ATF Director Robert Cekada discussed restoring public confidence in the bureau during the last of five interview segments. The Senate confirmed him 59-39 on April 29, 2026, and he now leads an agency of nearly 5,000 people that already faced low public standing.

A 2024 poll of 2,000 adults gave the ATF a 53 percent favorable rating, the second lowest among six federal agencies surveyed, with 11 percent calling for its elimination. Cekada acknowledged the bureau had long performed poorly in this area. The interviewer asked the question many firearm owners have raised for years.