Republicans are sounding the alarm on President Joe Biden's pick to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), David Chipman. Fox News reports:
Dozens of House Republicans are urging the Senate to oppose President Biden's nomination of David Chipman as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), calling him an "enemy of the 2nd Amendment" and saying his confirmation would "jeopardize" the constitutional rights of gun owners. . .
Fox News obtained a letter House Republican Study Committee Chair Jim Banks, R-Ind., and 68 other House GOP members penned to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. R-Ky., on Monday.
In the letter, the GOP members described Chipman as a "longtime gun control activist and lobbyist."
"His beliefs and hostile attitude toward the rights of gun owners are well known," the wrote. "Thus, we respectfully ask that you oppose his confirmation."
David Chipman's beliefs & hostile attitude toward the rights of gun owners are well known and should disqualify the long time gun control activist and lobbyist from the position of ATF director.
— RSC (@RepublicanStudy) May 4, 2021
RSC is leading the charge against his Senate confirmation.https://t.co/RCRXQvX6Ii
President Biden’s ATF nominee has a long history of anti #2A activism.
— Congressman Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) May 4, 2021
I joined @RepJimBanks in a letter urging the Senate to oppose David Chipman's nomination. pic.twitter.com/WwjfUdbKIW
Even prior to the House GOP's letter, concerns were raised about Chipman. Almost immediately after his nomination, comments surfaced of Chipman mocking gun owners in 2020:
During an interview with Cheddar in April last year, gun control activist David Chipman, who was nominated Thursday to the executive post at ATF, said those purchasing firearms put “themselves and their families and danger.” Chipman also compared them to Joe Exotic, the Oklahoma zookeeper profiled on Netflix’s “Tiger King.”
“Most of the new buyers who went out to the gun store and bought a gun have no training whatsoever,” Chipman said. “In their mind they might be competent, they might think they’re die-hard and ready to go, but unfortunately they’re more like Tiger King.”
Chipman’s recommendation as a longtime government bureaucrat who served 25 years at ATF was for new gun owners to “secure that gun locked and unloaded and hide it behind the cans of tuna and beef jerky that you’ve stored in the cabinet, and only bring that out if the zombies start to appear.”
Chipman also locked his Twitter account once his nomination was announced, preventing anyone from easily searching his past posts.
Chipman's nomination to ATF is just one component of the greater concerns Americans currently have about their Second Amendment rights. Join RNLA this Friday at 2 p.m. ET to learn more about emerging Second Amendment issues during this week's members webinar, "Gun Rights on Trial: SCOTUS & Biden Take On 2nd Amendment Issues," at 2 p.m. ET. Register here today!