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President Biden’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) suggested that Americans report their current and former partners’ alleged “illegal gun activity” to the agency as a “fun” Valentine’s Day activity.
The ATF posted the tweet Monday morning as Americans began their celebration of the day of love.
“Valentine’s Day can still be fun even if you broke up,” the agency wrote on Twitter. “Do you have information about a former (or current) partner involved in illegal gun activity?”
REPUBLICANS WARN ATF TAKING ‘GIANT LEAP TOWARD A FEDERAL FIREARM REGISTRY’
President Joe Biden answers questions during a news conference at the White House on Jan. 19, 2022. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“Let us know, and we will make sure it’s a Valentine’s Day to remember!” the tweet continued. “Call 1-888-ATF-TIPS or email ATFTips@atf.gov.”
A spokesperson for the ATF told Fox News Digital in a Monday email that the “fight to protect the public from firearm-related violence is not just up to law enforcement; it’s a partnership between our communities and law enforcement.”
“We look to those who live within the communities we protect, to provide law enforcement with real time intelligence as to violent offenders,” the spokesperson said. “Like many law enforcement agencies, our tip lines enable citizens to report suspicious activities generally, or to provide information about particular crimes.”
“This tweet was generated to ask our followers to report illegal gun trafficking, which directly impacts violent crime nationwide,” they continued.
While the tweet appears to have been an attempt at humor, critics worried that the ATF’s invitation could lead to jilted exes and significant others frivolously reporting their partners to the agency.
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Twitter users quickly dogpiled on the ATF over the tweet.