Biden ATF Pick Grilled by Ted Cruz, Says He Supports Ban on AR-15 Rifles

President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms told senators on Wednesday that he supports a ban AR-15 rifles.

He made the admission in response to a question from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who said the AR-15 was “one of, if not the most popular rifle in America.”

“I support a ban,” Chipman replied, calling it a “particularly lethal weapon.” He also said that he had been issued one as an agent on an ATF SWAT team, though he failed to note that his version would have been the fully automated kind that private citizens are prohibited from owning.

Chipman said he supports a legislation introduced in the Senate by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to ban the firearms. The proposal has just 35 cosponsors among Senate Democrats. Republicans, as well as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), oppose the bill. Chipman’s advocacy for the bill has been a source of controversy for Republicans as Chipman battles to win Senate confirmation.

However, Chipman said that if confirmed as ATF director, “I would simply enforce the laws on the books, and right now, there is no such ban on those guns.”

Summarizing Chipman’s answer, Cruz wryly responded, “So you want to ban the most popular rifle in America.”

Watch above via the Senate Judiciary Committee.