Chad Chronister, the President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) administrator, has withdrawn his name from consideration just three days after his nomination was announced. This decision makes him the second Trump pick to withdraw from consideration, following former Rep. Matt Gaetz. Chronister is the sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida, and faced backlash from Trump’s political base for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly his arrest of a Tampa-area pastor who violated lockdown orders in 2020. Despite the initial praise for his nomination, Chronister stated that he needed to turn down the position due to ongoing initiatives in his current role as sheriff.
Trump had tapped Chronister to work with Attorney General Pam Bondi to secure the border and combat drug trafficking, particularly stemming the flow of Fentanyl and illegal drugs across the Southern border. Despite strong support from Florida Republicans, Chronister’s nomination was particularly scrutinized by Congressional Republicans due to his controversial actions during the pandemic.
Critics, including Rep. Thomas Massie, raised concerns about Chronister’s arrest of the pastor and his handling of the pandemic, leading to his decision to withdraw from consideration. This withdrawal comes after Gaetz also withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations. Chronister’s decision reflects the challenges faced by Trump’s nominees and the level of scrutiny they are under in the current political climate.
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