Sheriff Chad Chronister, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, withdrew his name from consideration for the office on Tuesday, only three days after he was nominated.
Sheriff Chronister, who is in charge of the sheriff’s department in Hillsborough County, Fla., announced his withdrawal in a message on social media, saying that as “the gravity of this very important responsibility set in,” he had changed his mind about accepting the nomination.
“There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling,” he wrote. “I sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County.”
From the outset, Sheriff Chronister was a surprising choice to run the D.E.A., the nation’s top drug enforcement agency, which operates in more than 60 countries and oversees complex and diplomatically difficult investigations against Mexican drug cartels and Chinese money launderers.
While he had a 30-year background in local law enforcement, he had no experience in the geopolitical aspects of the drug war. Mr. Trump has arguably made that war more challenging by threatening to impose tariffs on Mexico and China if the countries do not stem the flow of drugs and immigrants into the United States.
After his nomination, Sheriff Chronister immediately came under fire from some of Mr. Trump’s most ardent right-wing supporters for his decision to vigorously enforce Covid-19 regulations during the pandemic. His critics pointed in particular to his arrest of a Florida pastor in March 2020 for holding a church service in violation of lockdown rules.
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