Chad Chronister, Donald Trump’s election to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Tuesday he was withdrawing his name from consideration, becoming the second person the president-elect has chosen to quickly drop out after being nominated for a position that requires Senate confirmation.
Sheriff Chronister, the chief law enforcement officer in Hillsborough County, Florida, said in a post on X that he shied away from the opportunity, which he called “the honor of life”.
“During the past few days, as the weight of this very important responsibility has become greater, I have concluded that I must withdraw from consideration,” Chronister wrote. He did not provide specifics, and Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Chronister follows a former Republican congressman Matt GaetzTrump’s first choice for attorney general, withdrawing his name for an administration post. Gaetz withdrew after the review federal sex trafficking investigation which cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the top federal law enforcement officer.
Trump’s selection of Chronister for the DEA job drew a backlash from conservatives, who expressed concern over his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and his statement that his office “does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities.”
In March 2020, Chronister arrested a megachurch pastor who held services with hundreds of people and violated an existing stay-at-home order aimed at limiting the spread of the Covid virus.
“Shame on this pastor, their legal staff and the leaders of this staff for making us do our jobs. This is not what we wanted to do during the declared state of emergency,” Chronister said at the time. “We hope this will be a wake-up call.”
U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was among those who went public with the complaints, saying Chronister should be “disqualified” for the arrest.
Others flagged Chronister’s comments in a video he posted in 2023 about Florida’s immigration laws that resurfaced after Trump called him out last weekend.
In the video, Chronister praised the “rich diversity” of his community and called it “a place where people from all walks of life come together.”
He said it is important to note that his office “does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities. We do not target individuals based on their immigration status. That is the power of federal agencies.”
Trump has made a comprehensive crackdown on immigration a central focus of his campaign and his goals for his incoming administration.
