Sheriff Chad Chronister on Tuesday announced he was withdrawing from consideration to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, just four days after President-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate him to lead the Justice Department agency.
Sheriff Chronister, who leads the department in Hillsborough County, Florida, ran into opposition from conservatives who faulted him for enforcing COVID-19 lockdowns.
He called Mr. Trump’s plan to nominate him as DEA administrator “the honor of a lifetime” in a statement announcing he would not move forward with the Senate confirmation process.
“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,” he said. “There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling. I sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County.”
Sheriff Chronister’s decision makes him the second Trump pick to drop out of the confirmation process before it even formally begins. His decision came even faster than former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s decision to remove himself from consideration for attorney general.
Mr. Trump cannot formally nominate any of his picks until he takes office on Jan. 20.
In his announcement selecting Sheriff Chronister to lead the DEA, Mr. Trump cited the “countless commendations and awards” the Florida sheriff received for keeping his community safe.
But Sheriff Chronister’s efforts during COVID-19 have drawn criticism from conservatives who opposed pandemic-era lockdowns. Specifically, they’ve pointed to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office’s arrest of pastor Rodney Howard-Browne in March 2020 for holding a church service in violation of lockdown rules.
However, Mr. Howard-Browne said he and Sheriff Chronister have reconciled since the arrest and that he would be the “ideal candidate to lead the DEA.”
But Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of the Republicans who criticized Sheriff Chronister for arresting Mr. Howard-Browne, said he was glad to see the DEA nominee withdraw from consideration.
“Next time politicians lose their ever-lovin minds, he can redeem himself by following the Constitution,” he said.
— Kerry Picket contributed to this report.
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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