FBI Director Kash Patel Dismisses CNN’s ATF Cuts Report as ‘Entirely False’

FBI Director Kash Patel has strongly denied a CNN report that he is planning a major reduction in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The report, based on three unnamed sources, claimed that Patel outlined plans to shift up to 1,000 ATF agents to the FBI and cut more than a third of the ATF’s force.

CNN had described the move as a “major cutback” for an agency that gun rights groups have long criticized, noting that the ATF currently employs about 2,600 agents and more than 5,000 staff—a number that has remained steady for years.

“The move represents a major cutback of the ATF, an agency that long has been in the crosshairs of gun rights groups that believe its work infringes on Second Amendment rights,” CNN said. “The ATF has about 2,600 agents and more than 5,000 employees, a number that has remained largely unchanged for years.”

In a memo sent to ATF employees, Patel, who is also acting director of the ATF, dismissed the CNN report as “entirely false.” He wrote, “I want to address a report from this weekend speculating about the intentions of FBI leadership with personnel decisions at the ATF. This ‘report’ is entirely false.”

After publication of this story and resulting pushback including from Republican allies, FBI officials began to back off aspects of their plan, according to a US official familiar with the matter,” the report stated.

Patel, who is currently also serving as acting director of the ATF, issued a memo to ATF staff denying the CNN report.

“I want to address a report from this weekend speculating about the intentions of FBI leadership with personnel decisions at the ATF,” Patel began the memo obtained by Fox News Digital. “This weekend, CNN reported news of a plan on the part of our leadership to ‘cut as many as one third’ of ATF agents and reallocate 1,000 agents over to the FBI.

The report even suggested our leadership team altered course after reading a news report, and ultimately backed off certain aspects of changes. This ‘report’ is entirely false.”

Patel continued, “The fake news will NEVER be responsible for operational command authority over the ATF, we are. The brave men and women of the ATF who courageously dedicate themselves to protecting the American public will not have their security jeopardized by the media’s disinformation campaigns. When we make decisions, they will be final, regardless of the input of CNN or any other news organization.”

Following the initial CNN report and subsequent pushback—including criticism from some Republican allies—officials reportedly scaled back some parts of the alleged plan, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.

CNN has declined to comment on the matter.