Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen joined the U.S. Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) at a press conference in Washington, D.C. to support the Trump Administration’s efforts to strengthen the Second Amendment and reduce burdens on law-abiding gun owners.
“Today is a day of celebration for lawful gun owners and the gun industry. The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and I’m glad the Trump Administration agrees,” Attorney General Knudsen said. “I will continue to defend our Second Amendment rights as Montana Attorney General.”
The announcement included several proposed regulatory changes by the ATF, each tied to legal challenges Knudsen has pursued in recent years.
Regarding stabilizing braces, in February 2023 Knudsen filed a lawsuit against a Biden administration rule requiring that stabilizing braces paired with most pistols comply with laws regulating short-barreled rifles. The ATF is now proposing to rescind those 2023 changes.
On private gun sales, in May 2024 Knudsen filed a lawsuit against a Biden administration rule that critics said criminalized law-abiding citizens for selling a single firearm for profit without a federal license. The ATF is proposing to rescind certain provisions of that rule.
Regarding bump stocks, Knudsen filed multiple briefs supporting gun groups seeking to overturn an ATF rule that classified bump stock accessories as converting firearms into machine guns, exposing owners to criminal liability. The ATF is now proposing to remove regulatory language that incorporated bump stocks into its definitions of “machine gun.”
Also during the announcement, acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that Robert Cekada has been confirmed by the Senate as the next ATF Director. Knudsen had previously led a 15-state effort supporting Cekada’s confirmation, sending a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee in February on his behalf.
By DNU staff