Trump administration rolls back more than 30 federal gun rules

The Trump administration has turned a longstanding gun-rights agenda into federal policy at unusual speed, moving to roll back and modify more than 30 firearms regulations and reopening the fight over who can buy guns, where, and under what oversight. The centerpiece is a proposed repeal of a Biden-era rule aimed at the so-called gun show loophole, a change that gun control groups say would make it easier for buyers to bypass background checks outside brick-and-mortar stores.

The rollback traces back to February 7, 2025, when Trump issued an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to review federal firearms regulations for possible Second Amendment infringements. The directive instructed Bondi to examine agency actions, regulations, guidance, plans, international agreements and litigation positions, a sweeping review that quickly became the engine for the administration’s firearms agenda. Legal observers described it as a first-of-its-kind White House order focused on expanding gun rights.

By April 29, 2026, Justice Department officials were moving to undo a slate of more than 30 gun rules. The package was signed shortly after Robert Cekada, a longtime law enforcement officer, was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called it the “most comprehensive regulatory reform package” in ATF history, signaling how far the administration has pushed to recast the federal gun regulator from enforcement backstop to deregulatory partner.

The consequences extend well beyond one rule. Gun control groups said the rollback would make the country less safe and accused the administration of catering to gun rights activists at the expense of public safety. Everytown for Gun Safety president John Feinblatt said the administration was “gutting commonsense gun safety laws” and sabotaging ATF. Advocates for tighter limits also warned that shrinking the agency’s reach, especially after reports in mid-2025 that Department of Government Efficiency staff were working at ATF to eliminate dozens of rules, could weaken criminal investigations and reduce oversight of gun dealers and traffickers.

The administration’s allies say the changes restore constitutional balance. Republican-led states that challenged the Biden rule in court, along with gun rights groups, argue the new approach better matches Supreme Court precedent and strips away unnecessary burdens on lawful gun owners and sellers. The National Rifle Association called the original February order a “monumental win.” The Trace later reported that a review of more than 600 federal prosecutions tied to unlicensed gun dealing suggested the repealed Biden rule may not have produced the sweeping enforcement effect critics feared.

The broader pattern is unmistakable: the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention was effectively eliminated soon after Trump took office, and earlier reviews identified ATF’s pistol brace rule, frame-or-receiver rule and zero-tolerance dealer policy as targets. The administration has not just relaxed gun rules; it has reordered the federal government’s posture toward gun oversight itself.