FBI Director Kash Patel, who was doing double-duty as the acting Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director, has been replaced by Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll to run the agency that, according to reports, had been effectively leaderless for weeks.

The leadership change was first reported by NBC News.

“He was happy to serve when he was called to serve, but it was never meant to be a long-term position as he’s the director of the FBI, which is quite a large job,” said a person familiar with the matter.

The Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment. It’s not clear if Mr. Driscoll will have an “acting” designation.

The ATF, formed more than 50 years ago, is a division of the Justice Department that investigates criminal possession of manufacture of firearms, bombing and arson attacks; and tax evasion involving alcohol and tobacco.

In February, Mr. Patel was announced as the surprise pick to serve as acting ATF director just days after being sworn in as FBI director. Questions swirled around the untested Mr. Patel and his ability to simultaneously oversee an ATF that employs nearly 5,500 people on top of the FBI’s 38,000-strong workforce. 

Mr. Patel had reportedly not seen the inside of an ATF facility “for weeks” and had, in fact, focused on the role for as little as one day, according to NBC News.

However, on Monday, FBI Assistant Director of Public Affairs Ben Williamson announced on X that Mr. Patel had officially repealed the ATF’s Biden-era “Zero Tolerance” policy, which gave the ATF the power to pull gun store licenses from dealers who had violated an extensive list of rules. Gun rights advocates had criticized the policy, saying it was about control, not policy. Mr. Patel also announced the Department of Justice and ATF will review the ban on stabilizing braces, which can make a pistol function more like a rifle, and the Biden administration’s definition of “engaged in the business” as a firearms dealer, which had been criticized by Second Amendment advocates as government overreach.

“Today’s repeal of the Zero Tolerance Policy and the comprehensive review of stabilizing brace regulations and the definition of ‘engaged in the business’ marks a pivotal step toward restoring fairness and clarity in firearms regulation,” Mr. Patel said in a statement. 

Mr. Driscoll, a law school friend of Vice President Vance who ran unsuccessfully for the House district previously occupied by Madison Cawthorn, will continue to serve as Army Secretary, where he oversees the “operations, modernization, and resource allocation of nearly one million active, guard, and reserve soldiers and over 265,000 Army civilians, according to his bio.