ATF director asked to define an 'assault weapon' — but he makes telling admission instead



Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Director Steve Dettelbach was asked a simple question on Tuesday about firearms, but admitted he could not provide an answer.

At a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-Texas) asked Dettelbach to define what constitutes an "assault weapon." Dettelbach himself has supported banning assault weapons, Ellzey noted, and the current position of the Biden administration is that assault weapons should be banned.

"In 15 seconds, would you define an 'assault weapon' for me?" Ellzey asked.

Shockingly, Dettelbach — who leads the government agency that is expert in all things firearms and explosives — admitted that he could not because he is not a "firearms expert."

"I’ll go shorter than that because honestly, if Congress wishes to take that up, I think Congress would have to do the work, but we would be there to provide technical assistance," Dettlebach responded. "I, unlike you, am not a firearms expert to the same extent as you may be. But we have people at ATF who can talk about velocity of firearms, what damage different kinds of firearms cause, so that whatever determination you chose to make would be an informed one."

At no point did Dettlebach define what constitutes an "assault weapon."

Budget Hearing – Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives www.youtube.com

What is the definition?

The inability to define "assault weapon" underscores the fear that many gun owners share about the government's push to ban them.

Generally speaking, an "assault weapon" as the term is used by the government may be said to be a semi-automatic firearm that has specific cosmetic features, such as a pistol grip, muzzle flash, and folding stock. On the other hand, "assault rifle" generally refers to fully automatic rifles, which are already outlawed under most circumstances.

But if the definition is overly broad, then most firearms — save for bolt-action rifles, pump shotguns, and revolvers — could be subject to an "assault weapons" ban.

Last year, the Associated Press actually advised journalists to stop using the terms "assault weapons" and "assault rifles" because they are "highly politicized terms that generally refer to AR- or AK-style rifles designed for the civilian market, but convey little meaning about the actual functions of the weapon."

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Trump-Backed Candidate Sweeps Ohio Primary In Show Of The Former President’s Strong GOP Sway

Trump's pick to replace Ohio GOP Rep. Steve Stivers defeated a large slate of candidates in a crowded primary by a wide margin on Tuesday.

Democrats are locked out of Texas runoff special election for US House



Democrats have been locked out of the special election for Texas' 6th Congressional District after Republican candidates Susan Wright and state Rep. Jake Ellzey were the top two vote-earners in Saturday's jungle primary.

There were 23 candidates running to succeed the late Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas), who passed away at 67 in February after contracting COVID-19. Of the 11 Republicans, 10 Democrats, one Libertarian, and lone independent in the race, only the two candidates with the most votes could advance to a runoff election.

Earning the most votes was Susan Wright, Ron Wight's widow and a longtime conservative activist who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and won 19.2% of the vote. Coming in second place was Ellzey, who received 13.8% of the vote. Finishing third was Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez, who fell 355 votes short of qualifying for the runoff election, crushing the hopes of national Democrats who believed they could flip the seat and expand their narrow majority in the House.

Since no Democrat qualified for the runoff election, yet to be scheduled, the 6th Congressional District will remain in GOP hands for the remainder of the 117th Congress.

It's a bitter defeat for Democrats considering that the district has become more competitive in recent election cycles since 2012. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney won the district 58-41 and then-Rep. Joe Barton (R) won 58-39 that year. In 2016, Donald Trump won the district 54-42, and in 2020 Trump's share of the vote fell to 51-48. Still, though the late Rep. Ron Wright was targeted for defeat by Democrats in 2020, he won re-election by nine points.

Most of the Republicans running to succeed Wright campaigned on a pro-Trump platform with the notable exception of Michael Wood. Wood, a combat veteran and small business owner, ran on an explicitly anti-Trump message and was supported by Trump critics like Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

"I don't want to go to Congress if I have to lick Donald Trump's boots to get there," he told the Associated Press in an interview.

He will not go to Congress. Wood earned a measly 3.2% of the vote in Saturday's primary, finishing in the middle of the pack but well below the expectations he set by estimating that moderate Trump-critical Republicans make up as much as 35% of the GOP voter base.

Heading into the runoff, Ellzey has the most money, but Wright has the coveted Trump endorsement and the most institutional support from the state Republican Party.