David Chipman, who was President Joe Biden's pick to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, blamed Senators for shutting down his chance to be the ATF director because he would not have played "nice with the gun industry."
Chipman told CBS Evening News, "I have, from 25 years as an ATF Agent, and largely for 10 years after that, committed myself to one thing: preventing gun violence in this country. To oppose me must mean that you're not for preventing gun violence."
"I'm a concealed carry owner in Virginia who swore an oath to our Constitution. And I don't mean a desk job. I mean I was on the SWAT team. I was in dangerous and perilous situations all the time," he continued.
Chipman then made the absurd claim that "the reality is in much of America it's easier to buy a gun than a beer."
EXCLUSIVE: David Chipman, Pres. Biden’s top choice to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, tells @NorahODonnell that his nomination was blocked by the U.S. Senate over concerns that he would “not play nice with the gun industry.” pic.twitter.com/dhrLK5fGMD
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) October 27, 2021
Chipman's nomination was eventually pulled by the White House after months of being in limbo. In addition to his extreme stance on gun control, Chipman's nomination was hard to advocate for after The Reload reported he had official complaints filed against him when he was in the ATF by black agents, alleging "Chipman denigrated black ATF agents up for promotion."
"He made some comments that he was surprised by the number of African Americans who have made it onto a specific promotional list," a current ATF official told The Reload. "So, his insinuation was that they had to have cheated. Which is kind of despicable."
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