law-abiding gun owners do. This rule targeted the innocent while doing nothing to stop actual criminals.

With the DOJ pulling its defense, the 'Engaged in the Business' rule is on life support. The legal framework collapses without the federal government willing to defend it in court.

This is what winning looks like. The ATF's campaign to regulate private gun transfers out of existence just took a fatal blow — delivered by the very Justice Department Biden's team weaponized against gun owners.

Stay engaged, stay informed, and contact your representatives to demand the ATF's rogue rulemaking authority gets permanently curtailed. One dismissed lawsuit is a victory — stripping the ATF of the power to pull this again is the mission.