Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister is no longer under consideration to become the administrator of the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in President-elect Donald Trump’s forthcoming second administration.
Chronister said he withdrew. Trump said he “pulled [Chronister] out.”
Trump’s nomination of Chronister was met with sharp and immediate criticism from numerous evangelicals, who pointed out that Chronister, in his capacity as sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida, ordered the arrest of a pastor who refused to adhere to pandemic-related restrictions on large gatherings in March 2020.
The charges were later dropped after Chronister met with the pastor, and the Hillsborough County Council loosened its initial pandemic-related guidelines.
Additionally, some Christian leaders raised concerns about Chronister’s support for decriminalizing marijuana in Florida and his promotion of local LGBTQ+ pride events.
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Roughly three days after expressing gratitude for being nominated to head the DEA, Chronister took to social media to announce that he was no longer under consideration.
“To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime,” Chronister said in a statement on Dec. 3. “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.”
“There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling,” Chronister continued. “I sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County.”
One day after Chronister’s announcement, Trump contradicted Chronister’s statement while criticizing the Wall Street Journal’s framing of the story.
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