With the 2026 midterms less than ten months away, one of Washington’s most enduring political flashpoints is back in focus: gun policy.
The Washington Post reports the Justice Department, now led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, is preparing to soften federal gun regulations in an effort to strengthen ties with gun rights groups. Among the changes under consideration are rules governing private gun sales and firearm shipping.
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Officials are also debating when to move forward – aware the timing could carry political and legal consequences.
Possible changes under review
According to The Post, several proposals would fall under the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
They include revisiting which firearms can be imported, adjusting licensing fees to make them refundable, and possibly changing application forms to require applicants to list their biological sex at birth.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s annual gun trade show opens today in Las Vegas, one of the largest gatherings in the industry. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is scheduled to speak.
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The Trump administration proposed cutting ATF staffing from about 5,100 to roughly 3,600 positions in the 2026 budget.
President Donald Trump has aligned himself closely with gun rights groups such as Gun Owners of America. At the same time, his administration has proposed cutting hundreds of positions from the ATF, reducing the number of inspectors overseeing gun sellers.
ATF role in regulations
The ATF, part of the Justice Department, oversees firearms sales, licensing and enforcement of regulations passed by Congress.
While the department has authority to amend rules, any changes could trigger legal challenges. The agency also works with local law enforcement on violent crime investigations, making its staffing levels and enforcement priorities a point of concern for critics.
Bondi’s record draws scrutiny
Some Second Amendment advocates remain skeptical of Bondi, citing her support for gun restrictions as Florida attorney general after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
The Justice Department pushed back on that criticism.
“The Biden Administration waged war against the Second Amendment, but that era has come to an end under Attorney General Bondi, who has led the Justice Department’s effort to protect the Second Amendment through litigation, civil rights enforcement, regulatory reform, and by ending abusive enforcement practices,” a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added the administration will fight to defend the Constitution and individual freedoms.
What comes next
In November, Trump nominated Deputy Director Robert Chedka to lead the ATF. His Senate confirmation is expected next month.
Loosening gun regulations ahead of that hearing could complicate his path. Historically, ATF confirmations have proven politically difficult.
During Trump’s first term, he withdrew the nomination of former Fraternal Order of Police president Chuck Canterbury after Republicans objected to his views on gun policy.
In December, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced the creation of a new Second Amendment Group within the Civil Rights Division. The group has already filed a lawsuit challenging Washington D.C.’s assault weapons ban.
Democratic pushback
The new unit has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who argue the Civil Rights Division is being redirected away from its core mission.
Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont and Dick Durbin of Illinois wrote to Dhillon:
“Since President Trump took office, you have decimated the Division’s nonpartisan workforce and changed the Division’s enforcement priorities to serve the President’s agenda in lieu of our federal civil rights laws.”
