Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and several conservative figures are speaking out against it President-elect Donald Trump appointment of Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister as administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
“I’m going to call them as if I see them. Trump’s nominee for head of the DEA should be disqualified for ordering the arrest of a pastor who defied COVID lockdowns,” Massie said in a post on X.
Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne was arrested in March 2020, amid the COVID-19 scare.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., attends a House Rules Committee meeting on a resolution recommending that the House try Attorney General Merrick Garland for contempt of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 . (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Announcement of the arrest of Dr. Ronald Howard-Browne, pastor of The River at Tampa Bay Church, who willfully and repeatedly ignored state and local public health orders, endangering his congregation and our community,” Chronister noted in a tweet at the time.
The charges were later dropped.
“The Attorney General’s Office has recognized that compliance, not criminal punishment, is the focus of our emergency health care laws,” Chronister said, according to reports. “Law enforcement intervention by arrest has been rare during this health crisis, and while it remains a necessary tool to protect the health and safety of our community, we agree that further criminal sanctions are not necessary in this case.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday: Representative Chip RoyR-Texas said: “We don’t need authoritarians who refuse to use discretion and protect the Constitution — no matter which party is in power.”
TRUMP NOMINATES FLORIDA SHERIFF CHAD CHRONISTER TO LEAD THE DEA
Members of the House Judiciary Committee Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., listen to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland testify before the committee on June 4, 2024, at the Rayburn House office building on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Conservative commentator Liz Wheeler suggested Trump should reverse course on the nomination.
“Chad Chronister is a COVID tyrant who arrested a Christian pastor for personally holding the church during the pandemic. Chronister held a press conference in which he bragged about the arrest. Chronister abused his power; he is unfit to lead the DEA. Trump should withdraw his nomination.” Wheeler stated in a tweet.
Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist, called Chronister “a woke, BLM-apologizing, DEI-enforcing, immigration law-ignoring buffoon.” There are thousands of solid sheriffs in this country who are far better qualified to run DEA than this left-wing clown,” he added in a post on X.
But Howard-Browne enthusiastically supports Chronister for the DEA role.
FLORIDA SHERIFF WARNS OF ‘CATASTROPHIC RESULTS’ FROM HURRICANE MILTON
Nikki Debartolo and Chad Chronister are seen outside “Good Morning America” on January 9, 2020 in New York City. (Raymond Hall/GC Images)
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“Chad Chronister has been my friend for many years, through the good times and the challenges,” Howard-Browne said in a message addressed to Trump, which he shared publicly on X.
“I truly believe he acted with the intention of doing the right thing, and I have seen firsthand how he has learned and grown from those experiences. Shortly after my arrest, Sheriff Chronister called me and told me he really missed our friendship. We met for dinner at my house and we were able to rekindle the friendship we had, a friendship I will always cherish,” he continued.
“His vision, determination and leadership make him the ideal candidate to lead the DEA, and I am proud to support him as he continues to serve America with passion and purpose,” said Howard-Browne.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on Monday to request comment from Chronister.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to be nominated by President @realDonaldTrump to be Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and I am deeply humbled by this opportunity to serve our nation,” Chronister said in a post on X.
