The most divisive administration pick made by President-Elect Trump has now thrown in the towel after the massive online conservative backlash.
President Donald Trump on Saturday nominated leftist Hillsborough County, Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister to lead the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Chronister was first appointed by then-Florida Governor Rick Scott, and subsequently elected two more times.
He has served with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for 32 years.
But what seemed like a noncontroversial and boring pick soon turned into a political headache for Trump once MAGA nation discovered some ugly aspects of Chronister’s record as sheriff. This made many wonder who advised Trump to make this selection.
Fortunately, Chronister decided to take care of the problem himself by announcing on X this afternoon that he was withdrawing from DEA consideration following the criticism.
“To have been nominated by President-Elect Donald Trump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime,” Chronister wrote. “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.
“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,” he added.
To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime. Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully… pic.twitter.com/bvNF8m9Bh4
— Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) December 3, 2024
Among the most controversial moments of Chronister’s career was the arrest of Tampa Bay Pastor Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne in March 2020.
The pastor was charged with violating public health orders after keeping his church open during COVID-19 lockdowns despite spending $100,000 on advanced air filtration systems to ensure safety.
“Announcing the arrest of Dr. Ronald Howard-Browne, Pastor of The River at Tampa Bay Church, who intentionally and repeatedly disregarded state and local public health orders, which put his congregation and our community in danger,” Chronister wrote at the time.
Moreover, Chronister bolstered his office’s DEI programs, emphasizing diversity in recruitment efforts. In 2015, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office launched a recruitment effort focusing on diversity, aiming to “better reflect” the community it serves.
Chronister has even supported red-flag gun confiscation policies and has reportedly utilized them multiple times. In 2020, his office worked with the Tampa Police Department to serve a Risk Protection Order, a tool used to strip law-abiding citizens’ 2nd Amendment rights under the guise of preventing individuals deemed a ‘threat’ from accessing firearms.
