A familiar face is once again the highest-ranking director at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). At least for now.

Former Acting Director Marvin Richardson is back at the top of the ATF’s leadership structure, at least as of Wednesday. The agency’s website placed Richardson as its head. Although, he is still listed only as the Deputy Director.

The ATF did not respond to multiple emails and calls about Richadson’s role or the agency’s current leadership.

While the Trump Administration has made a splash on many policy fronts with a bevy of executive actions on everything from birthright citizenship to architecture, it has done relatively little on gun policy. Richardson’s ascension back to leadership in the ATF is the result of Director Steven Dettelbach resigning ahead of Trump, who’d promised to fire him, retaking office. It leaves the ATF in a similar position to where it was just after Donald Trump left office in 2020.

Richardson previously served as ATF head in the early days of Former President Joe Biden’s administration. In 2022, he was demoted from Acting Director to make way for Dettelbach. The move sparked a backlash, especially from black law enforcement and gun-rights groups.

“The men and women of ATF have been fortunate to have Marvin (as he is affectionately known) as its Acting Director,” Constance Hester-Davis, BAPLEA President, said in a letter obtained by The Reload. “He is a career employee and servant leader who has put the needs of the agency and country first and foremost. BAPLEA commends Acting Director Marvin Richardson for his exemplary leadership to ATF and his extensive service to the United States of America.”

Richardson has been criticized by either side of the gun debate during his time in ATF leadership. As gun-control activists pushed for a new director who explicitly backed some of their favored policies, they argued that Richardson was too cozy with the gun industry and accused him of slow-walking Biden’s so-called ghost gun rule. The New York Times described him at the time as “an industry-friendly subordinate pumping the brakes” on the President’s agenda.

On the other hand, some gun-rights advocates have criticized Richardson as too aggressive in attempting to expand gun restrictions. For instance, gun writer John Crump claimed Richardson was a driving force behind the ATF’s effort to reclassify pistol-braced firearms as highly regulated short-barrel rifles or shotguns.

However, Richardson has been able to achieve a relatively good working relationship with the firearms industry. He has repeatedly appeared at the industry’s trade show and spoken at other industry events.

“My beef is not with Marvin, who is doing a decent, nonideological job,” Larry Keane, general counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, told The Times in 2022.

It’s not clear what President Trump will do with the ATF at this point. He hasn’t said what his plans are for the agency. Although, The Wall Street Journal reports he has expanded the agency’s power and purview by granting ATF agents the same authority as immigration officers.

While some gun-rights advocates have pushed for the agency to be disbanded or for a gun-rights activist to head it, others have advocated for an academic or administrative law expert to run it. Pam Bondi, Trump’s Attorney General pick, has reportedly advocated for a non-political law enforcement official to run the agency.

Trump could re-enter the fight to appoint a permanent director, one he lost to his own party the first time around. He could also slot in an acting director and avoid the fight altogether. If he goes that route, Richardson is well-positioned to stay back atop the ATF.