Chad Chronister bows out of DEA nom from Donald Trump

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister is removing himself from consideration to head the Drug Enforcement Agency just two days after President-elect Donald Trump tapped him for the job. 

In a post to X Tuesday evening, Chronister wrote that it was “the honor of a lifetime” to have been nominated for the post but that he decided he had more work to do as Hillsborough County’s top cop.

“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,” Chronister 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.”

Chronister had received praise for the nomination from a bipartisan group of local and state officials, including Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and former Mayor Bob Buckhorn, both Democrats, as well as Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. and former Gov. Rick Scott, both Republicans. 

But he also faced pushback, with U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Chip Roy of Texas arguing that his policies during the COVID-19 pandemic were disqualifying. Chronister, often seen as a moderating voice in conservative politics in Hillsborough County, announced the arrest of Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne, pastor of The River at Tampa Bay Church, for having conducted a service during the height of social distancing in the early days of COVID-19. The charges were ultimately dropped.

Trump had praised Chronister in his nomination.

“As DEA Administrator, Chad will work with our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to secure the Border, stop the flow of Fentanyl and other Illegal Drugs across the Southern Border, and SAVE LIVES,” Trump promised on Truth Social.

Bondi, who formerly served as Florida’s Attorney General, is Trump’s pick for U.S. Attorney General. 

Following Trump’s nomination, Chronister called it “the honor of a lifetime” and said he was “deeply humbled by this opportunity to serve our nation.”

Chronister was first appointed Sheriff in 2017 by then-Gov. Scott and re-elected twice before this year’s unopposed re-election.

Chronister would have replaced Anne Milgram, who has led the DEA for nearly all of President Joe Biden’s administration.

Chronister’s pick wasn’t expected to draw much scrutiny, though his relationship with a man Trump pardoned in his first term might have come up. Trump pardoned Chronister’s father-in-law, Edward DeBartolo Jr., who pleaded guilty in 1998 to charges related to gambling fraud when he owned the San Francisco 49ers.