President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Drug Enforcement Administration rejected the role after Republican lawmakers criticized him for taking too seriously COVID-19 measures at the height of the pandemic in 2020.
“After the growing importance of this very important responsibility, I have decided to resign,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, a Florida Republican, said in a statement Tuesday.
“Being nominated to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime,” Chronister said in a statement. “As the importance of this very important responsibility has grown over the past few days, I have concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration.”
President Trump nominated Chronister on Saturday, who has worked for the sheriff’s office in the Tampa area for more than 30 years. The New York Times reported that Chronister was elected three times to the current position of sheriff of Hillsborough County.
According to The Times, Chronister “has virtually no experience with the complex international investigations known (the DEA).” Chronister’s fellow conservatives also opposed his nomination, citing his actions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Following Trump’s announcement, Rep. Thomas Massey (R-Ky.) said Chronister should be disqualified for ordering the arrest of a megachurch pastor who held Sunday church services and ignored 2020 coronavirus lockdown measures. The charges against the pastor were later dismissed.
Massie posted to
And Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told Fox News, “No matter which political party is in power, we don’t need authoritarians who refuse to exercise discretion and protect the Constitution.”
Following Chronister’s announcement, Massie posted on X that he was happy with the decision.
“I’m glad he withdrew from consideration,” Massie said. “Next time politicians lose their love, they can save themselves by following the Constitution.”
