It was an effort to put some political muscle behind a finalized ghost gun rule that has been praised by advocates and law enforcement alike. More broadly, it was an attempt by Biden to regain his footing on a political front that is currently bedeviling him and Democrats. Only 38 percent of voters approve of the president’s handling of crime, according to a new ABC-Ipsos poll.
“Democrats are on the defensive on violent crime, but they have a built-in trust advantage on gun violence prevention policies,” said Peter Ambler, executive director for the gun safety group Giffords. “If we’re worried about whether or not Democrats just rented the suburbs, or if we’ve made real substantial progress, if those are sort of top political concerns for Democrats, they need to look at gun safety, gun violence prevention, taking on the gun lobby as core parts of the strategy in advance of the midterms.”
Biden’s ghost gun rule, which requires new background checks and serial numbers, was unveiled alongside his new pick to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Both had been long in the offing, with gun advocates and fellow Democrats applying pressure for faster action for months. And they raise the prospect of gun policy taking a more central role during the midterm elections.
The ATF hasn’t had a permanent director since 2015, and the confirmation process for Biden’s second nominee, Steve Dettelbach, is sure to draw Republican opposition. Republicans have blamed Biden for the increase in crime in the U.S. — though crime report data compiled by center-left sources shows murder rates were higher in Republican-run states than Democratic ones in 2020 — and have sought to label him as “soft on crime” ahead of the midterms, which could flip control of one or both congressional chambers to the GOP.
But Democrats and gun safety advocates see a renewed focus on gun control as a potential midterm boon, arguing that it is antiquated to…