By Steve Neavling
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the DEA, Chad Chronister, announced Tuesday that he is withdrawing from consideration, marking the second withdrawal of a Trump pick in recent days.
“Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” Chronister, the sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida, wrote in a post on X.
Trump announced Chronister’s nomination on Sunday, saying that the Florida sheriff would focus on combating the flow of fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border. As part of the Justice Department, the DEA is tasked with enforcing federal drug laws.
However, Chronister’s nomination faced criticism from some Trump supporters, who pointed to his controversial 2020 arrest of a Florida pastor for violating COVID-19 lockdown orders. Additionally, critics raised concerns about his qualifications, noting that his more than 30 years in local law enforcement did not provide the broader experience typically expected for leading the DEA.
Chronister’s withdrawal follows a similar decision by Trump’s initial pick for attorney general, former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz, who stepped aside after questions arose about his past conduct.
